How to tell DVA about a driver with a medical condition

Telling DVA about a medical condition

Anyone who drives a motor vehicle on a road must meet medical standards of fitness to drive. 

If they are applying for a licence or are a licence holder they must tell DVA if they suffer from a medical condition that affects their ability to drive, or if any condition worsens.  

A person should not drive if they have been told not to by their doctor.

If you are concerned that a person is driving against medical advice, or if they have not reported a medical condition to DVA, you should talk to the person and remind them that they must tell DVA about their condition.

It is an offence not to tell DVA about a medical condition, and they may be a risk to themselves or other road users. 

If you can’t speak to the person, or if they won’t tell DVA, you can tell DVA. This is called a “Source of Danger Notification”. 

You don’t need the person’s permission and you don’t have to tell them that you are going to talk to DVA.

How to make a Source of Danger Notification

You should write to DVA at:

Driver and Vehicle Agency
Driver Licensing Medical Section
County Hall
Coleraine
BT51 3TB

or by e-mail at: DVAUrgentMedical@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk

DVA cannot accept Source of Danger Notifications made by telephone.

What you need to tell DVA

You will need to tell DVA who you are. This is to help prevent people making malicious reports. 

You should tell DVA your:

• name
• address
• telephone number
• NI driver number (if you have a Northern Ireland driving licence)

DVA will contact you to confirm your identity. If you don’t tell DVA who you are, or if DVA can’t confirm your identity, medical investigations cannot begin .

You will need to tell DVA about the driver with the medical condition.  

You should give DVA their:

• name
• address
• information you can about their medical condition

What happens next?

If DVA can identify you and the driver, medical investigations may begin to see if the person is fit to drive. 

However, DVA can’t tell you anything about these medical investigations.

A driver who is investigated as a potential Source of Danger may ask DVA to give them details of the Source of Danger Notification, under the Data Protection Act.  This is known as a Subject Access Request 

DVA will ask for your permission before giving the driver any information which would allow them to find out who you are.  

If you do not give DVA permission, or if we can’t contact you, the driver will not be given any information which could identify you unless DVA are told we have to by a Court.