Drivers across the UK could be fined up to £1,000 if they fail to declare certain medical conditions to the DVLA. The DVLA's current guidance lists a wide variety of health conditions that could potentially affect a person's driving ability and may need to be reported.
Failure to do so could result in fines, particularly if the driver has been advised by their GP to cease driving for three months or more, or if their medical condition, which impairs their driving ability, persists for three months or longer. While the DVLA's comprehensive A-Z guidance catalogue lists as many as 188 conditions that could affect your driving ability, seven particular ones must be reported to the DVLA.
These are categorised as 'notifiable' medical conditions or disabilities. The DVLA's guidance states: "You could be fined up to £1,000 if you do not tell DVLA about a condition that might affect your ability to drive safely. You could also be prosecuted if you have an accident."
If you possess a driving licence and experience any of the following 'notifiable' conditions, they could influence your driving abilities and must be declared to the DVLA:
While the above conditions must be reported to the DVLA, there are a wide variety of other conditions that you may also need to report. Some of these can range from extremely common health issues, such as anxiety or depression.
However, in many cases, these conditions only need to be reported if they affect your ability to drive safely. You can check to see if your condition needs to be reported here.
Your entitlement to drive while managing one of the above health conditions or disabilities largely depends on how it specifically affects you. According to the DVLA, there are three particular circumstances where you must surrender your licence to the DVLA, thus rendering you unable to drive:
While awaiting a decision from the DVLA regarding your medical condition, you are typically still allowed to drive. Following their assessment, the DVLA will notify you if your vehicle needs to be modified to suit your needs or if you must stop driving.
This decision will be communicated through a letter, which will also offer further guidance for your next steps.
A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that drivers over the age of 55 must renew their licence every five years due to a rule change. This has now been removed appropriately.
