A common fear when first diagnosed with myasthenia is that you will never be able to drive again. This is not necessarily true, however, anyone with myasthenia who holds a driving licence or wishes to drive is legally required to inform the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), even if their symptoms are mild. It is an offence under the Road Traffic Act 1988 to fail to notify the DVLA of a disability.

Decision

Having informed the DVLA and returned medical forms, a decision will be made regarding fitness to drive.

The decision could result in the driver:

• being allowed to drive.
• having their licence restricted to a number of years and then being re-assessed for fitness.
• being refused permission to drive.

Report your myasthenia to the DVLA

If permitted to drive, the driver must inform the DVLA of any change in his or her condition.

Myaware understands there have been delays in processing applications and renewals and that this can be very frustrating.  

Submit a complaint to the DVLA

You may also wish to write to your MP about this issue. For help and advice about this, please contact [email protected].

Car Insurance

Drivers with myasthenia must inform their insurance company that they have myasthenia. If they do not and they make a claim, they may find that their policy is deemed invalid. Informing your car insurance company won’t necessarily lead to an increase in your premiums, although your insurance company is allowed to increase your premium if they deem you to be a higher risk.