How to tell DVLA about a medical condition (online)
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In short. Search GOV.UK’s health-conditions checker, notify DVLA online if you hold a Great Britain car or motorcycle licence, then tell your motor insurer — bus, coach and lorry licences still use paper forms.
From 17 August 2026 car and motorcycle licence holders in Great Britain can check around 1,600 conditions and notify DVLA online. The duty to report is unchanged: you can be fined up to £1,000 if you do not tell DVLA about a notifiable condition. This is not medical advice.
Last reviewed:
·Estimated time: 45 min·Cost: £0 online (paper forms still need postage if you cannot use the service)What you'll need
- Driving licence number and details
- National Insurance number
- Name and address of your GP or consultant if the service asks
The steps
- 01
Check whether you must notify
Open GOV.UK’s health-conditions checker and search your condition. It tells you whether you must tell DVLA. Notifiable conditions are anything that could affect safe driving — including a condition that has got worse since you got the licence.
- 02
Confirm you can use the online service
Online notify is for car and motorcycle licences in England, Scotland and Wales. Bus, coach or lorry licences still need the paper form linked from the condition page. If you live in Northern Ireland, use the Driver and Vehicle Agency, not DVLA.
- 03
Complete the online notification in one sitting
You have one hour and cannot save and return. Enter licence details, describe the condition, and give clinician details if asked. You can add more than one condition. Submit and keep the reference. Track progress on GOV.UK.
- 04
Tell your motor insurer
DVLA does not pass the notification to insurers. Tell the insurer that covers the vehicle, using the same facts. Non-disclosure can void a claim even if DVLA already knows.
- 05
Follow DVLA’s decision and any driving restriction
DVLA may keep the licence, add a restriction, ask for a medical report, or require you to surrender it. If a doctor tells you to stop driving for three months or more, surrender the licence. Do not drive if you know you are not safe, even while an application is pending.
Common pitfalls
- Assuming an online submission means you are cleared to drive — DVLA still decides fitness
- Telling DVLA but not the insurer — claims can still fail
- Using the GB service from Northern Ireland — that is the DVA’s process
- Starting the form without licence and NI details — the session times out after an hour
FAQ
- How much faster is online than paper?
- DVLA says some applications are processed up to 10 days faster, with first action sometimes within 24 hours. Times vary with demand.
- What if I cannot use the internet?
- Paper forms remain available. The address is on the condition-specific form linked from GOV.UK.
- Does this change the £1,000 fine?
- No. The online route makes it easier to comply. The fine for not telling DVLA about a notifiable condition still applies.