FMLA Medical Certification 2026: Deadlines, Forms & Recertification Rules
Certification Deadline
to submit certification after your employer requests it — more time if not practicable despite good-faith effort.
What Is FMLA Medical Certification?
When you request FMLA leave for a serious health condition — your own or a family member's — your employer can require a medical certification completed by a health care provider confirming the condition and its expected duration. It's the paperwork that turns a leave request into an approved, documented FMLA absence.
The 15-Day Deadline
You generally have 15 calendar days from your employer's request to return a complete certification. If, despite diligent, good-faith efforts, you can't meet that deadline (for example, your provider's office is slow to respond), you're entitled to additional time.
If Your Certification Is Incomplete
Your employer can't simply deny your leave because a form is missing information. They must give you written notice specifying exactly what's incomplete or insufficient, and give you 7 calendar days to fix it before any denial.
Second and Third Opinions
If your employer has reason to doubt your certification, they may require a second opinion — at their own expense — from a health care provider of their choosing, who cannot be someone the employer regularly uses. If the two opinions conflict, the employer may require a third, mutually agreed-upon opinion, also at their expense; that third opinion is final and binding on both sides.
Recertification Rules
Your employer generally can't ask for recertification more than once every 30 days, and only in connection with an absence. If your original certification states the condition will last longer than 30 days, your employer typically has to wait until that stated minimum duration passes before asking again. For conditions lasting more than 6 months, recertification can be requested no more than once every 6 months, in connection with an absence.
Your employer can request recertification sooner than these intervals if circumstances described in the original certification have significantly changed, if they receive information that casts doubt on the stated reason for the absence, or if you request an extension of your leave.
Which Form Do You Need?
Frequently Asked Questions
You generally have 15 calendar days from the date your employer requests certification to provide it, unless it's not practicable to do so despite your diligent, good-faith efforts — in which case you're entitled to more time.
Your employer must give you written notice of exactly what information is missing and a further 7 calendar days to fix it. Your employer cannot deny your FMLA leave for an incomplete certification without first giving you that chance to cure it.
Yes, if your employer has reason to doubt the validity of your certification. They can require, at their own expense, a second opinion from a health care provider of their choosing (who cannot be someone your employer regularly uses). If the first and second opinions conflict, the employer may require a third, mutually agreed-upon opinion — also at the employer's expense — which is binding.
Generally, no more often than every 30 days, and only in connection with an absence — unless the certification states the condition will last longer than 30 days, in which case your employer must wait until that minimum duration passes. For conditions lasting more than 6 months, recertification can be requested no more than every 6 months.
Your health care provider fills out the medical information (WH-380-E for your own condition, WH-380-F for a family member's condition) — you're responsible for getting it submitted to your employer on time.