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Medical Standards of Fitness to Drive.

You have been provisionally diagnosed with a condition that warrants restrictions on driving. Please follow the appropriate instructions below and inform your GP and DVLA (if indicated).

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Medical Standards of Fitness to Drive

(DVLA guidance updated February 2017)

You have been provisionally diagnosed with a condition that warrants restrictions on driving. Please follow the appropriate instructions below and inform your GP and DVLA (if indicated).

You can be fined up to £1,000 if you don’t tell the DVLA about a medical condition that affects your driving. You can also be prosecuted if you’re involved in an accident as a result.

The UK medical standards for driver licensing refer to Group 1 and Group 2 licence holders:

G1	Group 1 includes cars and motorcycles
G2	Group 2 includes large lorries (category C) and buses (category D)

Seizures

First unprovoked epileptic seizure/ isolated seizure
G1	Must not drive and must notify the DVLA. Driving will be prohibited for 6 months from the date of the seizure.
G2	Must not drive and must notify the DVLA. Driving will be prohibited for 5 years from the date of the seizure.

Solitary seizure related to alcohol or drug use
G1	Must not drive and must notify the DVLA. Licence will be refused or revoked for a minimum of 6 months from the date of the solitary alcohol/drug-related seizure.
G2	Must not drive and must notify the DVLA. Licence will be refused or revoked for a minimum of 5 years from the date of the solitary alcohol/drug-related seizure.

Multiple epileptic or unprovoked seizures

(NB drug and alcohol related seizures are NOT considered to be provoked)

G1

Must not drive and must notify the DVLA. If there have been no seizures for 5 years (with medication if necessary), and no other disqualifying condition, a ’til 70 licence is usually restored.

G2

Must not drive and must notify the DVLA. The person with epilepsy must remain seizure-free for 10 years (without epilepsy medication) before licensing may be considered.

Loss of Consciousness

Typical vasovagal syncope with reliable prodrome or syncope with avoidable trigger or reversible cause

G1

While standing – no restriction

While sitting – must not drive for 1 month

Driving may resume after 1 month only if the cause has been identified and treated. Must notify the DVLA if the cause has not been identified and treated.

G2

While standing – no restriction

While sitting must not drive for 3 months

Driving may resume after 3 months only if the cause has been identified and treated. Must notify the DVLA if the cause has not been identified and treated.

Cough syncope or presyncope
G1	Must not drive and must notify the DVLA. Must not drive for 6 months following a single episode and for 12 months following multiple episodes over 5 years.
G2	Must not drive and must notify the DVLA. Must not drive for 5 years from the date of the last episode.

Cardiac Syncope (while sitting or standing)
G1	Must not drive and must notify the DVLA. Driving may be allowed to resume after 4 weeks if the cause has been identified and treated.
G2	Must not drive and must notify the DVLA. Driving may be allowed to resume after 3 months if the cause has been identified and treated.

Stroke and Transient Ischaemic Attack (TIA) (including amaurosis fugax)

Single TIA

G1

Must not drive for 1 month but need not notify the DVLA.

G2

Must not drive and must notify the DVLA. A licence will be refused or revoked for 1 year following a stroke or TIA.

Relicensing after 1 year may be considered if:

There is no debarring residual impairment likely to affect safe driving and
There are no other significant risk factors

Multiple TIAs
G1	Must not drive and must notify the DVLA. Multiple TIAs over a short period will require no driving for 3 months. Driving may resume after 3 months if there have been no further TIAs.

Stroke
G1	Must not drive but may not need to notify the DVLA. Driving may resume after 1 month if there has been satisfactory clinical recovery.

Cardiovascular

Angina
G1	Must not drive when symptoms occur at rest, with emotion or at the wheel. Driving may resume after satisfactory symptom control. Need not notify the DVLA.
G2	Must notify the DVLA. Must not drive when symptoms occur. A licence will be refused or revoked if symptoms continue (treated or untreated).

Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS)

G1

Must not drive but need not notify the DVLA. Driving may resume 1 week after ACS if successful coronary angioplasty and if certain criteria are met.

If not treated by successful coronary angioplasty, driving may resume only after 4 weeks from the acute event, provided there is no other disqualifying condition.

G2

Must not drive and must notify the DVLA – for all ACS. Licence will be refused or revoked. May be relicensed/licensed after at least 6 weeks if certain criteria are met.

Arrhythmia

Arrhythmias include:

sinoatrial disease
significant atrioventricular conduction defect
atrial flutter/fibrillation
narrow or broad complex tachycardia.

G1

Must not drive if arrhythmia has caused or is likely to cause incapacity and may need to notify the DVLA.

Driving may resume without DVLA notification only after:

underlying cause has been identified
arrhythmia is controlled for at least 4 weeks.

Must notify the DVLA if there are distracting or disabling symptoms.

G2

Must notify the DVLA. Must not drive if arrhythmia has caused or is likely to cause incapacity.

Licence will be refused or revoked. May be relicensed/licensed (provided there is no other disqualifying condition) only after certain criteria are met.

ICD with any shock therapy and/or symptomatic anti tachycardia pacing
G1	Must not drive for 6 months from the time of any shock therapy and/or symptomatic anti-tachycardia pacing. Must notify the DVLA.
G2	Must not drive and must notify the DVLA. Licence will be refused or revoked permanently

Cardiac Syncope
G1	See under Loss of Consciousness
G2	See under Loss of Consciousness

Diabetes Mellitus

Impaired awareness of hypoglycaemia ‘hypoglycaemia unawareness’
G1	Must not drive and must notify the DVLA. Driving may resume after a clinical report by a GP or consultant diabetes specialist confirms that hypoglycaemia awareness has been regained.
G2	Must not drive and must notify the DVLA. The licence will be refused or revoked.

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For further information on all of the above and details of how to contact the DVLA:

www.gov.uk/health-conditions-and-driving

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Medical Standards of Fitness to Drive.

Medical Standards of Fitness to Drive

Seizures

Loss of Consciousness

Stroke and Transient Ischaemic Attack (TIA) (including amaurosis fugax)

Cardiovascular

Diabetes Mellitus

Share this...

For further information on all of the above and details of how to contact the DVLA:

Were you prepared for the visit today?

Related Information

Social Media

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Part 1 – Scanning QRs

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Was this information useful?

How was your visit today?

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