In article ,
Emily wrote:

but John... if you are a Sport Pilot and never apply for a medical..
they don't have your consent on a form you never filed..

Well, they would if you ever applied for a medical before...

How long do they keep them? Isn't it three years?
Why do we have to reauthorize every medical if they already have it once?
Some sport pilots will never sign a medical so the FAA will not have an
authorization on file.
Suppose a pilot let his medical lapse because of a medical condition or
DUI/DWI? He hasn't been denied a new medical, so he can fly as a sport
pilot with a drivers license.
But he hasn't reported it either, so the FAA has no idea he is
ineligible.