Car and motorcycle medical questionnaires

If you are applying for a first provisional driving licence online, or are renewing an existing licence online, and tell us that you have Diabetes, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC) or Sleep Apnoea you may be asked some additional questions about your condition.   

It is an offence if you do not tell the DVA about a medical condition that may impact your ability to drive and is punishable, on conviction, of a fine of up to £1,000.

It is also an offence to drive after making a false declaration about your health to the DVA and is punishable, on conviction, of a fine of up to £2,500.

Telling DVA about a medical condition

Driving licence application forms and the online application contain a series of health questions for you to fill in when applying for a new or replacement licence.

If you already have a driving licence and need to tell DVA of a new or worsening medical condition or disability, you must tell them right away and not wait until your licence is due for renewal.

You can contact DVA in the following ways:

By post

Send both parts of your driver licence, along with a covering letter detailing the nature of your condition to:

Telephone or email

You can tell DVA of a medical condition by phone or email. Remember to quote your full name, date of birth and/or driver number (if you know it).

You must also give details of your specific medical condition or disability so that you can be sent the necessary medical questionnaire.

• DVA - driver licensing contact page

GP fees

If you receive a medical questionnaire(s) as a result of notifying DVA of a condition, you will need to arrange for your doctor to complete the form(s). Your questionnaire(s) will include a consent form that must be signed. This allows DVA to make medical enquiries into your fitness to drive.

With your medical questionnaire(s) you will also receive a GP claim form. It is up to your doctor to fill this in and return it to DVA if they wish to receive payment for filling in your medical form.

DVA will pay the appropriate fee to your GP (doctor) for filling in your medical form(s) on the first occasion only. Payment for duplicates will be your responsibility.

Medical conditions

If you currently suffer from any of the following medical conditions you must tell DVA. To do so, complete a DL1, tick the appropriate box on the health section and return the form to:

Diabetes

Further information on diabetes is available at the link below:

• A guide for car or motorcycle drivers with diabetes

Heart conditions

• angina (heart pain) brought on by driving
• implanted pacemaker
• disturbance of heart rhythm significant to cause dizziness, collapse or loss of consciousness
• any other heart condition
• defibrillator (ICD) implanted

Further information on heart conditions is available at the link below:

• A guide for drivers with heart conditions

Neurological conditions

• stroke
• mini stroke
• cerebral thrombosis
• amaurosis fugax
• brain surgery, brain tumour, severe head injury

Further information on these neurological conditions is available at the link below:

• A guide for drivers after a stroke, cerebral thrombosis, amaurosis

Other neurological conditions

• serious memory problems or episodes of confusion
• chronic neurological conditions (for example multiple sclerosis, motor neurone disease)
• fits or blackouts
• severe and recurrent disabling giddiness
• Parkinson's disease
• epilepsy (note; if you suffer from epilepsy and want to drive lorries or buses you must not have suffered a fit of any kind, or required treatment for fits in the last 10 years)
• sleep disorders or conditions which cause excessive daytime or awake time sleepiness
• sleep apnoea syndrome
• narcolepsy or cataplexy
• any other condition which causes excessive daytime or awake time sleepiness

Vision problems

• any visual condition which affects both eyes (not including short or long sight or colour blindness)
• any visual condition which affects remaining eye, if sight in one eye only (not including short or long sight or colour blindness)

Alcohol and drugs

If you're disqualified for some alcohol related offences, DVA will make medical enquiries before your driving licence can be renewed.

These offences are:

• disqualified with an alcohol level of over: 200 milligram (mg) in 100 millilitre (ml) of blood, or 87.5 microgram (µg) in 100 ml of breath, or 267.5 mg in 100 ml of urine
• disqualified twice in 10 years for certain alcohol related offences
• disqualified for failing or refusing to give a specimen (blood, breath or urine) for testing
• dependence on or misuse of alcohol in the past three years
• dependence on or misuse of drugs in the past three years

Psychiatric conditions

• any mental ill-health condition (including depression)
• any psychiatric illness requiring hospital admission
• Alzheimer’s, cognitive impairment, dementia, memory problems

Spinal injuries or limb problems

severe spinal injuries
paraplegia
tetraplegia
amputations
persistent limb problems

If you require any further information about any of the above conditions, you can contact DVA:

• Driver & Vehicle Agency - driver licensing contact page 

Surrendering your driving licence

The medical standards of fitness to drive are available to all medical practitioners. If your doctor has advised you that you should not drive you may wish to surrender your licence. You can apply for it back at a later date.

Surrendering your driving licence has an advantage, if and when you decide to re-apply.

• How to surrender your driving licence and return to driving at a later date

More useful links

• At a glance guide to the current standards of fitness to drive - GOV.UK website
• Motoring and transport