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Every US state lets people with epilepsy drive once their seizures are controlled, but each state sets its own rule on how long you must be seizure-free, and many decide case by case through a medical review unit. Research summaries put the usual range at about 3 to 12 months, with some states longer: Florida’s rule, for example, starts at 2 years, with earlier review possible. The table below shows what each state publishes officially, and marks clearly where you need to ask the DMV.
Key facts
- No national rule for regular car licenses. Your state decides.
- Tell the DMV when your application asks about seizures or loss of consciousness, and follow what your medical review letter asks for.
- Your doctor’s report matters most. States usually decide on a medical form completed by your own doctor.
- Doctors must report seizures in some states: California, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon and Pennsylvania, according to a 2024 JAMA Network Open study. That study also listed Delaware, which ended mandatory reporting in August 2024, per its July 2026 manual. See does your doctor have to report you?
- Commercial licenses follow separate federal standards.
Why the numbers you find online often disagree
Many states never publish a fixed seizure-free period. Instead, a medical advisory board or review officer looks at your doctor’s report and decides. Third-party tables fill the gaps with older or unofficial figures, which is why two websites can give different answers for the same state. Rely only on your state DMV’s current letter or rule.
Seizure-free periods by state
Where a row says to check with the state DMV medical review unit, ask the unit for the current figure. It does not mean the state has no rule.
| State | Seizure-free period (official) | Exceptions and forms | Mandatory physician reporting? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Check with the state DMV medical review unit | No (voluntary) | |
| Alaska | Check with the state DMV medical review unit | No (voluntary) | |
| Arizona | Report a seizure in the 90 days before applying; MVD medical review decides (no fixed period in the manual) | A licensed driver who has a seizure must stop driving and notify MVD (Driver License Manual 99-0117) | No (voluntary) |
| Arkansas | 1 year seizure-free, under a doctor’s care (Driver License Study Guide) | No (voluntary) | |
| California | No fixed period published on the DMV page: case-by-case evaluation; outcomes range from no action to medical probation, suspension or revocation | Driver Medical Evaluation (DS 326) may be required | Yes: lapses of consciousness, age 14+ |
| Colorado | Check with the state DMV medical review unit | No (voluntary) | |
| Connecticut | Check with the state DMV medical review unit | No (voluntary) | |
| Delaware | Check with the state DMV medical review unit | No: voluntary since August 2024, doctors encouraged to report (Delaware Driver Manual, July 2026) | |
| District of Columbia | Check with the state DMV medical review unit | Not covered by the 2024 study | |
| Florida | 2 years seizure-free, with Medical Advisory Board reconsideration possible at 6 months (3 months for an isolated seizure with a normal EEG) | Medical Report HSMV 72423 from your doctor. No driving during anti-seizure medication withdrawal and for 3 months after. Nocturnal and non-epileptic seizures considered individually | No (voluntary) |
| Georgia | Check with the state DMV medical review unit | No (voluntary) | |
| Hawaii | Check with the state DMV medical review unit | No (voluntary) | |
| Idaho | Check with the state DMV medical review unit | No (voluntary) | |
| Illinois | Check with the state DMV medical review unit | No (voluntary) | |
| Indiana | Check with the state DMV medical review unit | No (voluntary) | |
| Iowa | Check with the state DMV medical review unit | No (voluntary) | |
| Kansas | Check with the state DMV medical review unit | No (voluntary) | |
| Kentucky | 90 days free of seizures, blackouts, loss of consciousness or altered awareness | Reports by affidavit to the Medical Review Board (Kentucky Driver Manual) | No (voluntary) |
| Louisiana | Check with the state DMV medical review unit | No (voluntary) | |
| Maine | Check with the state DMV medical review unit | No (voluntary) | |
| Maryland | No fixed period in the manual: the Driver Wellness and Safety Division or Medical Advisory Board decides | Epilepsy or seizures must be reported to the MVA (Maryland Driver’s Manual) | No (voluntary) |
| Massachusetts | Check with the state DMV medical review unit | No (voluntary) | |
| Michigan | Check with the state DMV medical review unit | No (voluntary) | |
| Minnesota | Check with the state DMV medical review unit | No (voluntary) | |
| Mississippi | Check with the state DMV medical review unit | No (voluntary) | |
| Missouri | No fixed period in the Driver Guide: check with the state DMV | A physician’s statement is required if you had seizures, convulsions or blackouts within the 6 months before applying (Missouri Driver Guide) | No (voluntary) |
| Montana | Check with the state DMV medical review unit | No (voluntary) | |
| Nebraska | No fixed period stated beyond the 3-month rule: check with the state DMV | A seizure or loss of consciousness within 3 months before applying or renewing means a physician must certify you can drive safely (Nebraska Driver’s Manual) | No (voluntary) |
| Nevada | Check with the state DMV medical review unit | Yes: epilepsy, age 14+ | |
