Hi all,
I voluntarily surrendered my licence due to temporal lobe epilepsy last July.
Can anyone with previous experience advise how this works - because I am now 'under control' of my meds and I surrendered voluntarily does that allow me to reapply any sooner?
I know there is a general rule of being seizure free for 12 months but I am not sure whether this applies when my licence was not 'taken away' (DVLA's words not mine!).
I am just so eager to start driving again!!!!
Thanks in advance folks.
Hello
In general, once you are seizure free for a year from the date of your most recent seizure, you can re-apply for your licence. As you surrendered your licence voluntarily, the DVLA allows you to re-apply to drive 8 weeks before you’ve been seizure free for a year. We have more details about the driving rules and epilepsy on our website, which might help: epilepsy.org.uk/info/drivin...
Best wishes
Sacha
Epilepsy Action Advice and Information Team
Hi,
Thanks for the comments.
I have a review with my neurologist in a month so I can discuss this further. I have been seizure free ever since taking my medication 9 months ago so feel very confident it is under control and so does my doctor.
Sacha - do you mean that you can start the paperwork 8 weeks before 12 months seizure free date, or you could potentially start driving again then? Sorry I am very new to all this stuff and still quite overwhelmed by all the do's and dont's!
Many thanks
Hi RD_RAB_2874
To confirm, you cannot drive before you are twelve months seizure free. You can start the process of applying for your licence back 8 weeks before but you cannot drive.
If you haven’t received your licence back when you reach your 12 months, you can start driving under section 88 of the road traffic act. This is provided that:
• your doctor agrees that you meet the epilepsy driving regulations and
• you have checked and confirmed that the driving agency has received your driving licence application.
Regards
Diane
Hi Sacha,
After having an MRI, EEG etc the neuroroligst cannot definitively class me as epileptic as I did not have any seizure activity on record or testing.
Because of this, I presume my record may show I have similar symptoms to that of epilepsy but it not 100% diagnosed.
So in this case, would this be a loop around driving sooner? If they aren't 100% sure what I'm having are seizures I mean...
I've been having the medication as advised and haven't had a single similar seizure type attack.
I'm just so desperate to start driving again and know I am safe.
I was hoping to get my driving license back on the basis of an isolated seizure as I had been seizure free for six years, then had a tiny absence. My GP has said he won't sign the forms until it's 12 months, what happened in your case?