A third class medical certificate is the FAA medical almost every pilot meets first, and for most people it is the only one they will ever need. It authorizes student, recreational and private pilot operations, it lasts 60 calendar months if you were under 40 on the day of the examination and 24 calendar months if you were 40 or over, and around Los Angeles the examination typically costs $120 to $200.
This page covers the third class specifically: the standard it is examined against, how the validity is counted, what the appointment involves and what it costs. For how it compares with the first and second class certificates and with BasicMed, start at our guide to FAA medical certificate classes. For the Los Angeles side of the process, which mostly means finding an examiner near Van Nuys, see finding an aviation medical examiner in Los Angeles.
Who Needs A Third Class Medical
Under 14 CFR 61.23(a)(3) a third class medical certificate is the minimum required when you are exercising the privileges of a private pilot certificate, a recreational pilot certificate or a student pilot certificate, when you are acting as a flight instructor and you are the pilot in command or a required crewmember, and when you are taking a practical test for any certificate or rating from recreational through airline transport pilot.
The point at which it first becomes mandatory in training is solo. Up to that moment your instructor is the pilot in command and 61.23(b) exempts you. A discovery flight needs no medical. Twenty hours of dual instruction need no medical. The first flight where you are alone in the airplane does.
In practice that means a third class medical belongs somewhere in the first month of training, early enough that any complication has time to resolve before it holds up your solo, and early enough that you have not spent thousands of dollars before finding out there is a problem.
What The Third Class Is Examined Against
The standards live in 14 CFR Part 67, Subpart D. They are shorter and more forgiving than the first and second class standards in Subparts B and C.
| Area | Section | Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Distant vision | 67.303 | 20/40 or better in each eye separately, with or without corrective lenses |
| Near vision | 67.303 | 20/40 or better, Snellen equivalent, at 16 inches in each eye separately |
| Color vision | 67.303 | The ability to perceive those colors necessary for the safe performance of airman duties |
| Hearing, ear, nose, throat, equilibrium | 67.305 | Ability to hear an average conversational voice in a quiet room at 6 feet with the back turned, or pass an approved audiometric test; no disease of the middle ear or equilibrium that would interfere with flight |
| Mental | 67.307 | No established diagnosis of a severe personality disorder manifested by overt acts, a psychosis, a bipolar disorder or substance dependence, plus a judgment clause for other conditions |
| Neurologic | 67.309 | No epilepsy, no disturbance of consciousness without satisfactory medical explanation, no transient loss of control of nervous system function without satisfactory explanation |
| Cardiovascular | 67.311 | No myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, coronary heart disease that has required treatment, cardiac valve replacement or heart replacement |
| General | 67.313 | No other organic, functional or structural disease that the Federal Air Surgeon finds would make you unable to perform airman duties safely |
The two standards that trip people up are vision and the mental section, and both are less restrictive than the internet suggests. Glasses and contact lenses are explicitly permitted: 20/40 corrected is the standard, and wearing correction produces a limitation printed on the certificate rather than a refusal. Our page on flying with glasses works through the numbers. On the mental side, ADHD, anxiety and depression are not among the four listed disqualifying diagnoses, and defined FAA pathways exist for all three. See flying with ADHD, anxiety or depression.
How Long A Third Class Medical Lasts
14 CFR 61.23(d) sets the duration by your age on the date of the examination.
| Age At The Examination | Duration | Example: Examined 14 March 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40 | Through the last day of the 60th month after the month of the examination | Valid through 31 March 2031 |
| 40 or over | Through the last day of the 24th month after the month of the examination | Valid through 31 March 2028 |
The Calendar-Month Rule
Durations run in calendar months from the month of the examination and expire on the last day of the month they land on. An examination on 2 March and an examination on 30 March produce exactly the same expiry date. You never lose part of a month, which is worth knowing when a checkride slips.
The Under-40 Advantage Is Real
The age that decides the row is your age on the day you are examined, not your age when the certificate runs out. Someone examined at 39 years and 11 months holds a valid third class for five full years, well into their forties. Someone examined a month later holds one for two. If you are within a few months of your 40th birthday and you are anywhere near starting training, book the examination now. It is the cheapest three years of currency in aviation.
Our FAA medical expiry calculator will work out the exact date for any examination date and age.
What A Third Class Medical Costs
The FAA does not set the fee. The Aviation Medical Examiner does, and it varies by practice. Around the Los Angeles basin a third class examination typically runs $120 to $200. Some examiners charge more for evening or weekend appointments, and some bundle the FAA paperwork separately.
It is normally not covered by health insurance, because it is a certification examination rather than medical treatment. Budget it as a training cost, not a medical cost. Against the other numbers in a training budget it is small, since the knowledge test is around $175 and the practical test examiner fee is roughly $800 to $1,000, but it is the one that has to happen first.
| Item | Typical Cost |
|---|---|
| Third class medical examination | $120 to $200 |
| First class medical examination | Usually more, because of the additional items |
| FAA knowledge test | Approximately $175 |
| Practical test examiner fee | Roughly $800 to $1,000 |
| Discovery flight, 60 minutes, no medical required | $229 |
| Private Pilot course, Standard | $10,400 |
How The Appointment Works
The sequence matters, because an examiner cannot start without the online application already in the system.
- Complete MedXPress first. FAA Form 8500-8 is filled in online through the FAA's MedXPress system. You finish it, submit it, and receive a confirmation number. Our MedXPress guide covers the fields and the disclosure rules in detail.
