Declaring Medical Conditions to DVLA: What You Must Tell Them

#Who DVLA is and why this matters

DVLA, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, sits in Swansea and runs all UK licence records. The Road Traffic Act 1988 places a legal duty on every driver to tell DVLA about any condition that could affect safe driving. The list of notifiable conditions runs to several hundred items, but a smaller core covers most cases.

#The conditions you must declare

Some conditions are well known. Others surprise drivers because they sound minor or were diagnosed years ago. The full list is at gov.uk/health-conditions-and-driving. The most common notifiable conditions include the following.

• Epilepsy and any seizure event, including a single seizure with no diagnosis.
• Diabetes treated with insulin, and some forms treated with tablets that risk hypos.
• Severe vision changes, including loss of acuity below the legal standard or visual field loss.
• Heart conditions, including arrhythmias, recent heart attack or stent, and heart failure.
• Sleep apnoea where excessive daytime sleepiness has been confirmed.
• Strokes and transient ischaemic attacks (mini-strokes).
• Parkinsons, multiple sclerosis and motor neurone disease.
• Severe mental health episodes, particularly psychosis or severe depression with suicidal ideation.
• Dementia and significant cognitive decline.
• Drug or alcohol dependency, current or recent.

#How to declare a condition

Most declarations are made online at gov.uk/health-conditions-and-driving. The site lists each condition by name with its own short form. Some conditions still need a paper form (for example M1 for medical, B1 for bus and lorry drivers). Forms are free and DVLA pays the cost of any medical review they ask for.

Once you submit, DVLA may write to your GP, your specialist, or arrange an independent medical exam. You can usually keep driving while the assessment is in progress, but check the letter you get back, because some conditions require you to stop driving immediately.

#What happens after you declare

There are four typical outcomes after a medical declaration.

• Full licence retained. DVLA accepts the condition and your licence continues unchanged.
• Short term licence. You are given a one, two, three or five year licence subject to medical review.
• Restricted licence. You can drive with conditions such as automatic only, glasses required, or daytime only.
• Licence revoked. You are told to stop driving immediately. You can usually reapply once the condition is stable.

#When you must stop driving immediately

Some events require you to stop driving the same day, even before declaring. The most common are after a single seizure or suspected seizure, after a stroke or TIA, after a sudden loss of vision, after fitting a cardiac defibrillator, and after losing consciousness without explanation. Check your discharge letter or speak to your GP. They can confirm the legal stand down period for your condition.

#Penalties for failing to declare

Driving without declaring a notifiable condition is a criminal offence. The fine is up to £1,000. If you have an accident as a result of the condition, the consequences can be far more serious. You can be prosecuted for dangerous driving, for causing serious injury, or for causing death by dangerous driving. Sentences run from a fine up to long custodial sentences.

Insurance is also affected. If you fail to declare and your insurer finds out after a claim, the policy can be voided, the claim refused, and you can be left to pay for damages personally.

#Glasses, contact lenses and the eyesight standard

You must be able to read a number plate at 20 metres in good light, with glasses or contacts if needed. If you fail this test you cannot drive. The eyesight check happens at the start of every practical test, and any roadside check by police can include it. Get an eye test every two years, or sooner if you notice changes.

#Older drivers and the 70 plus renewal

Once you reach 70, you must renew your licence every three years. The form asks about medical conditions and you must declare anything new. Renewal is free and done online. Many GPs will also volunteer a quick fitness review at this age, which is worth taking up.

#How this fits with insurance

Insurance companies normally ask whether DVLA has restricted, revoked or short-termed your licence. They do not always ask about every condition individually. If DVLA has approved you to drive, most insurers will quote, although a few specialist firms only handle certain conditions. Always disclose anything you have told DVLA when you apply, even if the insurer does not ask directly. For wider context on insurance, see young driver insurance UK and the insurance groups explained page. The full guides library has more on UK driver paperwork.