HGV licence medical conditions: what DVLA allows, condition by condition
Can you get or keep a lorry licence after a heart attack, with diabetes, sleep apnoea, depression or sight in one eye? The DVLA rules for lorry drivers, the forms, and the waiting periods, in plain English.
Short answer
The medical standard for lorry drivers is much stricter than for cars. Some conditions are a permanent bar, such as an implanted defibrillator, dementia or sight in one eye only. Many others mean a waiting period: 6 weeks after a heart attack or stent, 1 year after a stroke or TIA, and 10 years seizure-free and off medication for epilepsy. Lorry drivers must tell DVLA about some conditions car drivers don't need to, including diabetes on metformin and any faint.
Lorry drivers can't report a condition online: you post the form for your condition to DVLA. If you don't tell DVLA, you can be fined up to £1,000, and prosecuted if you have an accident.
Heart
| Condition | The rule for lorry drivers | Tell DVLA? | Waiting period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heart attack | Stop driving lorries and tell DVLA. You can be relicensed after at least 6 weeks if your heart pumping function (ejection fraction) is at least 40% and you pass an exercise test, usually completing 3 stages (9 minutes) of a treadmill test. | Yes, VOCH1 | At least 6 weeks |
| Stent or angioplasty | Same as a heart attack: ejection fraction of at least 40% and an exercise test. | Yes, VOCH1 | At least 6 weeks |
| Heart bypass (CABG) or valve surgery | Ejection fraction of at least 40% and an exercise test taken at least 3 months after the operation. | Yes, VOCH1 | 3 months |
| Angina | Don't drive if you get symptoms. Relicensing needs 6 weeks with no angina and an exercise test. | Yes, VOCH1 | 6 weeks symptom-free |
| Pacemaker | You can drive again 6 weeks after it is fitted, with regular device checks. A battery change needn't be reported. | Yes, VOCH1 | 6 weeks |
| Implanted defibrillator (ICD) | A permanent bar to a lorry licence, including a preventive ICD. | Yes, VOCH1 | Permanent |
| Heart failure | DVLA's doctors' guide allows driving with mild or no symptoms and an ejection fraction of at least 40%. GOV.UK tells lorry drivers to stop for at least a month. Tell DVLA and follow its instructions. | Yes, VOCH1 | Depends on symptoms |
| Atrial fibrillation or other arrhythmia | If it has caused, or could cause, a blackout or incapacity: relicensing once the cause is treated, it's controlled for 3 months, and ejection fraction is at least 40%. | Yes, VOCH1 | 3 months controlled |
| High blood pressure | No need to tell DVLA unless your resting blood pressure is consistently 180/100 or higher. Then stop driving until it's controlled without side effects that affect driving. | Only at 180/100 or above, BP1V | Until controlled |
Brain and nerves
| Condition | The rule for lorry drivers | Tell DVLA? | Waiting period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stroke or TIA (mini-stroke) | Licence refused or revoked for a year, including after a single TIA. Then relicensing if you have no lasting impairment and no other significant risks. | Yes, STR1V | 1 year |
| Epilepsy | You need to have been seizure-free for 10 years, without epilepsy medication for those 10 years. | Yes, FEP1V | 10 years |
| A single seizure | 5 years without a seizure and without epilepsy medication, with a low risk of another seizure, and an assessment by a neurologist. | Yes, FEP1V | Up to 5 years |
| Fainting or blackout | Lorry drivers must report any blackout or faint, unlike car drivers. A single simple faint with an obvious trigger, not while driving: you can drive once recovered. One unexplained blackout: 12 months. Two unexplained within 2 years: 5 years. | Yes, FEP1V | None to 5 years |
| Brain tumour | Depends on the type: from 12 months for a very low-risk tumour to a permanent bar for high-risk ones. | Yes, BT1V | 12 months to permanent |
| Dementia | Your lorry licence will be refused or revoked. | Yes, CG1 | Permanent |
Diabetes
| Condition | The rule for lorry drivers | Tell DVLA? | Waiting period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diet only | No need to tell DVLA. | No | None |
| Metformin or other non-insulin tablets | You can drive, but unlike car drivers, lorry drivers must tell DVLA. | Yes, VDIAB1GEN | None |
| Gliclazide or other tablets that can cause hypos | You can drive with a 1 to 3-year licence if you've had no severe hypo in 12 months, have full hypo awareness and test at least twice a day and at times relevant to driving. | Yes, VDIAB1SG | None if criteria met |
| Insulin | Stop driving lorries when you start insulin. After at least 1 month stable, you can apply for a licence of up to 1 year. You need full hypo awareness, no severe hypo in 12 months, glucose checks at least twice a day, before driving and every 2 hours while driving, and a yearly check by an independent diabetes consultant. Since 7 November 2025 you can use an approved continuous glucose monitor, carrying a finger-prick meter as backup. | Yes, VDIAB1I | 1 month stable, then yearly |
Eyesight
| Condition | The rule for lorry drivers | Tell DVLA? | Waiting period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eyesight standard | At least 6/7.5 (0.8) in your better eye and 6/60 (0.1) in the other, with glasses or lenses if needed, plus a wide field of vision. Glasses must not be stronger than +8 dioptres; contact lenses have no limit. | Yes, for any eye condition, V1V | Meet it or not |
| Sight in one eye only | Not allowed for a lorry licence. There are narrow exceptions for drivers licensed before 1991, and for renewing C1 from a pre-1997 car licence. | Yes, V1V | Bar |
