SearchSystems Editorial

Reviewed and updated October 21, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. Every fact on this page was read that day from the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles' own pages, its office data on data.ny.gov or the Vehicle and Traffic Law, and the official page each fact came from is linked where it appears.

About this guide

New York's medical review process looks at whether a condition affects safe driving, what documentation is needed, and whether a restriction or suspension is appropriate. This guide identifies the right forms, explains vision and medical reviews, and separates a doctor's assessment from DMV's decision about driving privileges.

In this guide: Start with the condition and the DMV request, Choose the correct medical form, Understand who can report a driver, Meet the vision standard or use the low-vision process, Read every restriction on the license, Respond to a re-evaluation appointment, Clear a medical suspension through medical review, Consider rehabilitation and vehicle adjustments, Keep exemptions separate from license approval, Frequently asked questions

Start with the condition and the DMV request

New York DMV reviews drivers of every age when a physical or mental condition may interfere with safe vehicle operation. The Medical Review Program covers conditions involving loss of consciousness, awareness or body control, as well as other reported problems. A diagnosis, an application answer, a clinician's report and a police crash report can lead to different requests. Read the particular notice before arranging an examination or sending records.

Create a working file containing the notice, case or client identification number, due date, relevant examination dates and copies of everything submitted. An ordinary license renewal does not resolve a pending medical review. Likewise, a completed medical form does not itself establish that a suspension has ended. The immediate task is to satisfy the specific request and obtain DMV's determination.

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Choose the correct medical form

DMV's medical-condition questions and form guide distinguishes reports involving consciousness or body control from other medical statements. Use the form named in your notice rather than asking a provider for an unrestricted letter saying you are healthy. DMV needs information connected to driving ability, including the condition, treatment and relevant episodes.

The Physician's Statement for Medical Review Unit, MV-80U.1, has a section for the driver and a medical section for the treating physician, physician assistant or nurse practitioner. Its current instructions require an examination within 120 days before submission and do not accept information supplied by emergency care personnel alone. Include both completed pages and any requested supporting information.

For other conditions, the Physician's Statement, MV-80, calls for a provider examination within the preceding six months. It asks about medication and safe vehicle operation; a reported loss of consciousness or body control redirects the provider to MV-80U.1. These different examination windows make it useful to schedule the correct appointment before the submission deadline.

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Understand who can report a driver

A driver reporting their own condition and a clinician reporting a patient use different paperwork. The current Physician's Reporting Form, DS-6, permits a licensed physician, physician assistant or nurse practitioner to submit information about a person's driving ability. The July 2026 form provides an email submission address as well as a mailing address. Follow that form's current instructions when making a professional report.

A concerned relative, neighbor or other individual uses the Request for Driver Review, DS-7. Complete all sections, identify the driver and yourself, sign the form, and mail the original to the address printed on it. Describe observed events, dates and driving behavior. A general statement that someone is old is not a substitute for facts about driving.

New York does not require a physician by law to report every seizure or loss of consciousness, although DMV encourages reporting. That does not remove the driver's duty to answer DMV application questions accurately or comply with an existing medical review order. Do not confuse confidentiality protections for a report with permission to send an unsigned anonymous DS-7.

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Meet the vision standard or use the low-vision process

For the ordinary screening, DMV's vision requirements call for at least 20/40 acuity in either or both eyes, with or without corrective lenses. A vision screening checks the licensing standard; it is not a full assessment of every eye condition. Bring the glasses or contact lenses you normally need when driving.

A participating provider can submit results through the Online Vision Registry. Otherwise, an authorized provider completes the Vision Test Report, MV-619. Confirm whether the provider submitted electronically or handed you a report requiring action. Paying for an examination does not automatically send its results to DMV.

The Eye Test Report for Medical Review Unit, MV-80L, serves drivers whose corrected vision is below 20/40 but at least 20/70, and drivers using telescopic lenses. Its instructions require a recent examination, both pages, and review by the Medical Review Unit before visiting an office for the transaction. Additional field-of-vision and telescopic-lens standards apply. Drivers already in the Low Vision Program may receive a separate periodic review form.