| New Hampshire | Check with the state DMV medical review unit | No (voluntary) | |
| New Jersey | Check with the state DMV medical review unit | Yes: recurrent seizures or loss of consciousness, age 16+ | |
| New Mexico | 6 months seizure-free (Driver Manual) | Periodic physician statements to MVD for drivers with epilepsy | No (voluntary) |
| New York | Check with the state DMV medical review unit | No (voluntary) | |
| North Carolina | Check with the state DMV medical review unit | No (voluntary) | |
| North Dakota | 6 consecutive months seizure-free, plus the required medical examination (NDDOT Class D manual) | No (voluntary) | |
| Ohio | Check with the state DMV medical review unit | No (voluntary) | |
| Oklahoma | Check with the state DMV medical review unit | No (voluntary) | |
| Oregon | No fixed period on the DMV page: a Medical Determination Officer decides medical eligibility to test | Mandatory reports usually lead to suspension with 5 days’ notice, then a Driver Medical Report and testing | Yes: severe and uncontrollable impairments, age 14+ (seizures listed as loss of consciousness or control) |
| Pennsylvania | 3 months seizure-free under 67 Pa. Code 83.4 as amended in 2026 (previously 6 months); your doctor may set a longer period | Confirm the current rule and its effective date with PennDOT | Yes: lapses of consciousness, age 15+ |
| Rhode Island | Check with the state DMV medical review unit | No (voluntary) | |
| South Carolina | Check with the state DMV medical review unit | No (voluntary) | |
| South Dakota | Check with the state DMV medical review unit | No (voluntary) | |
| Tennessee | Check with the state DMV medical review unit | No (voluntary) | |
| Texas | Check with the state DMV medical review unit | No (voluntary) | |
| Utah | Check with the state DMV medical review unit | No (voluntary) | |
| Vermont | Check with the state DMV medical review unit | No (voluntary) | |
| Virginia | Check with the state DMV medical review unit | No (voluntary) | |
| Washington | Check with the state DMV medical review unit | No (voluntary) | |
| West Virginia | Check with the state DMV medical review unit | No (voluntary) | |
| Wisconsin | Check with the state DMV medical review unit | No (voluntary) | |
| Wyoming | Check with the state DMV medical review unit | No (voluntary) |
Exceptions states commonly consider
Where a state publishes its rule, it often treats these situations separately. Florida’s rule is an official example of each:
| Situation | Florida rule |
|---|---|
| A single isolated seizure with a normal EEG | The Medical Advisory Board may reconsider at 3 months |
| Coming off anti-seizure medication | No driving during withdrawal and for 3 months after |
| Seizures only during sleep (nocturnal) | Considered individually |
| Non-epileptic seizures | Considered individually |
Other states may treat auras without loss of awareness, provoked seizures (for example from a fever or a prescribed drug) or a medication change by your doctor differently. Ask the DMV medical review unit how your situation is handled, and ask your doctor about your own condition.
What happens when you apply for a permit with epilepsy
- Answer the health questions on the permit application.
- Get the medical form the DMV sends, and ask your neurologist or doctor to complete it. Florida uses the Medical Report HSMV 72423; California may ask for the Driver Medical Evaluation (DS 326).
- Wait for the decision. You may be approved, approved with conditions (such as periodic medical reports), or asked to wait.
- Take your tests once approved. The permit and road tests are the same as for any learner.
Teen drivers
Mandatory reporting duties in California, Nevada and Oregon apply from age 14, and Pennsylvania’s from 15, according to the 2024 study. That means a teen’s diagnosis may already be known to the DMV before the permit visit. Sort out the medical paperwork early so it doesn’t delay your permit.
Questions learners ask
Do I lose my permit after one seizure?
Not automatically. The state reviews it. A suspension or a waiting period is possible, depending on the state and your doctor’s report.
Does a seizure in another state count?
Your licensing state decides using your full medical history, so tell it about any seizure that its form asks about.
Where do I find my state’s rule?
Search your DMV site for “medical review” or “medical advisory board”, or call and ask for the medical review unit. More conditions are covered in the US guide to driving with a medical condition or disability, including diabetes and medicines and driving. California readers: see California’s lapse of consciousness reporting rules.
Sources
- Florida Administrative Code, “Rule 15A-5.004 Seizures”, amended effective 31 July 2018 (text read via the Cornell Legal Information Institute copy, law.cornell.edu)
- California DMV, “Lapse of Consciousness Disorders” (dmv.ca.gov)
- Oregon DMV, “At-Risk Driver Program for Medical Professionals” (oregon.gov)
- Tran and Lee, “Reporting Requirements, Confidentiality, and Legal Immunity for Physicians Who Report Medically Impaired Drivers”, JAMA Network Open, 2024 (jamanetwork.com)
- Pennsylvania Code, “67 Pa. Code 83.4 Seizure disorder” and IRRC Regulation 18-486 (pacodeandbulletin.gov, irrc.state.pa.us)
- State driver manuals for Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico and North Dakota (official state domains)
- National Library of Medicine, research review on epilepsy and driving laws (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov), for the general 3 to 12 month range only