Which conditions a driver must report to the DVLA

In the UK, safe driving is about health as well as skill. The DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency) requires drivers to report certain conditions that affect their driving. It is not a formality — staying silent carries a fine.

Why do you have to report?

As the DVLA puts it, "you need to tell DVLA about some medical conditions as they can affect your driving". These are conditions that impair reactions, eyesight or concentration, or that could cause a sudden loss of control.

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What does staying silent risk?

If you do not report a condition that affects your driving, you can be fined up to £1,000. If that condition then causes a crash, you can be prosecuted. It is cheaper and safer to report in advance than to hide it.

How do you report a condition?

Car and motorcycle licence holders can check and report their condition online through the DVLA service. Bus, lorry and coach drivers should find their condition in the DVLA's A-to-Z list and fill in the relevant form. Each condition has its own process: some need only a notification, others a medical questionnaire.

Which conditions exactly?

There is no single short list — the DVLA keeps an A-to-Z of hundreds of conditions. Among those named as notifiable are diabetes (especially when treated with insulin), epilepsy, strokes, sleep apnoea, fainting (syncope), several heart conditions including atrial fibrillation and having a pacemaker, and glaucoma. For some you need only tell DVLA; for others you fill in a medical questionnaire, and the rules are stricter for bus and lorry drivers. Check each new or changed condition separately.

When should you give up your licence?

Sometimes it is best to surrender the licence. The DVLA lists these cases:

• your doctor tells you to stop driving for 3 months or more;
• a condition affects safe driving and lasts 3 months or more;
• your condition means you do not meet the driving standards.

What happens after you report?

Once you report, the DVLA assesses whether you are safe to drive. Simple cases are decided quickly; for complex ones it asks for further medical information before confirming or restricting your licence. While it is processed you may sometimes keep driving, but only if your doctor agrees and your previous licence conditions are met. Reporting early is more honest and cheaper than explaining yourself after a crash, when prosecution is also possible.

The bottom line

If you are unsure whether your condition must be reported, check it in the DVLA list and report it if needed. The duty is the driver's own, and there is no one else to pass it to.