The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has issued a stark warning to motorists across the UK: failing to report one of 118 specific medical conditions could result in a £1,000 fine.
While some health issues do not need to be disclosed, many can necessitate you to stop driving or even surrender your licence, either temporarily or permanently. This rule is in place not only to protect your right to drive but, crucially, to safeguard other road users.
The Legal Obligation and Penalties
The DVLA has been unequivocal in its guidance. "You need to tell DVLA about some medical conditions as they can affect your driving," the authority stated. "You can be fined up to £1,000 if you do not tell DVLA about a medical condition that affects your driving."
There are two main paths for drivers with medical concerns. You can voluntarily surrender your licence if, for instance, your doctor advises you to stop driving for three months or more, or if a lasting condition impacts your ability to drive safely. Alternatively, if you do not voluntarily give up your licence but have a reportable condition, you must inform the DVLA, who will then make a decision on your fitness to hold a licence.
The Comprehensive List of Reportable Conditions
The DVLA has confirmed a definitive list of 118 medical conditions that must be declared. The list is extensive and covers a wide range of physical and mental health issues.
Here is the complete alphabetical list of conditions you are legally required to report to the DVLA:
- Absence seizures
- Acoustic neuroma
- Agoraphobia
- Alcohol problems
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
- Amaurosis fugax
- Amputations
- Angiomas or cavernomas
- Ankylosing spondylitis
- Anxiety
- Aortic aneurysm
- Arachnoid cyst
- Arrhythmia
- Arteriovenous malformation
- Arthritis
- Asperger syndrome
- Ataxia
- ADHD
- AIDS
- Bipolar disorder (manic depression)
- Blackouts
- Blood clots (in the brain)
- Blood pressure
- Brachial plexus injury
- Brain abscess, cyst or encephalitis
- Brain aneurysm
- Brain haemorrhage
- Traumatic brain injury
- Brain tumour
- Broken limbs
- Brugada syndrome
- Burr hole surgery
- Cancer
- Cataracts (if affecting both eyes)
- Cataplexy
- Central venous thrombosis
- Cerebral palsy
- Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT)
- Cognitive problems
- Congenital heart disease
- Fits, seizures or convulsions
- Déjà vu (if caused by seizures)
- Defibrillators (implanted)
- Dementia
- Depression
- Diabetes
- Diplopia (double vision)
- Dizziness or vertigo
- Drug use
- Eating disorder
- Empyema (brain)
- Essential tremor
- Eye conditions (if both eyes affected)
- Guillain Barré syndrome
- Serious head injuries
- Heart attacks (specific conditions apply)
- Heart failure
- Heart palpitations
- Hemianopia
- Hodgkin’s lymphoma
- Huntington's disease
- Hydrocephalus
- Hypoglycaemia
- Hypoxic brain damage
- Intracerebral haemorrhage
- Korsakoff's syndrome
- Labyrinthitis
- Learning disabilities
- Lewy body dementia
- Limb disability
- Long QT syndrome
- Lung cancer
- Lymphoma
- Marfan's syndrome
- Medulloblastoma
- Meningioma
- Motor neurone disease
- Muscular dystrophy
- Myasthenia gravis
- Myoclonus
- Narcolepsy
- Night blindness
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder
- Excessive sleepiness
- Optic atrophy
- Pacemakers
- Paranoid schizophrenia
- Paraplegia
- Parkinson’s disease
- Peripheral neuropathy
- Personality disorder
- Pituitary tumour
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Psychosis
- Psychotic depression
- Pulmonary arterial hypertension
- Severe memory problems
- Stroke
- Surgery
- Syncope
- Sleep apnoea
- Schizo-affective disorder
- Schizophrenia
- Scotoma
- Severe communication disorders
- Spinal conditions, injuries or spinal surgery
- Subarachnoid haemorrhage
- Tachycardia
- Tourette's syndrome
- Tunnel vision
- Usher syndrome
- Reduced visual activity
- Vertigo
- Visual field defect
- VP shunts
- Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome
Ensuring You Drive Legally and Safely
It is vital for all drivers to understand that this list is not merely a formality. The requirement to declare these conditions is a fundamental part of road safety law. For many conditions, such as a transient ischaemic attack (TIA or mini-stroke), you must stop driving immediately for at least one month and only restart when a doctor confirms it is safe.
If you are unsure whether your condition affects your driving, the DVLA advises that you speak to your doctor for professional medical advice. Ignorance is not a defence in law, and the responsibility lies with the driver to ensure they are medically fit to be on the road.
Failing to comply not only risks a significant financial penalty but, more importantly, could endanger your life and the lives of others.
