What happens if I don’t tell the DVLA?

You become a criminal. Your licence will not be valid. You will be driving illegally - driving without a valid licence is a criminal offence. Your car insurance will not be valid. You may have to pay any costs of a claim from another person. If you do not voluntarily surrender your licence to the DVLA, and are found to be driving illegally, the DVLA will revoke your licence.

Will my doctor tell the DVLA?

According to several websites the duties of a doctor are fairly straightforward when a patient is diagnosed with narcolepsy.

“Sleep disorders (including obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome) causing excessive daytime / awake time sleepiness

Re: group 1 entitlement

• notify DVLA
• cease driving on diagnosis
• driving will be permitted when satisfactory control of symptoms achieved, then 1, 2 or 3-year licence with regular medical review. Till 70 licence restored after 7 years of satisfactory control

Up-to-date guidance may be obtained from the publication "At a Glance Guide to the Current Medical Standards of Fitness to Drive" and the website www.dvla.gov.uk.”

Although it is your duty to tell the DVLA, the General Medical Council (which registers doctors in the UK) has produced guidelines for doctors about this. These guidelines say that doctors should explain that you have a legal duty to tell the DVLA, and they will write this in your medical records. If you continue to drive, they can and will tell the medical adviser at the DVLA. They should tell you first if they are going to do this. This will then give you the time to contact the DVLA and inform them yourself.

You can’t expect the doctor/patient privileges to work in this case. Your GP, Doctor and Consultant are allowed to inform the DVLA even if you request they do not. They will eventually inform the DVLA if you don’t.