Getting your full UK motorcycle licence is a moment worth celebrating! The fun and freedom of the road on two wheels is incomparable. Once you have a full motorcycle licence, there’s no more tests or training needed to keep you on the road. Although advanced training could lower your motorcycle insurance premiums. But there’s one crucial thing you need to be aware of to keep your licence valid – notifiable health conditions for the DVLA.

When you get your full motorcycle licence, this detail is covered along with all the other ins and outs and ups and downs of riding legally on UK roads. It’s a LOT to take in. It’s natural for smaller details that we deem unnecessary for our situation to be forgotten quickly. So if you were fighting fit and in all-round good health when you got your licence, you may have forgotten about the notifiable health conditions you need to tell the DVLA about.

As life changes, so does our health. Keeping the DVLA up to date on any new health conditions is important for keeping you, and everyone else, safe on the road. In this blog, we’ll cover what the notifiable health conditions are, how to tell the DVLA, and what you can expect to happen once you let them know the changes. Read on to make sure you’re still cruising on the right side of motorcycle licence laws.

What is a notifiable health condition?

Notifiable health conditions are medical conditions and diseases – physical or mental – that need to be reported to official bodies. When it comes to licences, notifiable conditions for the DVLA include anything impacting your ability to drive or ride a motorcycle safely. That includes eye sight changes, worsening conditions and disabilities, and changes to your mental health too.

Which health conditions do I need to tell the DVLA about?

Anything that affects your ability to ride or drive safely is regarded as a notifiable health condition for the DVLA. Because that’s a fairly vast array of conditions, there is no exhaustive list.

Whether or not you need to share your health issues with the DVLA depends on the severity of your condition. A severe issue, like nyctalopia (night blindness) needs to be shared with the DVLA. But if it only affects one eye, you don’t need to tell the DVLA. As for mental health problems, someone suffering from mild to moderate anxiety or depression doesn’t need to let the DVLA know. If it’s severe, they do.

We’ve put together a brief list of notifiable health conditions for the DVLA to point you in the right direction. It’s worth remembering if you had one of these when you gained your licence and it’s gotten worse, you’ll need to let the DVLA know.

• Behavioural conditions including post-head injuries
• Diabetes that requires insulin treatment
• Epilepsy
• Eye conditions
• Fainting, blackouts, syncope
• Heart conditions (including ICDs and pacemakers)
• Learning disabilities
• Neurological development conditions
• Severe anxiety or depression
• Sleep apnoea, narcolepsy and cataplexy
• Strokes and TIAs

Along with the above notifiable health conditions for the DVLA, you must give up your licence if…

• Your doctor tells you to stop driving for three months (or more)
• You have a medical condition will affect your ability to ride safely for three months or more; like gestational diabetes
• You have a medical condition that makes it difficult or impossible to ride safely 

How do I notify the DVLA of a health condition?

The DVLA uses different forms for different health conditions. To make sure you use the right form, choose your health condition from the A to Z list and either click the green button to report the condition online, or download the form to complete and send in the post.

You can also use their online service for checking and notifying the DVLA about any new health conditions. If you’re checking and reporting online, make sure you have all the information about your licence and the medical details of your health condition to hand. The online process takes about 10 to 20 minutes. At the end, you’ll reach a screen that lets you know what happens next.

You may need to provide further information to the DVLA about your health, send in your licence so the conditions can be updated, or you may be free to keep using your licence without any further changes needed.

Not all health conditions will result in you having your licence revoked. It could be that specific restrictions make more sense. In the case of developing nyctalopia, you may be required to ride only in daylight hours.

What will happen when I notify the DVLA about my medical condition?

What happens when you tell the DVLA about your medical condition depends on the type and severity of the health condition you have. If it’s a condition that could impact your ability to ride safely, the DVLA might need more information. They’ll send you a letter to let you know if they…

• Are happy for you to keep your licence
• Need to contact your doctor or consultant
• Want to arrange for you to have an examination
• Ask you to take a riding or eyesight assessment

Obviously, when more information needs to be gathered, the decision process is longer. Most of the time, you’ll be able to keep your licence while the DVLA are making up their minds about what changes need to be made, if any.

Will I have to give up my motorcycle licence because of my health condition? 

You might have to give up your licence. But you might not—there are other options. It depends on the type of your health condition, its severity, and ultimately the impact it has on yours and other’s safety on our roads. Instead of losing your motorcycle licence, the DLVA could decide that you need…

• A new licence
• A shorter term licence (Maybe 1, 2, 3 or 5 years – depending on your health condition)
• Special controls fitted to your motorcycle
• Specific restrictions for your licence

Can I get my motorcycle licence back after giving it up for a health condition?

If you are told you need to give up your licence, you can appeal the decision. You can also send more medical evidence to prove you can (and do) meet the required standards for driving.

In some cases, you’ll be able to reapply for your licence after a specified period of time; for example in the case of gestational diabetes. This health condition usually disappears with the birth of your child, leaving you safe to ride once more.

What are the penalties for NOT notifying the DVLA of my health condition?

It’s a bad idea to keep quiet about any health condition you’ve developed that can affect your riding. If you’re involved in an accident, prosecution for nondisclosure is likely. You could be fined up to £1,000 for failing to report a notifiable health condition.

But it’s not just fines and prosecution you need to worry about. Unintentionally causing an accident or harming someone because of an unreported condition isn’t something anyone wants to live with. We’d always advise you to keep the DVLA informed of any changes impacting your ability to handle a motorcycle safely. It keeps you and everyone else on our roads safer.

If you’ve been forced to take a break from riding thanks to a tricky health condition, we can help you regain your two wheeled confidence with a Back to Biking course. We’ll focus on the areas you know you need to brush up on so you’re back on the road, better than ever, once you’ve regained your vim and vigour!