Probably as been asked before, but I very recently had to surrender my licence due to an epilepsy diagnosis,I had driven for 37 years, with one incident where some drove into the back of me.
I know the rules thar in every site bur the question is how many on here have had there licence returned and with what restrictions placed on them
Hi
If this is a UK driving license - I applied to have mine reinstated after being seizure free for 12 months ( while still on medication )
It was reinstated with a restriction of having to reapply within a 3/4 years . Sorry I can’t remember the exact period . I only wanted to drive a private vehicle so I didn’t take notice of other restrictions which may have not allowed for driving a public vehicle such as a bus as listed under other classification.
I’ve since had another seizure so voluntarily surrendered my license. I couldn’t face the devastation of causing serious injury to others let alone myself by risking a continuation of driving let alone it being illegal.
Hope this helps
I've had my licence suspended three times with each seizure - the first time for six months and then twelve months twice. I've not had any restrictions each time - think I just have to renew sooner than I would if I didn't have epilepsy (every five years, if I remember correctly).
Hi Msrble
Thank you for your post.
Most people with epilepsy will be issued with a short-term medical driving licence. It may last for 1, 2, 3 or 5 years. If you have been seizure free for 5 years, the driving agency may issue you with a standard 10 year licence. But you need to put a covering letter in asking for the 10 year licence.
There is a change on the standard driving licences issued before 1 January 1997 included the categories C1 (lorries weighing between 3.5 and 7.5 tonnes) and D1 (minibuses, 9-16 seats, not for hire or reward). Licences issued after 1 January 1997 do not include these categories. If you’ve had to give up your pre-1997 licence for medical reasons, the C1 and D1 categories will have been taken off. To drive these category vehicles, you need to meet the stricter medical standards for bus and lorry drivers.
epilepsy.org.uk/living/driv...
There are different driving regulations for group two licences.
epilepsy.org.uk/living/driv...
The loss or change to your driving licence can be difficult. If we can be of any more help with this, please feel free to phone the Epilepsy Action Helpline freephone 0808 800 5050. Our helpline is open Monday to Friday 8.30am until 5.00pm and Saturday 10.00am until 4.00pmRegards
Diane
Helpline Team
Diane, thank you for the reply and to the other people who also replied, it's cleared up a question that I was having trouble finding an answer for, And yes the diagnosis I have been given is very upsetting on lots of different fronts, not just the loss of the driving part
There are many other parts of my life that have been touched not for the better, and some of these are indeed as you will already know hard to come to terms with .
Regards M
Sorry to hear this. If we can be of help or someone to talk to, please do contact our helpline team. You can post on here, email helpline@epilepsy.org.uk, use our live chat or phone the Epilepsy Action Helpline freephone 0808 800 5050. Our helpline is open Monday to Friday 8.30am until 5.00pm and Saturday 10.00am until 4.00pmRegards
Diane
Helpline Team
You can
If you're in the UK don't hold your breath on getting a renewed licence any time soon, even after you've managed a year seizure free. I've only had 2 seizures, both tonic clonic in my sleep. The second one was on June 20th 2021 so I applied for my medically assessed licence in June 2022. I've had many conversations with DVA (I'm in Northern Ireland so DVA is the NI equivalent of the DVLA in GB.) Apparently my forms (duly completed by my doctor) have been with the "outsourced medical assessment" team since mid-September 2022 and I still don't have a licence. I am allowed to drive as long as it's at least a year since my last seizure (it's now thankfully 2 years last week), as long as my doctor agrees that my condition is under control and that he thinks it's ok for me to drive (he does) and as long as I have an application lodged with the DVA within the last 12 months. Since my application was lodged with the DVA on 21st June 2022 that 12 month period ended last week so I had to complete another application form and send it off to the DVA! Any time I phone them to ask about progress I'm told, "I'm sorry. It's nothing to do with us. It goes to the medical assessment team and there's a backlog!" I wish I had already received my licence as then I might be able to answer your question. I hope you progress well and can get back to driving as soon as possible.
Thanks for the information, and I hope you get your licence back
I finally got my medically renewed driving licence in the post yesterday, 12 and a half months after applying for it! It is valid for 1 year - this is because they renew medical licences for up to 5 years but once you are 65 the medically assessed licence is only renewed a year at a time. I had my 65th birthday last week so, apparently in 10 months time, the DVA will send me a reminder and I will have to fill in the application form and also get the medical forms done again. And this will happen every year. It is lovely to have an actual physical licence again as it will enable me to be the back-up driver when we hire a car on holiday. I could drive at home/ in the UK while awaiting my application going through the process but hire car companies abroad want to see a physical licence.
I live in Brazil and here they ask my doctor to fill a form with lots of questions (3 pages).I don't remember exactly the questions asked, but I do remember one asking the last time I had a seizure
Then I returned to the driving license office and they granted my license
I don't know the rules of having a license, but here was kind of simple
Driving with Focal aware seizures
Epilepsy?
driving with night seizures 
Using a wheelchair for epilepsy. 
