Telling DVLA About a Medical Condition: The Law and the Fine

Drivers in Great Britain have a legal duty under section 94 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 to tell DVLA about a medical condition that could affect their ability to drive safely, and failing to do so is an offence carrying a fine of up to £1,000.

This article covers the duty to notify DVLA of a medical condition under section 94 of the Road Traffic Act 1988, which applies in England, Wales and Scotland, and the DVA's parallel duty in Northern Ireland. It does not give medical advice on whether any particular condition affects fitness to drive; that determination sits with DVLA, DVA and your doctor.

The duty to notify DVLA

Section 94(1) of the Road Traffic Act 1988 requires a licence holder who becomes aware that they have a relevant or prospective disability not previously disclosed, or that a disability already declared has become worse, to notify the Secretary of State, in practice DVLA, without delay. Section 94(2) creates an exception: you do not have to notify a new disability, one you have not suffered from before, that you have reasonable grounds to expect will last no more than three months.

Section 94(3) makes it an offence to fail to notify DVLA without a reasonable excuse. Section 94(3A) creates a separate offence for continuing to drive on a licence once a required notification remains outstanding, so a driver can commit two distinct offences from the same underlying failure.

The penalty

GOV.UK's guidance states you could be fined up to £1,000 if you do not tell DVLA about a condition that might affect your ability to drive safely, and that you could also be prosecuted if you have an accident. Section 94 itself creates the offences but does not set out a penalty figure in the section; the penalty is set by Schedule 2 to the Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988, which makes both offences punishable by a fine of up to level 3 (£1,000). Driving while a notification is outstanding (section 94(3A)) also carries 3 to 6 penalty points and possible disqualification (legislation.gov.uk: RTOA 1988 Sch 2).

Northern Ireland: the DVA and a separate false declaration offence

Section 94 does not extend to Northern Ireland; the DVA administers the equivalent notification duty there under its own legislation. Nidirect's guidance sets out the same £1,000 ceiling for simply failing to notify DVA. It also publicises a separate, more serious offence: driving after knowingly making a false declaration about your health to DVA, which on conviction carries a fine of up to £2,500.

Great Britain has the same distinction. Driving on a licence granted on an application containing a health declaration you knew to be false is a separate offence under section 92(10) of the Road Traffic Act 1988, with a maximum fine of level 4 (£2,500), 3 to 6 penalty points and possible disqualification (legislation.gov.uk: RTA 1988 s.92).

Which conditions you need to tell DVLA about

GOV.UK maintains its own detailed, condition by condition list covering conditions from epilepsy and diabetes to eyesight and mental health conditions, and how each one is assessed. That list is not reproduced here; check GOV.UK's medical conditions and driving pages directly for the condition that applies to you, since the assessment criteria differ significantly by condition.

Related reading: the section hub for UK driving laws.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to tell DVLA about every medical condition?

No. The duty applies to a relevant or prospective disability that could affect your ability to drive, and it does not apply to a new condition you reasonably expect to last no more than three months.

What happens if I do not tell DVLA about a condition?

GOV.UK states you could be fined up to £1,000, and you could also be prosecuted if you have an accident while the notification remains outstanding. If you keep driving while the notification is outstanding, that is a separate offence that also carries 3 to 6 penalty points and possible disqualification.

Is lying to DVLA treated differently from simply not telling them?

Yes. In Great Britain, driving on a licence obtained with a health declaration you knew was false is a separate offence under section 92(10) of the Road Traffic Act 1988, with a fine of up to £2,500, 3 to 6 penalty points and possible disqualification. Northern Ireland has a similar false declaration offence, also carrying a fine of up to £2,500.

Is the process different in Northern Ireland?

Yes. The DVA, not DVLA, administers the equivalent duty in Northern Ireland under its own legislation, though the £1,000 ceiling for a simple failure to notify is the same.

Where can I check whether my condition needs to be reported?

GOV.UK publishes a condition by condition list of medical conditions and how they are assessed for driving; check the specific condition there rather than relying on a general rule.