Photo: OregonDOT, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Yes, Oregon requires doctors and many other health care providers to report drivers aged 14 and older whose impairment is both severe and uncontrollable. Under ORS 807.710 and the At-Risk Driver Program rules (OAR chapter 735, division 74), the provider sends DMV a Mandatory Impairment Referral (Form 7230). DMV then usually suspends driving privileges, with five days’ notice, until a medical review and any tests show you can drive safely.
Who must report in Oregon?
- Physicians (MD, DO, ND), including primary care providers, specialists on referral, emergency physicians and hospitalists.
- Other licensed health care providers, including chiropractors, nurse practitioners, occupational and physical therapists, optometrists, physician associates, podiatrists and mental health providers.
Any of them may also make a voluntary report at any time. Family members and others use a separate route: the Driver Evaluation Request (Form 6066), which must describe specific driving behaviors.
What counts as “severe and uncontrollable”?
| Term | Meaning under OAR 735-074-0080 |
|---|---|
| Severe | The impairment substantially limits daily activities, including driving, and isn’t managed by medication, therapy, surgery or adaptive devices |
| Uncontrollable | The impairment persists despite efforts to control or compensate for it with medication, therapy, surgery or adaptive devices |
DMV frames impairments as cognitive or functional (functional includes motor and physical). The rules give loss of consciousness or control as an example, including seizure, syncope, narcolepsy, hypoglycemia, sleep apnea and blackouts. Vision problems can also be reported.
What is not reportable as mandatory
- a temporary impairment being treated and not expected to last more than six months
- an impairment whose treatment is still being evaluated
- a concern raised only by family, with no evidence the provider has observed
- a person who is incapacitated and not expected to regain the ability to drive
What happens after a mandatory report
- Screening. Driver Specialty Services checks that the report is complete, which can take several days. The provider is told by mail whether it was accepted.
- Suspension. If accepted, DMV issues an immediate suspension with five days’ notice.
- Driver Medical Report. It comes with the suspension notice, and the provider treating your condition completes it.
- Medical eligibility. A Medical Determination Officer reviews it and decides whether you can test, and may ask for more information.
- Testing. Once you are medically eligible, DMV schedules the tests you need.
- Getting privileges back. Pass the tests and your privileges return. You can keep trying unless DMV denies further testing for safety reasons.
Non-mandatory reports are slower
For a voluntary report, the suspension usually takes effect 60 days after notice, and you can ask for one 30-day extension. DMV suspends immediately only if there is reason to believe you may endanger others, such as several recent loss-of-consciousness events.
Confidentiality and your rights
- Reports are confidential and used only to decide whether a person can drive safely.
- If you ask for a hearing or take DMV to court, the report becomes an exhibit and DMV must give you copies.
- Providers who report in good faith, or who don’t report, are protected from civil liability.
Teen and learner drivers
The duty applies from age 14, so it can affect a permit applicant. If you have a condition that might be reported, talk to your doctor about driving before applying. Your doctor answers questions about your own health; this guide covers the licensing rules. Oregon’s permit steps are in learning to drive in Oregon.
Oregon is one of five states with a mandatory reporting duty. A 2024 JAMA Network Open study counted six, but Delaware moved to voluntary reporting in August 2024 (July 2026 Delaware Driver Manual). Compare them in does your doctor have to report you?, with state guides for California and Pennsylvania. Seizure rules: seizure-free periods by state.
All medical and disability topics: the US guide to driving with a medical condition or disability.
Sources
- Oregon DMV, “At-Risk Driver Program for Medical Professionals” (oregon.gov)
- Oregon Secretary of State, “OAR chapter 735 division 74: At-Risk Driver Program” (secure.sos.state.or.us)
- Tran and Lee, “Reporting Requirements, Confidentiality, and Legal Immunity for Physicians Who Report Medically Impaired Drivers”, JAMA Network Open, 2024 (jamanetwork.com)