- Find an examiner and book. Only an FAA-designated Aviation Medical Examiner can perform the examination. The FAA publishes a locator tool; the guide to choosing an examiner in Los Angeles explains how to use it and what to ask when you call.
- Bring photo identification and your confirmation number. Bring your glasses or contacts if you wear them, and a list of current medications with doses.
- The examination itself. Vision, hearing, blood pressure and pulse, urinalysis for sugar and protein, height and weight, and a physical examination against the Part 67 list. Thirty to forty-five minutes is typical for an uncomplicated third class.
- The outcome. If you meet the standard the examiner prints and signs the certificate and you leave with it in your hand.
Third Class, BasicMed Or The Sport Pilot Route
A third class is not the only way a private pilot can fly legally. Two alternatives exist, and each has a catch.
| Third Class Medical | BasicMed | Sport Pilot Driver's License | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Authority | 14 CFR 61.23(a)(3), Part 67 Subpart D | 14 CFR 61.113(i), Part 68 | 14 CFR 61.23(c) |
| Who examines you | An FAA-designated Aviation Medical Examiner | Any state-licensed physician, against the FAA checklist | Nobody, beyond your state licensing authority |
| How often | Every 60 or 24 calendar months by age | Physician every 48 calendar months, online course every 24 | As your driver's license requires |
| Prerequisite | None | Must have held an FAA medical after 14 July 2006 | Must never have been denied, suspended or revoked |
| Aircraft limits | None beyond your certificate and ratings | Up to 7 occupants and 12,500 lb maximum certificated takeoff weight | Aircraft meeting 14 CFR 61.316 |
| Operating limits | None beyond your certificate and ratings | Below 18,000 ft MSL, 250 knots indicated, five passengers maximum | The sport pilot limits in 61.315 |
| Valid outside the US | Yes | Only if the country of flight authorizes it | Generally no |
The BasicMed prerequisite is the one that catches new pilots: you cannot use it until you have held an FAA medical certificate at some point after 14 July 2006. For a first-time student, that means the third class comes first regardless. Our BasicMed guide covers the route in full, and the sport pilot certificate page covers the driver's-license option and its exclusions.
What Usually Causes A Deferral
Most third class examinations end with a certificate in hand. When they do not, the cause is almost always one of a short list: a current prescription the FAA regulates, a recent hospital admission, a cardiac or neurological event in the history, a substance-related driving offense, or a mental health diagnosis. A deferral is not a denial. It means the examiner lacks the authority to issue on the spot and the file goes to the FAA, and it does add months.
The way to avoid one is to prepare. If anything in your history falls into those categories, call an examiner and describe it before you submit the application, and ask what documentation they will want. Examiners are generally happy to have that conversation, and it costs you nothing. A submitted application, by contrast, is permanent: a denial closes both BasicMed and the sport pilot driver's-license route. The broader picture is on our page about what disqualifies you from being a pilot.
Related Reading
- FAA medical certificate classes — first, second, third and BasicMed compared.
- FAA MedXPress guide — how to fill in Form 8500-8 before the appointment.
- BasicMed — the alternative for pilots who have already held a medical.
- Finding an aviation medical examiner in Los Angeles.
- FAA medical expiry calculator — work out the exact date.
- Private pilot license in Los Angeles — where the medical fits in the course.
Third Class Medical Certificate FAQ
How Long Is A Third Class Medical Good For?
Sixty calendar months if you were under 40 on the date of the examination, and 24 calendar months if you were 40 or over, under 14 CFR 61.23(d). Durations run to the last day of the month they land on.
How Much Does A Third Class Medical Cost?
Typically $120 to $200 around Los Angeles. The FAA does not set the fee; each Aviation Medical Examiner sets their own, and it is usually not covered by health insurance.
What Vision Do You Need For A Third Class Medical?
Distant visual acuity of 20/40 or better in each eye separately, with or without corrective lenses, plus 20/40 or better near vision at 16 inches, under 14 CFR 67.303. Glasses and contacts are permitted and produce a limitation on the certificate rather than a refusal.
Do I Need A Third Class Medical To Start Flight Training?
No. Under 14 CFR 61.23(b) no medical certificate is required to receive flight training when an authorized instructor is acting as pilot in command. You need it before your first solo flight.
Is A Third Class Medical Valid For Commercial Flying?
No. Exercising commercial pilot privileges requires at least a second class medical certificate under 14 CFR 61.23(a)(2). A third class covers private, recreational and student operations only.
Can I Use BasicMed Instead Of A Third Class Medical?
Only if you have held an FAA medical certificate at some point after 14 July 2006 and it was not subsequently suspended, revoked or denied. A first-time student pilot has to obtain a medical certificate first, after which BasicMed becomes available for private flying within its limits.
What Happens If My Third Class Medical Expires?
You may not exercise the privileges that required it. There is no grace period and no penalty beyond that. You simply book another examination, and nothing about the lapse counts against you.
Come And Fly First
The medical is easier to think about once you know you actually want to fly. A discovery flight is $229 for 60 minutes, you fly it yourself from the left seat, and it requires no medical certificate at all. If your question is about a specific condition or medication, book a free consultation and we will tell you honestly what to expect and who to talk to. Call (818) 330-1318, any day from 9 AM to 9 PM, or come and see us at 7900 Balboa Blvd, Van Nuys, CA 91406.