Enter your FAA medical exam date and select your certificate class to instantly calculate when your medical expires. Covers 1st Class, 2nd Class, and 3rd Class pilot medical certificates — all age brackets.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires pilots to hold a valid medical certificate to exercise the privileges of their airman certificate. The validity period depends on two things: the class of medical certificate you hold, and your age at the time of the exam. Getting this wrong is a serious matter — flying with an expired medical is a regulatory violation that can result in enforcement action, certificate suspension, and civil penalties.
| Medical Class | Pilot Age at Exam | Validity Period | Privileges |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Class | Under 40 | 12 calendar months | ATP, airline transport pilot |
| First Class | 40 and over | 6 calendar months | ATP, airline transport pilot |
| Second Class | Any age | 12 calendar months | Commercial pilot privileges |
| Third Class | Under 40 | 60 calendar months (5 years) | Private, recreational, student pilot |
| Third Class | 40 and over | 24 calendar months (2 years) | Private, recreational, student pilot |
FAA medical validity is measured in calendar months, not days. This is an important distinction. A medical certificate issued on March 15 with a 12-month validity expires at the end of March the following year — specifically, on March 31 — not on March 15. The certificate is valid through the last day of the month it expires in.
So a pilot who passed their First Class medical on June 10, 2024 (age 38) has a certificate valid through June 30, 2025. They can exercise First Class privileges on June 30 but not on July 1.
Here is something many pilots do not realise: when a First or Second Class medical expires, you do not necessarily lose all flying privileges. A First Class medical can be used for Second Class privileges for 12 months (if under 40) or 6 months (if 40+) from the exam date, and then for Third Class privileges for up to 60 months (if under 40) or 24 months (if 40+). The validity periods "stack" downward through the classes. Critically, all these windows are measured from the original examination date — not from the date the higher-class privilege expired.