Medical Considerations

Dealing With Medical Issues

When completing a driver's license application, you are expected to report any physical or mental conditions that may impact your ability to drive safely.

If you indicate a potential problem, you will need to submit a medical evaluation report on your health issued by your doctor to the Driver License Division.

The agency will review the report, and make a ruling to issue you an unrestricted or restricted license, or to deny your application.

Additionally, licensed drivers are required to report to the Driver License Division all physical or mental conditions that develop that could negatively impact their driving ability.

When to Report?

You don't need to report a situation whose impact should only last three months or less, as long as you stop driving.

However, once it becomes apparent that the situation will last longer than three months, it needs to be reported. Your driving privileges will be reinstated once you are able to safely drive.

For more information on medical considerations and driving, visit the Medical Standards section of the Driver License Division on vision requirements.

Driving Restrictions

Utah has 12 medical conditions that it monitors and may restrict your driving based upon these categories:

• Category A: Category A: Diabetes and Other Metabolic Conditions

• Category B: Cardiovascular

• Category C: Pulmonary

• Category D: Neurologic

• Category E: Epilepsy and Other Episodic Conditions

• Category F: Learning, Memory, and Communication

• Category G: Psychiatric or Emotional Conditions

• Category H: Alcohol and Other Drugs

• Category I: Visual Acuity

• Category J: Musculoskeletal Abnormality or Chronic Medical Debility

• Category K: Alertness or Sleep Disorders

• Category L: Hearing and Balance

For example, under Visual Acuity, you will find information about the laws relating to color vision. And you will learn that a Federal law―not a state one―requires you to be able to differentiate red, green, and amber to drive a commercial rig across state lines. Under Hearing and Balance, you will note that drivers of private vehicles are not required to pass a hearing test, but commercial drivers are.

Vision Test

To pass the vision test, you must have a visual acuity of at least 20/40 and a minimum side vision of 90 degrees in one eye.

You must take a vision test whenever you apply for a new or duplicate license, or reinstate a lapsed license.

Glasses or contacts may be used to pass the vision test, but if corrective lenses are used, they will need to be worn whenever you're driving.

If you fail the vision test, before your application can be considered for approval, you'll need to give the Driver License Division a vision statement completed by your eye doctor, indicating any possible vision problems and the recommended solution.

For those with vision problems, sometimes a restricted license can be issued which allows an individual the right drive under limited circumstances, such as only during daylight hours.

Consult with the Drivers License Division at (801) 965-4437 for more information.

Elderly Drivers

All drivers 65 years or older must pass a vision test every five years to keep their license.

Reporting an Unsafe Driver

If you feel someone may no longer be fit to drive safely, complete a request for medical review form (available at field offices). Give a detailed explanation for your concern, and sign the form.

Send it to:

• Utah Driver License Division

• P.O. Box 144501

• Salt Lake City, UT 84114-4501

After evaluating the information, the Driver License Division determines if a driver review examination is warranted. If so, the driver needs to complete either a vision test, written test, or skills test, or sometimes all three.

In addition, the driver may need to submit a functional ability medical review form completed by the driver's doctor. Usually, the doctor simply completes the report by taking information from the driver's medical records, and an examination isn't necessary.

After the Review

After the review is completed, a hearing officer discusses the findings with the driver and makes a determination about driving privileges. Most drivers are able to keep some, if not all, of their driving privileges.

Drivers who refuse to cooperate with the review process will have their license automatically suspended. Drivers who lose their license may appeal the decision in writing within 10 days of being notified of the decision.

Doctors

Doctors may initiate this process on their own by completing a medical review form on a patient and sending it to the Driver License Division.

For more information on this matter, contact the Driver License Division at (801) 965-4437.

More Information on Coping with Disabilities

Check out these self-help fact sheets from the Association for Driver Rehabilitation Specialists, a leader in driver education for the disabled since 1977:

• Driving after a Stroke

• Driving and Alzheimer's/Dementia

• Driving after a Traumatic Brain Injury

• Driving after a Spinal Cord Injury

• Driving with Rheumatoid Arthritis

• Driving with Multiple Sclerosis

• Driving after a Limb Amputation

• Aging and Driving

• Driving and Spina Bifida

• Driving and Cerebral Palsy

• Driving and ADHD

Also check out our Drivers with Disabilities article.