Do I have to tell DVLA about a medical condition?
What notifiable actually means, why the duty sits with you rather than your doctor, what happens after you tell them, and the eyesight standard everyone is subject to.
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Time
- 15 min
- Read
- 5 min
- Safety
- warning
Short answer
Some conditions must be reported to DVLA and some must not, and the duty is on the driver, not the doctor. DVLA publishes an alphabetical list of notifiable conditions covering hundreds of entries, and you must notify them if you develop one, or if an existing one worsens. Reporting usually leads to a questionnaire and, often, contact with your doctor. Most people continue driving throughout and keep their licence, frequently with a shorter renewal period.
The widespread belief that a doctor reports these things is wrong, and it is the reason people fall foul of the rule without any intention to. Medical confidentiality means your doctor generally cannot notify DVLA without your consent, and the legal obligation is placed squarely on the licence holder. Doctors can and do advise you to notify, and in rare cases where a patient continues to drive against clear advice a doctor may disclose in the public interest — but the default is that nothing happens unless you act. The second common misconception is that reporting means losing your licence. For most conditions and most people, it does not.
Safety
Step by step
- Check DVLA's published list rather than guessing.GOV.UK carries an A to Z of notifiable medical conditions and disabilities, covering hundreds of entries from diabetes and epilepsy to sleep apnoea, heart conditions, strokes, visual field loss and many others. Look up the specific condition — the answer is often surprising in both directions.
- Notify if a condition develops or worsens.The duty applies both to a new diagnosis and to a deterioration in something already declared. A condition you told them about ten years ago that has changed materially is a fresh notification, not a settled matter.
- Ask your doctor or specialist directly."Is this notifiable to DVLA, and should I be driving at the moment?" is a reasonable and common question, and clinicians are used to it. Their answer on fitness to drive is separate from the notification duty, and you need both.
- Use the right route to notify.GOV.UK provides online services and forms for many conditions, with condition-specific forms for others. Notification is free. Keep a record of what you sent and when.
- Expect a questionnaire and possibly a medical enquiry.DVLA usually sends a detailed form, and with your consent may write to your doctor or specialist, or arrange an assessment or an eyesight test. This takes time — often weeks — which is normal rather than a sign of a problem.
- Understand that you can usually keep driving while they decide.In many cases, provided your doctor has not advised you to stop and you meet the medical standards, you may continue to drive while DVLA considers the application, under a provision covering drivers who have applied to renew. This is condition-dependent, so check what your notification letter says.
- Meet the eyesight standard, which applies to everyone.Every driver must be able to read a number plate from 20 metres, in good daylight, with glasses or contact lenses if worn, and must meet a visual acuity and field of vision standard. This is not a condition to be notified; it is a continuous requirement, and it is the one most likely to catch someone out gradually.
- Know the likely outcomes.The common results are: no change; a licence issued for a shorter period, typically one, two, three or five years, with a review at renewal; a licence with a restriction, such as an adapted vehicle; or, less often, a refusal or revocation with a right to reapply when the condition improves.
Common mistakes
- Assuming the doctor will tell DVLA — Confidentiality means they generally cannot without consent, and the legal duty is on the licence holder. Nothing happens unless you notify.
- Not reporting because you assume you will lose your licence — For most conditions the usual outcome is that driving continues, often with a shorter licence duration. The offence of not notifying, and the insurance consequences, are far worse than the outcome people fear.
If it doesn't work
Not sure whether a condition is notifiable
Cause: The list is long and specific — Fix: Look up the exact condition on GOV.UK's A to Z, and ask your clinician. Notifying something that turns out not to be notifiable costs nothing; not notifying something that was is an offence.
DVLA is taking months to decide
Cause: Medical enquiries with third parties take time — Fix: Check what your notification correspondence says about continuing to drive in the meantime. If you need something in writing for an employer or an insurer, ask DVLA for confirmation of the position.
Licence revoked and you disagree
Cause: DVLA has concluded the medical standards are not met — Fix: There is a right of appeal to a magistrates' court in England and Wales, or a sheriff court in Scotland, within a limited period. Take advice quickly — the deadline is short.
Insurer asks about medical conditions
Cause: Most proposal forms ask about DVLA notification — Fix: Answer honestly. An undeclared notifiable condition, or driving while DVLA has revoked the licence, can leave a policy void and a claim unpaid.
A temporary condition after surgery or an injury
Cause: Many are not notifiable at all if recovery is within a defined period — Fix: The surgeon or the DVLA guidance will state the period. What matters is fitness at the time you drive — driving in a plaster cast or heavily medicated is a separate question from notification.
Renewal at 70 and a long-standing condition
Cause: The self-declaration asks about it — Fix: Declare it. The renewal form asks directly, and a false declaration is an offence on its own.
Questions people ask
Will I definitely lose my licence?
No. For a great many notifiable conditions the outcome is that you keep driving, sometimes on a shorter licence that is reviewed at renewal. Revocation is reserved for cases where the medical standards for safe driving are genuinely not met, and even then there is usually a route back once the condition is controlled.
What is the eyesight requirement exactly?
You must be able to read a car number plate made after 1 September 2001 from 20 metres, wearing glasses or contact lenses if you need them, and you must meet the required standard of visual acuity and field of vision. Police can require a roadside eyesight test and a licence can be revoked immediately if it is failed.
Do I need to tell my insurer as well?
If they ask, yes, and most proposal forms do. Insurers generally want to know whether DVLA has been notified and whether the licence carries any restriction. Non-disclosure of something you were asked about is the most common reason claims are refused.