Driving and Medical Conditions

The DVLA publishes a comprehensive guide (sometimes called "Assessing Fitness to Drive") setting out which conditions must be notified. Categories include:

• Neurological: Epilepsy, stroke, TIA (transient ischaemic attack), brain tumour, multiple sclerosis
• Cardiovascular: Heart attack, arrhythmias, heart failure, some valve conditions
• Diabetes: Insulin-treated diabetes and some cases managed with certain oral medications
• Vision: Visual acuity below 6/12 (Snellen) in the better eye, visual field defects
• Mental health: Severe anxiety or depression affecting driving, psychosis, bipolar disorder during acute episodes
• Sleep disorders: Untreated obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) or excessive daytime sleepiness
• Alcohol and drug dependency

This list is not exhaustive — check DVLA's full guide or ask your GP. Your GP has no duty to report to DVLA on your behalf — you must self-declare.

To notify DVLA of a medical condition:

1. Complete the relevant medical questionnaire — available at gov.uk/health-conditions-and-driving or by calling DVLA's medical enquiry line on 0300 790 6806.
2. Some conditions can be notified online; others require a paper form (the relevant DIAG form for your condition).
3. DVLA may contact your GP or specialist for further information — you will be asked to consent to this.
4. DVLA will assess the information and decide: to take no action (you continue driving), to issue a short-period licence, or to revoke your licence.

While a decision is pending, you may continue to drive unless DVLA tells you not to or your condition itself makes driving unsafe. If you are in doubt about whether you are safe to drive, stop driving and seek medical advice immediately.

For many conditions, DVLA issues a short-period licence (1, 2, or 3 years) rather than a full licence to age 70. This means your licence is reviewed regularly. When your short-period licence expires, you must reapply and DVLA will reassess your medical fitness.

Short-period licences are common for:

• Well-controlled epilepsy (typically licensed if seizure-free for 1 year)
• Insulin-treated diabetes (assessed individually — some are licensed for 1 or 3 years)
• Certain heart conditions following treatment
• Sleep disorders following treatment (e.g., CPAP therapy for OSA)

Always ensure you reapply before your short-period licence expires — driving on an expired licence is an offence.

If DVLA revokes your licence on medical grounds and you disagree, you can:

1. Ask DVLA to reconsider by providing additional medical evidence (e.g., a specialist report supporting your fitness to drive).
2. Appeal to a magistrates' court (or sheriff court in Scotland) within 6 months of the revocation decision. The court can consider all the evidence and may restore your licence.

If you are appealing, it is advisable to obtain an independent medical report from a specialist in the relevant condition. The appeal is not simply a review of DVLA's process — the court makes its own assessment of the medical evidence. Legal representation is not required but can be beneficial for complex cases.