Driving with glaucoma
When they’re diagnosed with glaucoma, many people worry about losing their driving licence. In fact, only 12% of people with glaucoma lose their licence. If you’re diagnosed early and follow the advice of your doctor, particularly about using eye drops, the chances are that you’ll never lose your licence due to glaucoma. But you must tell the DVLA in Great Britain or the DVA in Northern Ireland about your glaucoma if you have glaucoma in both eyes, or if you’re a commercial driver and you have glaucoma in one eye.
DVLA rules: do I need to tell the DVLA?
This section provides information and support on driving with glaucoma and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) requirements if you have been diagnosed.
Glaucoma in one eye
If you have glaucoma in just one eye, you only need to tell the DVLA if you’re a commercial (group two) driver.
Group one drivers with glaucoma in one eye and normal vision in the other don’t need to let the DVLA know.
Group one drivers with glaucoma in one eye and ocular hypertension in the other also don’t need to inform the DVLA.
Glaucoma in both eyes
All drivers who have glaucoma in both eyes must inform the DVLA.
Legal responsibilities
You are legally responsible for notifying the DVLA about any medical condition which may affect your ability to drive. If you don’t tell them, you could be fined and your car insurance may be invalid.
To notify the DVLA, visit their website: https://www.gov.uk/real-condition
Please note, this online form is only suitable to use if you have a single medical condition. If you have more than one condition which may affect your ability to drive, contact the DVLA directly and they will send you the appropriate forms.
Contact details for the DVLA
Driving and Vehicle Licensing Agency
Drivers Customer Services
Correspondence Team, DVLA
Swansea SA6 7JL
Contact: glaucomaqueries@dvla.gov.uk
Website: www.dvla.gov.uk
Licence Group One call: 0300 79 06 806
LGV and PVC Group Two call: 0300 79 06 807
But my sight is fine…
Because glaucoma is a gradual condition and the peripheral (off-centre) part of the vision is usually lost first, damage to our vision can be unnoticed. This is partly because one eye can compensate (or fill in) for the other if the damage is to different parts of the visual field. Unfortunately, if the damaged areas of vision in both eyes overlap, the brain fills in the missing parts of the visual image. Because this has happened slowly, our brains adapt and we don’t know which areas we are missing – with serious consequences for driving.
You might think your vision is fine, but the only way to check is by having your visual field tested.
What happens next?
Testing your vision
If you tell the DVLA about your glaucoma, they will normally require you to have a visual field test to measure the extent of any sight loss in one or both eyes. In Great Britain Specsavers have the contract to carry out DVLA vision tests, and you can go to a branch of your choice. Unlike your normal visual field test, this one is done on both eyes at the same time, and you can wear any spectacles that you normally wear for driving.
More information about driving standards and the testing process is available in our leaflet, which is available to order or download.
Appealing a DVLA decision
If the DVLA decide not to re-issue your licence following a test, you can informally appeal their decision. There are strict time limits for this (different in Scotland to the rest of the UK) and the process involves having another visual field test at an optometrist of your choice. This test is sent to the DVLA for assessment. You will have to pay for this. Around 60% of informal appeals are successful (as of 2019).
The formal appeal process is more involved and can be significantly more costly. More information about the appeal process is available in our leaflet.
Driving insurance
You must inform your insurance company that you have glaucoma in each eye, otherwise your insurance may no longer be valid. If the DVLA allow you to keep driving, the insurance company will not refuse to provide cover, and your premium should not be affected.
In Northern Ireland things work a little differently
The main differences are:
- You must tell the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVA) about your glaucoma, not the DVLA.
- You can go to any local high street opticians that offers the DVA sight test.
- If you are making a formal appeal, you must start your appeal within three months.
To contact the DVA:
- Email: dva@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk
- Visit the NI Direct website.
- Write to Driver and Vehicle Agency, County Hall, Castlerock Road, Waterside, Coleraine, BT51 3HS
- Phone: 0300 20 07 86 1
- There’s more information about driving and glaucoma in Northern Ireland in our Driving and Glaucoma booklet:
There’s more information about driving and glaucoma in Northern Ireland in our Driving and Glaucoma booklet.
What impact does glaucoma have when driving?
As glaucoma progresses gradually, up to 40% of vision can be lost before the effects are noticed. The peripheral (off-centre) part of the vision is usually lost first, which you can see in this glaucoma simulation kindly provided by City, University of London.
You can help shape glaucoma care
Glaucoma care is changing across the UK and patient experiences should inform that change. But we need your help to make it happen.
Take part in our national survey today and tell us what is working, what needs to improve, and what really matters to you. Your experiences will provide vital evidence to help us push for better, more consistent glaucoma care.
Glaucoma UK membership
If you want to stay up to date, we offer a quarterly magazine to Glaucoma UK members. It’s filled with tips for living well with glaucoma, updates on research and information about treatments. Members are also invited to a welcome webinar to explain all the ways our charity can support you.
By joining, you become part of a caring and supportive community, connected by a shared commitment to living well with glaucoma, advancing research, and advocating for better eye health, with a collective vision to end glaucoma sight loss.
Watch our digital glaucoma support group on driving and glaucoma
Jonathan Clarke, consultant ophthalmologist at Moorfields Eye Hospital and member of DVLA driver’s medical panel for vision, hosts this digital glaucoma support group all about driving and glaucoma.