Photo: CDC / Pexels. Illustrative photograph.
Many heart conditions do not stop you learning to drive in Great Britain, and some do not need reporting at all. The car licence rules depend on whether the condition causes symptoms or loss of consciousness. A pacemaker or ICD must be reported. A single simple faint, not while driving, does not need reporting. After a stroke you must not drive for 1 month, and you only tell the DVLA if problems remain after that month.
Fainting and blackouts: which ones count
GOV.UK splits loss of consciousness into types. These are the car (Group 1) rules as of November 2026.
| What happened | Tell the DVLA? | Driving |
|---|---|---|
| One simple faint with clear warning signs, not while driving | No | May drive |
| One simple faint while driving | No | Do not drive for 1 month |
| Two or more simple faints in 24 months, not while driving | No | May drive |
| Two or more simple faints in 24 months, one while driving | Yes | Not for 3 months after the latest |
| One unexplained blackout | Yes | Not for 6 months |
| Two or more unexplained blackouts in 24 months | Yes | Licence revoked for 12 months after the latest |
| Blackout with seizure signs (such as tongue biting or confusion afterwards) | Yes | 6 months, or 12 months if the risk of another is higher |
A “simple faint” here means reflex (vasovagal) syncope with a reliable warning, such as feeling hot or light-headed first. Whether your episode fits that description is for your doctor to say.
Heart rhythm devices
| Situation | Car licence rule |
|---|---|
| Pacemaker fitted | Tell the DVLA. Do not drive for 1 week. |
| Pacemaker box change | 1 week off driving; no need to tell the DVLA. |
| ICD fitted as a precaution (no previous dangerous rhythm) | Tell the DVLA. Do not drive for 1 month. |
| ICD fitted after a dangerous rhythm (VT or VF) | Tell the DVLA. Do not drive for 6 months. |
| Appropriate ICD shock for VT or VF | Tell the DVLA. Do not drive for 6 months after the shock. |
| Arrhythmia that caused or could cause incapacity | Do not drive for at least 4 weeks and until the cause is treated; the DVLA must be told. |
Conditions young people are often diagnosed with
- Congenital heart disease: if you have no symptoms, you may drive and need not tell the DVLA. With symptoms such as palpitations or breathlessness, you must not drive and must tell the DVLA.
- Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: no need to tell the DVLA unless symptoms cause incapacity. After a faint linked to it, you must not drive and must tell the DVLA.
- Brugada syndrome: without symptoms, no need to tell the DVLA. After an arrhythmia causing incapacity, a cardiac arrest or an unexplained blackout, you must not drive and must tell the DVLA.
- Long QT syndrome: you must not drive, and must tell the DVLA, if you have a history of fainting or torsades de pointes, or a corrected QT above 500 ms. A specialist assessment comes before relicensing.
Stroke and TIA
- Stroke: do not drive for 1 month. You can start again after that if your doctor is satisfied with your recovery. Tell the DVLA only if there is still a problem, such as weakness or a vision change, after 1 month.
- TIA (mini-stroke): do not drive for 1 month. No need to tell the DVLA. Each further TIA means another month off.
A stroke can affect your visual field, which has its own standard. See sight in one eye or a visual field problem.
Scenario
You had a pacemaker fitted at 15 and are now applying for your provisional licence. Declare the pacemaker on the application. GOV.UK says you will need regular device checks with your specialist. The DVLA decides whether you can have a licence and for how long.
Back to the GB medical conditions and disability guide. Related: epilepsy and learning to drive, fitness to drive and telling the DVLA, sleep apnoea and narcolepsy.
Sources
- DVLA, “Cardiovascular disorders: assessing fitness to drive”, updated 7 November 2025 (gov.uk)
- DVLA, “Neurological disorders: assessing fitness to drive”, updated 7 November 2025 (gov.uk)
- DVLA, “Appendices: assessing fitness to drive” (transient loss of consciousness), updated 7 November 2025 (gov.uk)