If you suffer from a medical condition or disability that may affect your driving, the law states that you must inform the DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency) immediately. This includes any condition or disability that has become worse since your licence was issued, or any new condition or disability that has developed.
Medical conditions include the following:
- Epilepsy
- Diabetes controlled by insulin
- Diabetes controlled by tablets
- Repeated attacks of sudden disabling giddiness
- Fits or blackouts
- Angina (heart pain) which is easily brought on by driving
- An implanted cardiac pacemaker
- An implanted cardiac defibrillator (ICD)
- Persistent alcohol misuse or dependency
- Persistent drug misuse or dependency
- Parkinson's disease
- Narcolepsy or sleep apnoea syndrome
- Stroke, with any symptoms lasting longer than one month, recurrent "mini-strokes" or TIAs
- Any type of brain surgery, severe head injury involving in-patient treatment, or brain tumour
- Any other chronic neurological condition
- A serious problem with memory or episodes of confusion
- Severe learning disability
- Serious psychiatric illness or mental ill-health
- Total loss of sight in one eye
- Any condition affecting both eyes, or the remaining eye if one eye only (excluding short/long sight or colour blindness)
- Any condition affecting your visual field
- Any persistent limb problem which requires your driving to be restricted to certain types of vehicles or those with adapted controls
 |
| Failure to notify DVLA of a medical condition is a
criminal offence, punishable by a fine of up to £1000, in addition
to a penalty of up to 6 points on your licence. |
Informing DVLA
If you are applying for your first licence, you should fill in the health questions included in your application form. For some conditions, DVLA will forward you a more detailed questionnaire once they have received your application.
If you already hold a driving licence, you should contact the Drivers Medical Group at the DVLA immediately by either post or by phone (contact details may be found here). Again, you will be sent a more detailed questionnaire form if your condition requires it.
What Happens Next?
Informing the DVLA of a medical condition does not automatically mean that you will not be issued with a licence or that your current licence will be revoked. You will be required to fill in a medical questionnaire to provide specific details about your medical condition or disability, and to provide your consent for the DVLA medical adviser to request medical information from your doctor.
In most cases, the DVLA can make a decision based on the information that you give them in the questionnaire. If this is the case, you will normally be notified of their decision within 3 weeks. However, if they require further information, they may need to contact your doctor or consultant, arrange for you to be examined by a locally appointed medical officer or ask you to undergo a driving assessment, eyesight or driving test. You should hear of their final decision within 3 months.
The medical officer can make one of four different decisions, based on the medical standards of fitness to drive. These are as follows:
- You may be issued with a new driving licence, or if you already have a licence, you may be permitted to retain it.
- You may be issued with a driving licence for a period of 1, 2 or 3 years, so that your medical fitness can be reviewed at a later date.
- You may be issued a driving licence that states that special controls must be fitted to the vehicles you drive to enable you to overcome the effects of a physical disability.
- Your application may be refused or your licence revoked. This will only happen if you are unable to meet the required medical standards of fitness to drive. Wherever possible, you will be advised when you can re-apply for your licence, along with details of your right of appeal.
Surrendering Your Driving Licence
If you have been informed by your doctor that you are not fit to drive, then you can surrender your driving licence to the DVLA by completing a 'Declaration of voluntary surrender'.
Surrendering your licence makes it easier for you to restore it when you are fit enough to start driving again. If you do not surrender you licence but simply inform the DVLA of your condition, then your licence could well be revoked - particularly if your doctor has advised you that you are not fit to drive. It is much more difficult to restore a revoked licence, than a surrendered one.
Although the DVLA must make medical enquiries when you apply for your surrendered licence to be restored, you can normally resume driving as soon as your application is received at DVLA, provided you are able to meet the medical standards of fitness to drive.
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