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Read every restriction on the license

DMV's medical restriction guide explains conditions such as corrective lenses, hearing aids, mechanical assistance and daylight-only driving. A restriction can permit driving while requiring equipment or limiting particular circumstances. Look at the reverse of the license as well as any accompanying notice; the front alone does not tell the whole story.

If treatment changes what you need, use DMV's procedure to change the restriction. For example, no longer needing glasses after an eye procedure does not automatically erase a corrective-lenses requirement from the record. Obtain the required new vision result and complete the applicable DMV transaction. Until the restriction is changed, comply with the conditions on the credential.

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Respond to a re-evaluation appointment

The Driver Re-Evaluation Program may require an interview, medical statement, vision screening, written examination or road test. The notice identifies what to bring and whether another licensed driver and an appropriate vehicle are needed. The examiner explains the reported concern and gives the driver an opportunity to respond.

Prepare around the actual issue. If the concern involves an episode, assemble its date, treatment history and the requested provider report. If it involves driving performance, review the described events and any relevant factual corrections. Missing the interview or failing to supply acceptable documentation can produce a suspension independently of whether the underlying condition is controlled. Contact the office shown on the notice when an appointment problem arises; simply sending medical records is not the same as receiving an adjournment.

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Clear a medical suspension through medical review

An administrative review suspension requires approval through the Medical Review Unit and its medical consultant. DMV states that there is no fee to clear this type of suspension. If a request to clear it is denied, DMV directs the driver to submit the specified medical statement and supporting material. Buying a replacement license or paying an unrelated ticket does not resolve this requirement.

Keep submitting any periodic certifications DMV requires after the initial review. A favorable determination based on today's documentation does not cancel a later reporting deadline. Use the license-status service to check the record after DMV acts, and retain the written decision for questions about the effective date or remaining restrictions.

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Consider rehabilitation and vehicle adjustments

DMV's driving assessment and rehabilitation guidance describes evaluations that can identify useful training or vehicle adaptations. An evaluation may help a person improve scanning, parking, vehicle entry or control use. It also gives the driver practical information to discuss with the treating professional and DMV when documentation or a road test is required.

List the driving tasks that create difficulty instead of relying on a broad description of the diagnosis. Turning to check a blind spot, operating a pedal and seeing at dusk are different functions. An equipment change should match the person's needs and any DMV restriction. A private evaluation is useful preparation, but it does not replace an ordered DMV examination or independently restore a suspended privilege.

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Keep exemptions separate from license approval

The medical exemptions page explains separate processes for medically necessary window tint and inability to use a safety belt or restraint. These are specific exceptions with their own documentation. A general medical condition, parking placard or letter about driving ability does not automatically create either exemption.

For a tint exemption, use the designated application and follow the certification instructions. For a qualifying restraint issue, the physician's statement must explain the particular hardship and be carried as required. Keep those documents with the relevant vehicle or person while maintaining a separate file for the driver's license review. That separation makes it easier to show exactly what was approved and by which process.

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Frequently asked questions

Does a medical diagnosis automatically cancel a New York license?
DMV examines its effect on driving and the information reported. The result can involve additional documentation, testing, restrictions or suspension. Follow the determination issued in the individual case.

Which form covers a loss of consciousness or body control?
DMV directs drivers to MV-80U.1. Complete the driver portion and obtain the required medical section based on an examination within the form's current 120-day window.

Can a family member report a driving concern anonymously?
DS-7 requires the reporter's identifying information and signature. DMV provides confidentiality protections for private reports, but that is different from accepting an unsigned anonymous request.

What if I cannot pass the ordinary 20/40 vision screening?
A qualifying driver may need the Low Vision Program and MV-80L. Its standards and approval process are separate from an ordinary MV-619 vision report.

Is there a fee to lift a medical administrative review suspension?
DMV states that there is no fee to clear an administrative review suspension. Medical approval and any separate license requirements still must be satisfied.

Does my doctor's approval mean I can resume driving immediately?
A provider supplies the medical evidence. DMV determines the license action. If your privilege is suspended, obtain DMV's decision and verify the current status before resuming driving.

About this page

Written by SearchSystems.net from the New York DMV and state pages linked in each section, on dmv.ny.gov, read on October 21, 2026.

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More New York DMV guides

The other New York DMV guides, 55 of them: