Regaining a Motorcycle Licence After Medical Revocation

Regaining a Motorcycle Licence After Medical Revocation

If your motorcycle licence was revoked on medical grounds, it is often possible to regain your entitlement. The exact process you have to follow depends on whether the revocation was recent or historic.

For Recent Revocation:

Check Your DVLA Letter:

If your licence entitlement was revoked on medical grounds recently, and you still have the letter from the DVLA notifying you of that decision, it will specify any mandatory waiting period before you can reapply.  This period varies depending on the medical condition.

NB. You can begin your application up to 8-weeks before the end of any stated period.

Gather Medical Evidence:

You may need to provide evidence of fitness to drive, as indicated in the DVLA letter.  Consult your doctor or specialist to confirm you meet medical standards before reapplying.

Complete Application Forms:

You will then need a D1 Driving Licence Application form:

• https://driving-test.uk/forms/d1-form-provisional-driving-licence-uk.pdf

And a G1 Confidential Medical Information form:

• https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67f8ec858b9b26024aef3077/g1-online-confidential-medical-information.pdf

For Historic Revocation:

For those who had their motorcycle entitlement revoked due to a physical disability, in those unenlightened days before the NABD began educating the DVLA about the validity of well-designed motorcycle adaptations, the process may be more complex, but successful restoration is possible, even for cases dating back to the 1970s

Complete Application Forms:

Submit a D1 Driving Licence Application form and a G1 Confidential Medical Information form (see links above).

Provide Medical Evidence:

If your motorcycle entitlement was revoked due to an easily defined disability (e.g. amputation, paralysis), reinstatement should be straightforward.

For less easily quantifiable disabilities (e.g., stroke, MS, brain injury), further evidence of fitness to drive may be required.  Consult your doctor or specialist to confirm you meet medical standards before reapplying.

Supply Historic Evidence:

Add a detailed letter to the DVLA Medical Group with historic information.  The more detail given, the better chance the of them locating the necessary records.

• Current and previous names and addresses
• Date of birth
• A copy of your old licence (if available)
• Driver number (if known)
• When and where you completed a CBT course (if applicable)
• When and where you passed your motorcycle test
• When and why your licence was revoked

With luck, it will then become a simple administrative process.

Potential DVLA Embuggerments:

Sometimes, the DVLA claim no record of a motorcycle licence entitlement can be found and suggest you retake the test.  Often, such responses are simply the result of insufficient research or administrative oversight.

At this point, many applicants will simply give it up as a lost cause.

Don’t give up!  There are a number of other options yet to be pursued.

NABD Help & Support:

Contact the NABD for further advice and support, (NABD membership required) *.

We can advise you on other types of evidence and procedures that may prove constructive to your claim.

Where necessary, we may be able to provide advocacy, dealing with the DVLA Medical Group on your behalf.

*  Some of us have become a little jaded over many years and don’t feel quite so inclined as we used to, to put a lot of time and effort into helping people who cannot be bothered to support the NABD to ensure that the same help remains available to others in the future. 

Escalation:

If your case does not get resolved, you may escalate it to the Parliamentary and Health Ombudsman, as some riders have done successfully in the past.

After Regaining Your Licence:

If you haven’t ridden a motorcycle for some time, a refresher course with a reputable motorcycle training school is strongly recommended to refresh your riding skills and rebuild your confidence.

Rick Hulse
NABD Chairman