DVLA Medical Drink Driving

After being convicted of a drink driving offence, High Risk Offenders will have to undergo a medical, which is given by a DVLA approved doctor, to deem them fit of being allowed to get back on the road.

What does the DVLA medical consist of?

This DVLA medical will need to be arranged before you are ready to get back on the road but after you receive your letter, usually 90 days before your ban ends, confirming your medical from the DVLA. The medical examination is there to assess the drivers’ fitness to drive. It will focus on a past or current problem with alcohol abuse, misuse or alcohol dependency problems. The medical will consist of giving a sample of blood, maybe a urine sample and undergoing a brief physical examination that may include an eye test. The DVLA appointed doctor will then ask a series of questions for a medical interview, within which the high risk offender will be assessed by the answers they give. You will need to pay for the medical, usually on the day of the exam. This will be in addition to the driving license application fee.

What happens if I fail the DVLA medical?

If the driver is refused a license, they will be informed as to what they must do for a certain period of time before they can re-gain their driving license. If the refusal was down to alcohol misuse, a minimum of a six month period will be measured for controlled drinking or in some cases abstinence, and will be decided alongside normalisation of blood parameters. If the refusal is down to alcohol dependence, a one year period without problems with alcohol must be achieved, and abstinence will be required in most cases again with normalisation of blood parameters.

It will take around 15 working days to get your results back from the DVLA medical, unless they need further information, which may take up to 90 working days. These are both in addition to a week for your blood samples to be tested and analysed.

What happens if you pass?

If you are medically cleared to drive after passing your DVLA medical for a drink driving ban, you will need to re-apply for your license with a D1 or D27 Pack to be returned to the DVLA with the appropriate fee.

We offer a range of insurance products for those getting back on the road after a driving ban. For more information visit banned driver insurance