Medical Rules for Drivers

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...

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