The DVLA may give a medical driving license to people with certain medical conditions. This license must be renewed every few years. However, because there is a lot of demand for these licenses, applicants may have to wait a long time. And drivers who don’t report these health issues could face fines of up to £1,000.
Alicia Kearns, a Conservative MP, asked what the Secretary of State for Transport is doing to speed up the processing of these medical licenses. In response to the question, Under-Secretary Simon Lightwood said that the department has been dealing with a big increase in complicated applications.
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He said, “The DVLA is currently seeing an increase in both the number and difficulty of driving license applications from people with one or more medical conditions.” Sadly, this has caused some customers to have to wait longer. The DVLA made more than 830,000 medical licensing decisions in 2024/25. Predictions say that in 2025/26, they will get more than 925,000 medical applications and notifications.The DVLA is updating its online service and launching a new casework system to keep up with rising customer demand and provide better service. These changes will make a big difference for drivers with medical conditions. These improvements, along with hiring more people to handle medical applications and answer phone calls, will make things better for customers.
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If a driver has certain medical conditions, they must tell the DVLA or they could be fined up to £1,000. A blog post on Gov.uk says that most people can report their condition online and keep their regular license. However, some people will get a medical driving license.
Every one, two, three, or five years, these medical licenses need to be renewed to check that the person’s condition is still stable and that they are still able to drive. These licenses look a lot like regular driving licenses, but they have special codes that show any changes or restrictions that need to be made when driving.
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The DVLA needs to know about someone’s health in two situations:
- It is a medical condition or disability that must be reported.
- Since you got your license, your condition has gotten worse.
The Gov.uk website has a full A-Z list of conditions that must be reported to the DVLA. These are things that could make it hard for you to drive safely.
Some common conditions that must be reported are:
- Having diabetes or taking insulin
- Fainting (syncope)
- Heart problems, such as atrial fibrillation and pacemakers
- Sleep apnea
- Seizures
- Strokes Glaucoma
You must also tell us about any other medical conditions that cause seizures, extreme daytime sleepiness, vision problems, or neurological disorders like Parkinson’s disease. Your doctor can tell you if your condition makes it unsafe for you to drive.
If you don’t tell the DVLA about a health condition that needs to be reported, you could get a fine of up to £1,000 if you’re in an accident. Depending on how bad the accident is, you could also face criminal charges. Also, your car insurance will probably no longer be valid, which means that you will be responsible for all the costs that come up because of the accident.