| Colour blindness | Doesn't stop you, and you don't need to tell DVLA. | No | None |
Mental health
| Condition | The rule for lorry drivers | Tell DVLA? | Waiting period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mild or moderate depression or anxiety | No need to tell DVLA, as long as you don't have significant memory or concentration problems, agitation or suicidal thoughts. | No | None |
| Severe depression or anxiety | Stop driving and tell DVLA. A licence can usually be granted after 6 months well and stable on treatment. | Yes, M1V | Usually 6 months |
| Psychosis, schizophrenia or bipolar disorder | Stop driving and tell DVLA. Relicensing needs at least 12 months well and stable, with a favourable specialist report. Older sources say 3 years; the current guide says 12 months. | Yes, M1V | At least 12 months |
| ADHD or autism | Not a bar. Tell DVLA only if it, or your medication, affects your driving. | Only if driving is affected, A1V | None |
Alcohol and drugs
| Condition | The rule for lorry drivers | Tell DVLA? | Waiting period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alcohol misuse, or dependence without high-risk features | Licence refused or revoked until you've had at least a year of controlled drinking or abstinence. Older sources quoting longer are out of date. | Yes, DR1V | At least 1 year |
| Alcohol dependence with withdrawal seizures or medically assisted withdrawal | At least 3 years' abstinence, then DVLA monitoring. | Yes, DR1V | At least 3 years |
| Cannabis, amphetamines, ecstasy or ketamine misuse | At least 1 year free of misuse. | Yes, DG1V | At least 1 year |
| Heroin, cocaine, non-prescribed methadone or benzodiazepines | At least 3 years free of misuse. People on a methadone or buprenorphine programme can be considered after 3 years stable. | Yes, DG1V | At least 3 years |
Other
| Condition | The rule for lorry drivers | Tell DVLA? | Waiting period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep apnoea | Moderate or severe sleep apnoea with excessive sleepiness: stop driving and tell DVLA. You can drive again once it's controlled and you're sticking to treatment such as CPAP, with a review at least once a year. | Yes, SL1V | Until controlled |
| Deafness | Not an automatic bar. What matters is being able to call for help in an emergency. | Yes, AUD1 | None |
| Kidney dialysis | Assessed case by case. | Yes, K1V | None fixed |
| Cancer (not brain) | Tell DVLA if it, or its treatment, affects your driving. | If driving is affected, C1V | None fixed |
| Amputation or limb disability | Some mild, non-progressive disabilities are compatible with lorry driving. DVLA assesses each case. | Yes, G1V | None fixed |
| Weight | DVLA's guide sets no height, weight or BMI limit. Weight matters through linked conditions such as sleep apnoea or diabetes. | No | None |
Before you pay for training
- Get the D4 medical done first. If you have any of these conditions, talk to the doctor before you book a course. DVLA won't refund the medical if it refuses you, and a school may not refund training either. D4 medicals in Kent.
- Be honest on the D4 and the D2. A false declaration is an offence, and conditions usually come out at renewal or after an incident.
- Ask the school about refunds on medical grounds before you pay. Refunds and deposits.
If DVLA refuses or revokes your lorry licence
- DVLA's letter tells you the reason and whether, and when, you can reapply. You can reapply up to 8 weeks before the end of the waiting period, on a D2 with the form for your condition, and a D4 where needed.
- You can appeal at your local magistrates' court within 6 months in England and Wales, and must tell DVLA in writing that you're appealing. In Scotland it's the sheriff court, within 21 days.
- The car standards are separate and less strict, so a lorry decision doesn't automatically mean losing your car licence. DVLA will tell you if it affects both.
Between renewals
You must tell DVLA about a new condition, or one that gets worse, as soon as you know, not just when your licence is due. From 45 you also need a new D4 medical every 5 years, and every year from 65. Renewing your HGV licence.
Common questions
Can I get an HGV licence after a heart attack?
Yes, usually. You must stop driving lorries and tell DVLA. You can be relicensed after at least 6 weeks if your heart's pumping function (ejection fraction) is at least 40% and you pass an exercise test.
Can you drive an HGV with diabetes?
Yes. Diet-controlled diabetes needn't be reported. On metformin or other tablets you must tell DVLA. On insulin you must stop driving lorries until DVLA decides, then meet strict conditions including a yearly specialist check. Since November 2025 you can use an approved continuous glucose monitor.
Can I drive an HGV with sight in one eye?
Generally no. Monocular vision is a bar to a lorry licence, with narrow exceptions for drivers licensed before 1991 and for renewing C1 from a pre-1997 car licence.
Can I get an HGV licence with depression?
Mild or moderate depression or anxiety doesn't need to be reported, as long as you don't have significant memory or concentration problems, agitation or suicidal thoughts. Severe depression must be reported, and a licence can usually be granted after 6 months well and stable.
Can I drive an HGV with sleep apnoea?
Yes, once it's controlled. With moderate or severe sleep apnoea and excessive sleepiness you must stop driving and tell DVLA, then you can drive again once you're sticking to treatment such as CPAP, with a review at least once a year.
How long after a stroke can I drive an HGV?
At least a year, including after a single mini-stroke (TIA). Then DVLA can relicense you if you have no lasting impairment that affects driving.