A second class medical certificate is the minimum required to exercise commercial pilot privileges, and it is valid for those privileges for 12 calendar months regardless of your age. The vision standard matches a first class at 20/20 or better in each eye separately, corrected or uncorrected, but unlike a first class it carries no routine electrocardiogram requirement.
This page covers the second class specifically: who needs it, what it is examined against, how long it lasts and when in a commercial training timeline to get one. For the comparison across all three classes and BasicMed, start at FAA medical certificate classes.
Who Needs A Second Class Medical
Under 14 CFR 61.23(a)(2) a second class medical certificate is required when you are exercising the privileges of a commercial pilot certificate other than in a balloon or glider, when you are acting as second in command under airline transport pilot privileges in operations other than flag or supplemental, and when you are exercising commercial balloon privileges for compensation or hire, with the exceptions the regulation lists.
The distinction that matters is between holding a commercial certificate and exercising commercial privileges. You can hold a commercial pilot certificate and fly privately on a third class medical or under BasicMed all day long. The second class becomes necessary the moment you are paid to fly, or fly in furtherance of a business, within the limits of 14 CFR 61.133.
Flight instructing is the case people ask about most. Acting as a flight instructor requires only a third class medical, and only when you are the pilot in command or a required crewmember. A CFI teaching a certificated pilot who is acting as pilot in command needs no medical for that flight at all. Most working instructors hold a second class anyway, because the other work they take on, from ferry flights to aerial photography to pipeline patrol, requires it.
What The Second Class Is Examined Against
The standards are in 14 CFR Part 67, Subpart C, and they sit between the first and third class standards without being a simple midpoint. On vision the second class matches the first class exactly. On cardiovascular screening it matches the third class: no routine ECG.
| Area | First Class | Second Class | Third Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| Distant vision, each eye separately | 20/20 corrected (67.103) | 20/20 corrected (67.203) | 20/40 corrected (67.303) |
| Near vision at 16 inches | 20/40 or better | 20/40 or better | 20/40 or better |
| Intermediate vision at 32 inches from age 50 | Required | Required | Not required |
| Routine electrocardiogram | At first application after 35, annually after 40 (67.111) | Not required | Not required |
| Hearing | Conversational voice at 6 feet or audiometry | Same (67.205) | Same (67.305) |
| Mental standards | 67.107 | 67.207 | 67.307 |
| Neurologic standards | 67.109 | 67.209 | 67.309 |
| Cardiovascular history | 67.111 | 67.211 | 67.311 |
The mental standards are identical in substance across all three classes: no established diagnosis of a severe personality disorder manifested by overt acts, a psychosis, a bipolar disorder or substance dependence, plus a clause covering other conditions in the Federal Air Surgeon's judgment. The neurologic and cardiovascular history lists are likewise the same. What changes between classes is the vision threshold and the cardiac screening, not the underlying disqualifying list.
How Long A Second Class Medical Lasts
14 CFR 61.23(d) gives a second class certificate three parallel expiry dates from one examination.
| Privileges Being Exercised | Age At Examination | Valid Through The Last Day Of |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial pilot, ATP second in command other than flag or supplemental, flight engineer | Any age | The 12th month after the month of the examination |
| Private, recreational, student, sport or flight instructor | Under 40 | The 60th month after the month of the examination |
| Private, recreational, student, sport or flight instructor | 40 or over | The 24th month after the month of the examination |
Two things follow. First, the 12-month commercial window does not change with age, unlike the first class window which halves at 40. Second, a second class examination taken before your 40th birthday gives you five full years of private privileges on the same certificate, which is the quiet reason many pilots in their late thirties take a second class rather than a third even though they have no commercial plans. Our FAA medical expiry calculator works out every date from one examination.
When To Get One During Commercial Training
You do not need a second class to train toward a commercial certificate. You need one to exercise the privileges after you hold it, and you need at least a third class to take the practical test under 61.23(a)(3). In practice, though, the sensible timing is earlier than either of those.
The commercial certificate under 14 CFR 61.129 requires 250 hours total time for the single-engine airplane rating, along with defined cross-country, night, instrument and complex or technically advanced aircraft experience. Our commercial pilot license course is $15,400 and runs 130 program hours against that background. That is a real investment of money and about a year of your life. Confirming that you meet the second class standard before you begin is an afternoon and the price of an examination.
If an airline seat is the eventual goal, skip the second class entirely and take a first class medical instead. It is examined against the strictest standard, it satisfies commercial privileges for the same 12 calendar months, and it tells you whether the top of the career ladder is reachable before you spend anything.
What It Costs
The examiner sets the fee. Around Los Angeles a third class examination typically runs $120 to $200, and a second class generally sits at the upper end of that band or slightly above, because of the additional vision items. It costs less than a first class, which adds the electrocardiogram. Not every Aviation Medical Examiner performs all three classes, so confirm when you book. Our guide to choosing an aviation medical examiner in Los Angeles covers the questions to ask.
As with every class, FAA Form 8500-8 is completed through MedXPress before the appointment and the confirmation number goes with you. See the MedXPress guide.
Related Reading
- FAA medical certificate classes — all three classes and BasicMed compared.
- First class medical certificate — what an airline career requires, and why to take it early.
- Third class medical certificate — the one most pilots hold.
- Commercial pilot license in Los Angeles — the $15,400 course and what it covers.
- Commercial pilot license requirements — the 14 CFR 61.129 hour breakdown.
- FAA MedXPress guide.
Second Class Medical Certificate FAQ
How Long Is A Second Class Medical Valid?
Twelve calendar months for commercial privileges, at any age, under 14 CFR 61.23(d). The same certificate remains valid for private, recreational, student, sport and flight instructor privileges for 60 calendar months if you were under 40 at the examination and 24 calendar months if you were 40 or over.
What Vision Is Required For A Second Class Medical?
Distant visual acuity of 20/20 or better in each eye separately, with or without corrective lenses, near vision of 20/40 or better at 16 inches, and from age 50 intermediate vision of 20/40 or better at 32 inches, under 14 CFR 67.203.
Do You Need An ECG For A Second Class Medical?
No. The routine electrocardiogram requirement in 14 CFR 67.111(b) applies to first class applicants only. An examiner may still order one if something in your history or examination calls for it.
Do Flight Instructors Need A Second Class Medical?
No. Acting as a flight instructor requires a third class medical certificate under 14 CFR 61.23(a)(3), and only when you are the pilot in command or a required crewmember. Many instructors hold a second class because other commercial work requires it.
Is A Second Class Medical Enough For An Airline Job?
No. Acting as pilot in command under an airline transport pilot certificate requires a first class medical certificate under 14 CFR 61.23(a)(1). A second class covers commercial privileges and second-in-command duties outside flag and supplemental operations.
How Much Does A Second Class Medical Cost?
The examiner sets the fee. Around Los Angeles expect the upper end of the $120 to $200 band typical for a third class, or slightly above, because of the additional vision items.
Talk Through The Commercial Route
If you are weighing a commercial certificate, the medical is the first thing to settle and the cheapest to settle. Book a free consultation and we will lay out the hours, the ratings and the order to take them in for your situation. If you have not flown with us before, a discovery flight is $229 for 60 minutes and requires no medical certificate at all. Call (818) 330-1318, seven days a week from 9 AM to 9 PM, or visit us at 7900 Balboa Blvd, Van Nuys, CA 91406.