If you are applying for a licence, you will need to be assessed by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) (www.dvla.gov.uk).

Notification of disability | Term of licence | Licence renewal | Special controls | Trike drivers

When you apply for a licence, you are under a legal obligation to declare your disability in the appropriate section on the licence application form.

You are also required by law to inform the DVLA if, during the term of your licence, your disability becomes worse.

This notification is required in writing and should advise the nature and extent of your disability. Failure to notify without a reasonable excuse is an offence under the Road Traffic Act 1988.

Temporary disabilities which are not likely to last more than three months (e.g. a broken leg) need not be notified.

When a disability has been notified, a medical-in-confidence form will normally be issued, which will ask you to describe your medical condition in greater detail. The DVLA may want to obtain a medical report from your GP or consultant.

In certain cases, where a disability has arisen since a licence was issued, it may be necessary for a Medical Adviser from the DVLA to ask you to take a further driving test in order to establish whether you can still drive your vehicle. There is no charge for this type of test and test centres give priority to drivers with disabilities.

If and when you are issued a licence, its term will depend on your medical condition.

If your disability is stable and non-progressive, a 'til 70' licence will normally be issued. Otherwise it could be valid for one, two or three years.

Licences may be renewed after the age of 70, but will then run for three years or less depending on the circumstances, with the possibility of further renewals.

The Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (DTLR) ( www.dtlr.gov.uk ) has accepted that people with arthritis and people paralysed by spinal cord injuries (provided the condition has stabilised and there are no secondary complications) may be granted a 'til 70' licence.

Nevertheless, there remains an obligation for all licence holders to notify the DVLA of the onset or worsening of any disabling condition.

In the event of an application being refused, a licence being revoked, or a short period licence being issued, you have a right of appeal to a Magistrates' Court against the decision. The DVLA will notify you of this right where appropriate.

If you wish to renew your licence (and are still able to drive the vehicle covered by your existing licence) you will need to fill out a renewal application form from the DVLA.

If you are in doubt over whether you are still entitled and able to drive your vehicle, consult your GP.

If you need urgent proof of your entitlement to drive while you are waiting for your licence to be renewed, you can request a certificate from the DVLA.

If you have special controls fitted to your vehicle, your licence will record these. To declare your vehicle's special controls, you will need to fill out a medical questionnaire provided by the DVLA. This record is mainly on a self-declaration basis.

The questionnaire will ask you whether special controls are or will be fitted to your vehicle. If your answer is yes you will be sent a further form asking you to indicate the type/s of special controls in your vehicle.

The controls that you declare need to be those that are required at that point in time. If your condition improves or changes then you will need to notify the DVLA.

The law does not permit the granting of a full licence unless:

• you can satisfy the Secretary of State that you hold a licence issued since 1 January 1976, or

• you have passed a driving test for the relevant class of vehicle/s within the last two years (if the test was passed on or after 1 April 1991) or 10 years (if the test was passed before 1 April 1991).

The conditions apply to all types of vehicles and you would have to provide the necessary evidence.

If you have held full entitlement for other classes of vehicles, and wish to regain this, write to the Drivers' Medical Branch at the DVLA explaining your position. Unless the Medical Adviser at the DVLA already has your up-to-date medical details, they will ask you for these. Advice can then be given according to your needs.

If you are not entitled to a full licence for the vehicles you wish to drive, you will have to apply for provisional entitlement to be added to your trike licence in order to take the appropriate driving test. Such applications will be subject to medical enquiries.

No fee is payable for the restoration of previous entitlement, however there is a fee for the addition of provisional entitlement.

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