In the UK, it is the driver's legal duty to tell the licensing agency about a medical condition that could affect safe driving. In England, Scotland and Wales that is the DVLA. In Northern Ireland it is the Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA). You can be fined up to £1,000 for not telling them, and you may be prosecuted if you have an accident as a result.
A diagnosis alone does not always need reporting. ADHD, autism, anxiety and mild to moderate depression only need to be reported if they, or your medication, affect your ability to drive safely. Epilepsy or any seizure, bipolar disorder, psychosis, schizophrenia, severe depression and dementia must be reported. After a seizure or a stroke, you must stop driving straight away.
All rules below were checked on 3 November 2026, from GOV.UK and DVLA's guide for doctors, Assessing fitness to drive. Car and motorcycle licences are "Group 1". Bus and lorry licences are "Group 2", which have stricter rules.
If you are not sure, GOV.UK's advice for most conditions is to ask your doctor. You can also check the A to Z list or the online checker on GOV.UK.
DVLA's guide for doctors groups ADHD, autism and related conditions as "neurological developmental conditions". It says a diagnosis "is not in itself a bar to licensing".
DVLA should be told only if there are significant issues, alone or together, that raise concerns about safe driving. The guide lists:
If you have already passed your driving test, the guide says you have shown the skills for safe driving at that time. DVLA then only needs to know if your condition changes, or if your doctor has concerns. DVLA must also be told if your medication or its side effects are likely to impair driving.
Learners. GOV.UK says you do not usually need to tell DVLA about ADHD or autism when learning to drive, because the driving test assesses you. The exception is if your doctor says it affects your driving.
In England, Scotland and Wales it is illegal to drive if any medicine impairs your driving. The drug-driving law also sets limits for certain drugs. GOV.UK names amphetamine, for example dexamfetamine, among drugs to discuss with your doctor before driving.
GOV.UK says you can drive on these drugs if they were prescribed, you follow your healthcare professional's advice, and they do not make you unfit to drive. That applies even if a test shows levels above the limit. Carrying evidence of your prescription can help if you are stopped. This law does not cover Northern Ireland, but you can still be arrested there if you are unfit to drive.
For how stimulants work, see what ADHD stimulants actually do.
For mild to moderate anxiety or depression, DVLA's guide says you may drive and need not tell DVLA. That is as long as there are no significant memory or concentration problems, agitation, behavioural disturbance or suicidal thoughts.
Severe anxiety or depression with any of those features is different. You must not drive and must tell DVLA. The guide says a car licence may be granted after 3 months if you have been well and stable, followed your treatment plan, and have no medication side effects that affect alertness or concentration.
The guide adds that the effects of severe illness matter more for driving than the medication.
These must always be reported. For car licences, DVLA's guide says:
Bus and lorry licences generally need at least 12 months of stability and a psychiatrist's report. For background on the condition, see our guide to bipolar disorder in adults.
You must tell DVLA about any epileptic seizure or blackout, and stop driving straight away. For a car licence, GOV.UK sets out:
In the "may qualify" cases, DVLA decides after you fill in the form. You must not drive until you hear from them.
For bus and lorry licences the rules are much stricter. After more than one seizure, you need 10 years without a seizure and without anti-epileptic medicine.
After a stroke or transient ischaemic attack (TIA), you must stop driving straight away. For a car licence, GOV.UK says you must stop for at least 1 month, and restart only when your doctor says it is safe.
You do not need to tell DVLA if you have recovered. You must tell DVLA if, after 1 month, you still have weakness in your arms or legs, eyesight problems, or problems with balance, memory or understanding. You must also tell DVLA if you had a seizure, needed brain surgery, or your doctor thinks you may not be safe. Bus and lorry drivers must tell DVLA and stop driving for at least a year.
For recognising a stroke, see stroke: the FAST signs.
You must tell DVLA if you have narcolepsy or cataplexy. You must also tell DVLA if you have moderate or severe obstructive sleep apnoea with excessive sleepiness. The same applies to any other sleep condition causing excessive sleepiness for at least 3 months. You must not drive until the sleepiness is under control and you are following any treatment. See narcolepsy: why diagnosis takes years.
You must tell DVLA if you have dementia. DVLA's guide says that in early dementia, when enough skills are retained and progression is slow, a car licence may be issued with annual review. Poor short-term memory, disorientation and lack of insight and judgement "almost certainly" mean someone is not fit to drive. Bus and lorry licences are refused or revoked.
You can report most conditions online if you have a car or motorcycle licence. Bus, coach and lorry drivers use a paper form for their condition. DVLA may then contact your doctor, arrange an examination, or ask you to take a driving assessment or test.
GOV.UK says you can usually keep driving while DVLA considers your case, unless your doctor has told you not to. The exceptions are the conditions above where you must stop straight away.
DVLA may decide that you can keep your licence, get a shorter licence for 1, 2, 3 or 5 years, need special controls, or must stop driving. If you are told to stop, you can send new medical evidence, reapply when your letter says you can, or appeal. Appeals go to a magistrates' court within 6 months in England and Wales, or a sheriff's court within 21 days in Scotland.
You can choose to surrender your licence if your doctor tells you to stop driving for 3 months or more. GOV.UK says this makes it easier to reapply later.
DVLA's guide quotes General Medical Council guidance. Doctors should tell you if a condition or treatment may affect your driving, and remind you of your duty to tell DVLA. If you keep driving when you are not fit to, a doctor may tell DVLA's medical adviser in confidence. They should try to tell you first, and confirm in writing afterwards.
DVLA's guide warns that ignoring medical advice to stop driving may affect whether your motor insurance is valid. Check with your insurer whether you need to tell them about a condition.
Licensing is run by the DVA, not DVLA. nidirect says:
DVLA's guide for doctors is used for DVA decisions too.
If you live in Ireland, the rules are different. See driving with a neurological or mental health condition in Ireland.
Only if your ADHD or your ADHD medication affects your ability to drive safely. GOV.UK says that if your driving is not affected, you do not need to tell DVLA. Ask your doctor if you are unsure.
Not necessarily. Most mild to moderate depression does not need reporting. For bipolar disorder and severe depression, DVLA's guide allows licensing once you have been well and stable for a set period, with treatment and no impairing side effects.
You must stop driving and tell DVLA. After a first seizure while awake with loss of consciousness, you can reapply after 6 months seizure-free if DVLA's medical advisers decide your risk of another is not high. Otherwise you can reapply after a year.
Usually yes, if your licence is valid and your doctor has not told you to stop. The exceptions are seizures, stroke and other situations where GOV.UK says to stop straight away.
This article is general information, not legal or medical advice. Talk to your doctor about whether you are safe to drive, and check GOV.UK or nidirect for your condition.
Reviewed by: Proco Team
Last updated: November 2026