Medical illness or injury

If you have a long-term illness, injury or medical conditions that may affect your ability to drive, you must notify TfNSW as soon as possible. Not just when you renew your licence.

As most temporary illnesses, conditions, or injuries don’t affect your ability to drive, you don’t have to notify TfNSW.

You should talk to your doctor to about whether it is safe for you to drive. If your injury, illness, or medical conditions affects your ability to drive, you must not drive until you have recovered.

You can notify TfNSW of your condition:

• by email, to medicalunit@transport.nsw.gov.au
• by phone on 13 22 13
• in person at your nearest Service NSW Service Centre.

You can also report someone else’s medical condition. For more information, see Worried about someone’s ability to drive? on the NSW government website.

There are mandatory non-driving periods after you experience:

• seizures
• blackouts
• loss of consciousness
• hypoglycaemic episodes.

For more information, see Assessing Fitness to Drive on the Austroads website.

From age 75 you need to pass a medical assessment every year to renew your driver licence. TfNSW will send you a form approximately eight weeks before your birthday for your doctor to complete.

You must give the completed form to TfNSW before your birthday, or your licence may be suspended.

Medicare may help cover the cost of a medical assessment.

For more information, see Your licence from age 70 on the NSW Government website.

If you have an injury, illness, or medical condition, you may be required to undertake a medical review and obtain reports from relevant health care professionals to apply for a licence or renewing your licence.

You may also need to pass a driving test.

Some medical conditions that may affect your driving include:

• blackouts, fainting or other sudden periods of unconsciousness
• vision problems
• heart disease or stroke
• epilepsy
• sleep disorders
• diabetes
• psychiatric disorders
• neurological disorders
• age-related decline
• substance misuse, including alcohol, illegal and prescription drugs.

TfNSW will decide whether you are fit to drive based on the Assessing Fitness to Drive guidelines which were developed by the National Transport Commission and Austroads. For a copy of the guidelines, see Assessing Fitness to Drive on the Austroads website.

Some of the considerations that TfNSW may take into account include:

• the advice from your doctor
• your accident history
• the type of vehicle you drive.

Medicare may help cover the cost of a medical assessment.

For more information, see Getting a medical assessment for Fitness to Drive on the NSW Government website.

If you drive a commercial or passenger vehicle, such as a truck, bus, taxi or hire car, you need to meet a high medical standard, due to the nature of the work and consequences of crashes.

Public passenger vehicles

If you drive public passenger vehicles, you must have a medical assessment:

• when applying for a licence – and then every three years after
• at 60 and every year thereafter.

Heavy vehicles

If you drive a heavy vehicle, you must have a medical assessment at:

• when applying for a licence
• 21 - and then every 10 years
• 40 - and then every five years
• 60 - and then every two years
• 70 - and then every year thereafter.

Dangerous goods vehicle

If you drive a dangerous goods vehicle, you must have a medical assessment when applying for a licence, and then every five years thereafter.

Driving instructors

If you are a driving instructor, you must have a medical assessment when applying for a licence, and then when required by your class of driver licence.

If you are unable to drive a commercial or passenger vehicle because of a medical condition, you may still be able to drive a private vehicle.

For more information, see For commercial drivers on the Austroads website.

If TfNSW has asked you to have a medical assessment, they will tell you:

• what assessment you need to undertake
• which kind of doctor you may need to see
• the deadline for submitting your medical reports.

Usually, you will receive the letter eight weeks before your assessment is due. You’re likely to receive it on or close to your birthday. You can get a medical assessment without a letter from TfNSW.

You must pass an eyesight test:

• when you apply for your licence for the first time
• when you apply to upgrade your licence to a higher class
• every 10 years, if you're under 45 years of age
• every 5 years once you turn 45
• every year once you turn 75
• when you renew a Class Light Rigid (LR), Medium Rigid (MR) or Heavy Rigid (HR), Heavy Combination (HC) or Multi Combination (MC) driver licence
• when you apply for a 10-year licence
• when you get glasses or contact lenses for the first time and need them to drive
• when you no longer need your glasses or contact lenses to drive.

TfNSW will notify you if you need to pass an eyesight test. You will have up to eight weeks to pass the test.

You can do this at a Service NSW service centre when you renew or apply for a licence. You can also get an eyesight report from an optometrist or ophthalmologist.

If you fail the test, you can’t re-sit it at a Service NSW service centre. You must provide an eyesight report from an optometrist or ophthalmologist.

If you need glasses or contact lenses to drive, a condition will be added to your driver licence. You must comply with any conditions on your licence.

If you develop glaucoma or macular degeneration, you must notify TfNSW and provide a satisfactory eyesight report.

For more information, see Eyesight tests for driver and rider licensing on the NSW Government website.

After completing your medical assessment, your doctor will notify TfNSW about the results of your assessment.

TfNSW will then make the final decision about your licence.

If you are not medically fit and competent to drive, TfNSW may vary, suspend, cancel, or refuse your licence. Sometimes, TfNSW may apply conditions to your licence. You must comply with any conditions on your licence.

If your assessment is late, TfNSW may suspend your driver licence. In some circumstances TfNSW may grant you an extension to submit your assessment. 

TfNSW may suspend, cancel, vary or refuse your licence on medical grounds where:

• TfNSW require further information
• you have not provided medical examinations or reports by the due date
• you are not medically fit and competent to drive.

TfNSW will notify you in writing of:

• start date of the suspension or cancellation
• the reasons for their decision, and
• what steps you can take to get your licence back. 

What you need to do depends on the reason for your suspension or cancellation.

If TfNSW has suspended or cancelled your licence because they require further information from your doctor, you should provide this information as soon as possible.

Take the notice of suspension or cancellation to your doctor so they know what information TfNSW requires.

If your licence was suspended because you didn’t provide your medical reports on time, you can ask TfNSW for an extension.

TfNSW will only give you an extension if you can show that you made arrangements to book an appointment well before the due date.

TfNSW will also consider whether:

• you were absent from your address when the reminder notice was sent
• you can show that the medical advice or report has not yet been completed by the health care professional.

If TfNSW don’t change their decision to suspend or cancel your licence, you may be able to appeal to the Local Court of NSW within 28 days.

You must not drive until your appeal is dealt with by the Local Court. Appealing the suspension on medical grounds does not stay or stop the suspension or cancellation from being in place.

For more information, see Appeal your medical suspension.

If TfNSW has suspended or cancelled your licence because you do not meet the medical review requirements, you may be able to appeal to the Local Court within 28 days of being notified of the decision to suspend or cancel a licence.

Your licence will remain suspended until your case is heard by the Local Court.

For more information, see Appeal your medical suspension.