Medical and Mental Requirements

If you have a mental or physical condition that may impair your ability to safely operate a motor vehicle, even temporarily, you must provide DMV with a medical statement from your physician/nurse practitioner. Some of these conditions include:

Level of consciousness
Seizures
Vision changes
Impairment of judgment
Loss of motor functions

DMV's Seizure/Blackout Policy, established by our Medical Advisory Board, states that a person must be seizure-free or blackout-free for at least six months to establish medication and regain proper medical control before driving. If a person is currently licensed and DMV is notified that the person has experienced a seizure, loss of consciousness or blackout, DMV will suspend the person's driving privilege for a period of six months from the date of the last episode.

DMV will evaluate the medical information to determine if a driver's license may be issued or restricted.

Review Process

As part of the medical review process, DMV may require you to:

Submit a medical statement from your physician/nurse practitioner
Submit a vision statement from your ophthalmologist/optometrist
Undergo an evaluation by a Driver Rehabilitation Specialist in a driver evaluation program
Pass the two-part driver's license knowledge exam
Pass the road skills test

Based on DMV's evaluation of the medical information and/or test results, DMV will determine whether to:

suspend your driving privilege;
restrict your driving privilege;
require you to complete a driver evaluation; or
require you to submit periodic medical and/or vision reports

For persons required to submit a periodic medical and/or vision report, DMV will send you a reminder letter approximately 60 days prior to the due date.

Reporting an Impaired Driver

DMV promptly reviews all reports of hazardous or impaired drivers.

Reports must be submitted in writing or using the Medical Review Request (MED-3) to:

DMV Medical Review Services
Post Office Box 27412
Richmond, Virginia 23269-0001
Fax: (804) 367-1604

or by e-mail to:

medreview@dmv.virginia.gov

All reports of impaired drivers must include:

information that will help DMV identify the impaired driver (such as name, address, date of birth, et cetera),
specific information about your concerns and why the person should be reviewed by DMV, and
the name, address and telephone number of the person reporting the impaired driver, so that DMV may follow up.