📘14 CFR §61.23 — Medical Certificates: Requirement and Duration

✈️ What Is This Reg About?

This reg explains:

✅ When you need a medical certificate ✅ Which class of medical you need (1st, 2nd, or 3rd) ✅ How long your medical lasts based on your age and certificate type

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🧑‍⚕️ 3 Types of FAA Medicals

🏷️ Class	Used For	Common Examples
1st Class	Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) privileges	Airline Captain, Charter Captain flying Part 121/135
2nd Class	Commercial Pilot privileges	Banner tow, pipeline patrol, flight instructor (if being paid to fly)
3rd Class	Private/Recreational flying	Weekend flying with friends, flight training (not solo unless student pilot requirements met)

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🧠 Need-to-Know: Your Medical "Downgrades" Over Time

After your medical certificate expires for higher privileges, it can still be used at a lower level, if within the time window. For example, a 1st Class medical might turn into a 3rd Class one later — you don’t need to reapply!

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🗓️ How Long Is My Medical Good For?

👤 If you're under 40:

Class	Valid for...
🥇 1st Class	ATP privileges: 12 months
➡️ Then becomes 3rd Class for 48 more months
🥈 2nd Class	Commercial privileges: 12 months
➡️ Then becomes 3rd Class for 48 more months
🥉 3rd Class	Private pilot privileges: 60 months (5 years)

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👴 If you're 40 or older:

Class	Valid for...
🥇 1st Class	ATP privileges: 6 months
➡️ Then becomes 2nd Class for 6 more months
➡️ Then becomes 3rd Class for 12 more months
🥈 2nd Class	Commercial privileges: 12 months
➡️ Then becomes 3rd Class for 12 more months
🥉 3rd Class	Private pilot privileges: 24 months (2 years)

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💬 Real-Life Example:

You’re 28 and get a 1st Class medical:

• For the first 12 months, you can fly as an airline captain.

• From months 13–60, you're still valid to fly privately (as a 3rd class medical).

• You do not need to get a new medical until 60 months (5 years) from issue unless you want to fly ATP again!

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🧑‍🏫 CFI Teaching Tip:

"Your medical doesn’t just disappear when it ‘expires’ — it steps down into a lower class. So always ask: What kind of flying am I doing? That tells you which privileges still apply."

Pro move: Keep a medical expiration cheat sheet in your kneeboard for quick reference.

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⚖️ Legal Reference:

• 📘 FAR §61.23 – Medical Certificates

• 📘 FAR §61.53 – No flying with a known medical deficiency

• 📝 FAA Medical Duration Table (FAA.gov)