Car and motorcycle medical questionnaires

If you're suffering from any of the medical conditions or disabilities listed below, you will need to tell the Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA). To do this you should fill in a DL1 form and forward it to DVA, who will then send you the appropriate medical questionnaires.

DL1 form

DL1 forms are available from main Post Office ® branches or MOT test centres. You can also contact DVA to request one on:

GP fees

If you receive a medical questionnaire(s) as a result of notifying DVA of a condition, you will need to arrange for your doctor to complete the form(s). Your questionnaire(s) will include a consent form that must be signed. This allows DVA to make medical enquiries into your fitness to drive.

With your medical questionnaire(s) you will also receive a GP claim form. It is up to your doctor to fill this in and return it to DVA if they wish to obtain payment for completion of your medical form.

DVA will pay the appropriate fee to your GP (doctor) for the completion of your medical form(s) on the first occasion only. Payment for duplicates will be your responsibility.

Medical conditions

If you currently suffer from any of the following medical conditions you must tell DVA. To do so, complete a DL1, tick the appropriate box on the health section and return the form to:

Drivers Medical Section
DVA
Coleraine County Hall
Castlerock Road
Waterside
Coleraine
BT51 3TB

Diabetes

For further information on diabetes, please use the link below:

Heart conditions

  • angina (heart pain) brought on by driving
  • implanted pacemaker
  • disturbance of heart rhythm significant to cause dizziness, collapse or loss of consciousness
  • any other heart condition
  • defibrillator (ICD) implanted

For further information on heart conditions, please use the link below:

Neurological conditions

  • stroke
  • mini stroke
  • cerebral thrombosis
  • amaurosis fugax
  • brain surgery, brain tumour, severe head injury

For further information on these neurological conditions, please use the link below:

Other neurological conditions

  • serious memory problems or episodes of confusion
  • chronic neurological conditions (for example multiple sclerosis, motor neurone disease)
  • fits or blackouts
  • severe and recurrent disabling giddiness
  • Parkinson's disease
  • epilepsy (Please note if you suffer from epilepsy and want to drive lorries or buses you must not have suffered a fit of any kind, or required treatment for fits in the last 10 years)
  • sleep disorders or conditions which cause excessive daytime or awake time sleepiness
  • sleep apnoea syndrome
  • narcolepsy or cataplexy
  • any other condition which causes excessive daytime or awake time sleepiness

Vision problems

  • any visual condition which affects both eyes (not including short or long sight or colour blindness)
  • any visual condition which affects remaining eye, if sight in one eye only (not including short or long sight or colour blindness)

Alcohol and drugs

If you're disqualified for some alcohol related offences, DVA will make medical enquiries before your driving licence can be renewed.

These offences are:

  • disqualified with an alcohol level of over: 200mg in 100ml of blood, or 87.5mg in 100ml of breath; or 267.5mg in 100ml of urine
  • disqualified twice in 10 years for certain alcohol related offences
  • disqualified for failing or refusing to give a specimen (blood, breath or urine) for testing
  • dependence on or misuse of alcohol in the past three years
  • dependence on or misuse of drugs in the past three years

Psychiatric conditions

  • any mental ill-health condition (including depression)
  • any psychiatric illness requiring hospital admission
  • Alzheimer’s, cognitive impairment, dementia, memory problems

Spinal injuries or limb problems

severe spinal injuries
paraplegia
tetraplegia
amputations
persistent limb problems

If you require any further information about any of the above conditions, you can contact DVA on:

  • phone: 0300 200 7861 (Monday to Friday from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm)

Surrendering your driving licence

The medical standards of fitness to drive are available to all medical practitioners. If your doctor has advised you that you should not drive you may wish to surrender your licence. You can apply for it back at a later date.

Surrendering your driving licence has an advantage, if and when you decide to re-apply.

More useful links

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