More than 750,000 motorists across the UK have a medical condition that could affect their driving ability, according to 2021 data from the DVLA — and the true figure is likely far higher. A 2016 survey estimated that approximately 3.4 million drivers in England and Wales had not disclosed notifiable conditions to the agency. Among those who had not declared their conditions, 51% said they believed their condition did not affect their driving, 14% did not realise they were required to inform the DVLA, 5% did not see the point, and 4% had not considered it. A further 5% admitted they had held back because they were worried about their licence being revoked.
Penalties for non-disclosure
The DVLA warns that failing to report a notifiable medical condition can result in a fine of up to £1,000. More seriously, if a condition contributes to an accident and the DVLA has not been informed, the driver could face prosecution. Undisclosed conditions can also invalidate car insurance policies, leaving drivers personally liable for accident costs. In serious cases, the DVLA can revoke the licence entirely.
Drivers are legally obliged to inform the DVLA if they develop a “notifiable” condition or disability, or if an existing condition has worsened since their licence was issued. A notifiable condition is defined by the agency as anything that could affect a person’s ability to drive safely. The requirement applies regardless of whether the driver holds a car and motorcycle licence (Group 1) or a bus and lorry licence (Group 2), though the medical standards are higher for Group 2 licence holders. Drivers with pre-1997 entitlements to categories C1 and D1 may face those higher standards upon renewal.
How to report and what happens next
Motorists can report their condition online for car or motorcycle licences, or by post or form for bus or lorry licences. The DVLA then assesses the declaration. The agency may contact the driver’s doctor, arrange for a medical examination, ask the driver to take a driving assessment, or request an eyesight or practical driving test. The DVLA may also request additional medical reports from GPs or specialists.
Once the assessment is complete, the DVLA decides one of several outcomes. The driver may be allowed to continue driving without any restrictions. Alternatively, the agency may issue a shorter licence — valid for one, two, three or five years — requiring periodic reassessment. In some cases, the DVLA may require the driver to adapt their vehicle with special controls or other modifications. If it deems driving unsafe, it can revoke the licence or instruct the driver to stop driving.
Anyone told to stop driving has the right to challenge the decision. They can send the DVLA new or additional medical evidence, reapply for their licence, or appeal. The appeal process begins with a written representation to the DVLA. If the agency upholds its decision, the driver can appeal to the Magistrates’ Court in England and Wales (within six months) or to the Sheriff’s Court in Scotland (within 21 days). Specialist legal advice is recommended because of the complexity of the process, and legal aid is generally not available for DVLA appeals. Before reapplying for a licence that was taken away due to a medical condition, the driver must check with their doctor.
For surgery, drivers generally do not need to notify the DVLA unless the condition affecting safe driving persists for longer than three months, with exceptions for neurological and cardiovascular disorders. Drivers may also voluntarily surrender their licence if advised by a doctor to stop driving for three months or more. Driving Mobility Centres offer assessments to evaluate how a condition affects driving and advise on adaptations; these assessments can be self-funded or DVLA-referred.
Not every condition is notifiable, and there are different requirements for different licence types. The DVLA provides a comprehensive list, but in general any condition that affects safe driving ability must be declared. The list includes, but is not limited to:
Absence seizures, acoustic neuroma, agoraphobia, alcohol problems, Alzheimer’s disease, amaurosis fugax, amputations, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), angina, angioplasty, ankylosing spondylitis, anorexia nervosa, anxiety, aortic aneurysm, aortic stenosis, arachnoid cyst, arrhythmia, atrial defibrillator, arteriovenous malformation, arthritis, Asperger syndrome, ataxia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autistic spectrum condition, balloon angioplasty (leg), bipolar disorder, blackouts, blepharospasm, blood clots, blood pressure, brachial plexus injury, brain abscess, cyst or encephalitis, brain aneurysm, brain angioma, brain haemorrhage, brain injury (traumatic), brain tumours, broken limbs, Brugada syndrome, burr hole surgery, caesarean section, cancer, cataracts, catheter ablation, cardiac problems, carotid artery stenosis, cataplexy, cavernoma, central venous thrombosis, cerebral palsy, Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, Chiari malformation, chronic aortic dissection, cognitive problems, congenital heart disease, convulsions, coronary artery bypass or disease, coronary angioplasty, cranial nerve palsy (with double vision), cystic fibrosis, deafness, defibrillator, déjà vu, dementia, depression, diabetes, dilated cardiomyopathy, diplopia (double vision), dizziness, drug misuse, eating disorders, empyema (brain), epilepsy, essential tremor, eye conditions, fainting, fits, fractured skull, Friedreich’s ataxia, glaucoma, global amnesia, grand mal seizures, Guillain-Barré syndrome, head injury, heart attack, heart arrhythmia, heart failure, heart murmurs, heart palpitations, heart valve disease or replacement valve, high blood pressure, HIV or AIDS, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, Huntington’s disease, hydrocephalus, hypertension, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, hypoglycaemia, hypoxic brain damage, hysterectomy, implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), intracerebral haemorrhage, ischaemic heart disease, kidney dialysis, kidney problems, Korsakoff’s syndrome, labyrinthitis, learning difficulties, left bundle branch block, leukaemia, Lewy body dementia, limb disability, long QT syndrome, loss of an eye, low blood glucose (sugar), lumboperitoneal shunt, lung cancer, lymphoma, macular degeneration, malignant brain tumours, malignant melanoma, manic depressive psychosis, Marfan’s syndrome, medulloblastoma, memory problems (severe), meningioma, mini-stroke, monocular vision (sight in one eye only), motor neurone disease, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, myasthenia gravis, myocardial infarction, myoclonus, narcolepsy, night blindness, obsessive compulsive disorder, obstructive sleep apnoea, ocular myasthenia gravis (with double vision), ophthalmoplegia (with double vision), pacemakers, palpitations, paranoia, paranoid schizophrenia, paraplegia, Parkinson’s disease, peripheral arterial disease, peripheral neuropathy, personality disorder, petit mal seizures, pituitary tumour, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), psychosis, psychotic depression, pulmonary arterial hypertension, renal dialysis, retinal artery fugax, retinitis pigmentosa, retinopathy (with laser treatment), schizo-affective disorder, schizophrenia, scotoma, seizures, severe communication disorders, severe depression, sight in one eye only, sleep apnoea, sleepiness (excessive), spinal problems and injuries, stroke, subarachnoid haemorrhage, surgery, syncope, tachycardia, temporal lobe epilepsy, tonic clonic fits, Tourette’s syndrome, transient global amnesia, transient ischaemic attack, tunnel vision, Usher syndrome, valve disease or replacement valve, ventricular defibrillator, vertigo, vision in one eye only, visual acuity (reduced), visual field defect, VP shunts, and Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome.
Common examples include diabetes, heart conditions, epilepsy, neurological disorders, visual impairments, sleep apnoea, and severe mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder or PTSD if they affect driving ability. Mild to moderate anxiety or depression may not require notification. For certain conditions, the DVLA has specific forms, especially for drivers of buses or lorries. Drivers in Northern Ireland must contact the Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA) instead of the DVLA; the DVA has similar procedures and penalties. The DVLA can be contacted for medical enquiries by email at [email protected], by post at Drivers Medical Unit, DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1TU, or by phone on 0300 790 6806.