- Blindness or other vision impairment,
- Deafness or other hearing impairment,
- Inability to reach the gas and brake pedals without assistance,
- Diabetes,
- Epilepsy,
- Recurring fainting or dizzy spells,
- Serious heart conditions such as myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, coronary insufficiency or thrombosis,
- Rheumatic, arthritic, orthopedic, muscular, neuromuscular or vascular disease,
- Limited mobility, and/or
- Psychiatric disorders, such as:
- personality disorders, such as borderline personality disorder
- hypomania or mania, such as if the person has bipolar disorder or a schizoaffective disorder
- severe depression, especially if the person cannot concentrate, is agitated, is having memory problems, causes behavioral disturbances, or is having suicidal thoughts
- severe anxiety, especially if the person cannot concentrate, is agitated, is having memory problems, causes behavioral disturbances, or is having suicidal thoughts
- acute psychotic disorder
- schizophrenia
- long-lasting psychosis
Medically-restricted or revoked driver’s licenses in Nevada
Depending on the seriousness of these conditions, the DMV will take one of the following three measures:
- If a doctor or family member of the person has voiced doubts to the DMV about the person’s ability to drive, the DMV may request that the person take a driving, written, and/or vision test. Depending on the results, the DMV may suspend or restrict the person’s license and require annual re-examinations.
- If the medical condition causes the person to lose consciousness, the DMV will probably request that the driver surrender his/her license for 3 months. Afterward, the DMV should re-issue the person’s license (with or without restrictions) if the person can produce a doctor’s certification that he/she can drive.
- If the person’s doctor believes that the person is unfit to drive, the DMV may suspend or revoke the license immediately pending any subsequent medical clearance.
Nevadans who get their driver’s license suspended have the right to contest it at a DMV hearing. It is an administrative proceeding similar to a small-scale trial, where the driver’s attorney can present evidence and cross-examine witnesses. Drivers are encouraged to bring their physicians to testify that they are well enough to drive.
Note that DMV hearings are notoriously difficult to win. This is because the state needs very little evidence in order for the administrative law judge to find against the driver. Still, it is always worth requesting a hearing because the driver has nothing to lose and everything to gain.
Learn more about medically-restricted driver’s licenses in Nevada and how to avoid a driver’s license suspension or revocation in Nevada.
Other grounds for license suspension in Nevada
Other reasons that the Nevada DMV may suspend or revoke a person’s driver’s license include:
- DUI arrest
- accruing 12 or more driver’s license demerit points within a year
- graffiti conviction
- drag racing conviction
- not paying child support
- not maintaining automobile or SR-22 insurance
- missing a court appearance
- not maintaining liability insurance, and the driver caused an accident with bodily injury or property damages in excess of $750
- juveniles who are habitually truant, use firearms in a crime, or having alcohol or drugs
Certain heart conditions may prevent you from driving safely.
Additional reading
For more in-depth information, refer to these scholarly articles:
- Physician input and licensing of at-risk drivers: A review of all-inclusive medical evaluation forms in the US and Canada – Accident Analysis and Prevention.
- American Academy of Neurology position statement on physician reporting of medical conditions that may affect driving competence – Neurology.
- Rethinking epilepsy diagnosis and medical fitness to drive laws – Journal of Transport & Health.
- Keeping Sleepy People off the Road: The Responsibility of Drivers, Doctors, and the DMV – AMA Journal of Ethics.
- Physician reporting of medically impaired drivers – The Journal of Emergency Medicine.
Also see our related article, Who reports seizures to the DMV in Nevada?
