Driving & Seizures

• Only the licensing authority can suspend or restrict a licence.
  • In Ontario, this is the Ministry of Transportation (MTO).
  • The MTO reviews medical reports. It may:
    • Ask for more information.
    • Suspend or downgrade a licence.
    • Approve it.
• The MTO checks seizure reports against national medical standards.
  • It uses these along with Ontario's basic standard.
• Epilepsy:
  • At least 6 months with no seizure before regular driving (not driving for work).
  • The CMA guide says its times are general guidelines.
  • The MTO makes the decision about your licence.
• Functional seizures (PNES): see the functional seizures section.

• The times below are for regular driving, not driving for work.
• They come from two sources:
  • The CMA Driver's Guide (Canadian Medical Association).
  • The national standard from the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators (CCMTA).
• Ontario's rules say the MTO may take the national standard into account.
• The times are general guidelines. Your own time may be longer or shorter.
• When you can start driving again depends on:
  • A check by a neurologist (a brain and nerve doctor).
  • The kind of driving you do.
• The MTO's seizure fact sheet is dated January 2019. It does not list a number of months.
  • Ontario's rules name the 9th edition (2017) of the CMA guide.
  • The times here come from the 10th edition (2025).

CMA: 3 months

• Do not drive for at least 3 months.
• You first need a full check by a neurologist.
• The national standard asks for a full check of the cause. Epilepsy is not diagnosed.
  • Brain scan and EEG (brain wave test) results must be satisfactory.
• A seizure with a known cause (provoked) has its own standards.

Source: CMA guide section 11.4.1; CCMTA national standard 17.6.4.

CMA: 6 months

• You should have no seizures for at least 6 months.
• For some types of epilepsy, a neurologist can shorten this to 3 months. They must give reasons.
• Your doctor should feel confident that:
  • You take your medicine as directed.
  • You will report any seizure.
• With juvenile myoclonic epilepsy, do not drive without the right seizure medicine.

Source: CMA guide section 11.4.2; CCMTA national standard 17.6.6.

• For regular driving, you may be able to drive if either is true:
  • Your seizure pattern has stayed the same for at least 12 months after the first seizure.
  • You have had no seizures for at least 6 months.

Source: CMA guide section 11.4.4.

• For regular driving, this covers:
  • Auras with body sensations or special-sense symptoms (like sight, smell or hearing).
  • Small movements in one limb that do not disable you, with no turning of the head or eyes.
• You may be able to drive if either is true:
  • Your seizures have not changed for more than 1 year.
  • You have had no seizures for at least 6 months.
• Your awareness and thinking must not be affected.
• A neurologist must approve.

Source: CMA guide section 11.4.6.

CMA: 12 months

• For regular driving, you should have no seizures for 12 months after surgery, while on seizure medicine.
• A neurologist can shorten this to 6 months.

Source: CMA guide section 11.4.3.

CMA: 3 months

• If your seizures were fully controlled, regular drivers must not drive for 3 months after medicine is stopped or changed.
  • Commercial drivers (driving for work): 6 months.
• If seizures return after a change your doctor ordered, you can drive again if you take your previously effective medicine as your doctor says.
  • Regular drivers need 3 months with no seizures.
  • Commercial drivers need 6 months.
• These times do not apply if you stop medicine yourself or miss doses.
  • A doctor should not recommend driving if you stop seizure medicine against medical advice.
  • Missed or forgotten doses are a reason to stop driving right away.

Source: CMA guide section 11.4.5.

• You must finish a recognized rehabilitation program.
• You must stay alcohol-free and have no seizures for 6 months.

Source: CMA guide section 11.4.7.

• After a diagnosis of epilepsy, you may drive any class of vehicle after 5 years with no seizures.
• This is true with or without medicine.

Source: CMA guide section 11.4.2.

• Do not drive for long hours without rest. Do not drive when you are tired.
• Any new seizure means you stop driving again.
• The MTO's main concern is sudden incapacitation (suddenly being unable to control the vehicle).
  • After a report of a seizure or epilepsy, the MTO requires more medical information.
    • In some cases it suspends the licence.
  • In most cases the MTO requires confirmation of a thorough check of the cause.
    • In some cases it requires a period of stability between seizures.

Source: Ministry seizure fact sheet, January 2019.

• No Ontario rule or national seizure-free time is written specifically for functional seizures.
  • In Ontario, the MTO reviews the medical reports about you and decides.
• Two expert groups say to decide for each person:
  • The American Academy of Neurology (AAN).
  • The International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE).
  • The treating clinician and/or a medical advisory board should review.
• In Canada:
  • The CMA guide gives a general rule for any type of seizure: generally fit to drive a regular vehicle after 6 months with no seizure.
  • Its sections 3 and 11 do not mention functional seizures.
  • The national standard names PNES as an example. It gives no seizure-free time.

• Functional seizures are also called psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES) or dissociative seizures.
• Some people with epilepsy also have these events. Others do not have epilepsy at all.
• Note from Dr. Lewis: PNES is older terminology. It was in use when these sources were published.

• The AAN number is a waiting time before driving.
• The ILAE number marks when PNES are no longer thought of as active.
• They are not the same measure.

• The national standard names PNES as an example. It sits in the standard for seizures with a known cause (provoked) and no structural brain problem.
• It applies to all drivers.
• A driver is eligible if:
  • A neurological assessment finds the cause. Epilepsy is not diagnosed.
  • The trigger has stabilized, cleared up or been corrected.
  • The treating physician says further seizures are unlikely.
• The opinion of a neurologist may be required.

• In the ILAE survey, most experts said these should lead to a driving restriction:
  • Loss of awareness or not responding during the seizure.
  • An injury from a past seizure.
  • No warning before a seizure, or seizures that cannot be predicted.
  • Wanting to drive for work.
• The ILAE report says active PNES alone is not a reason to bar driving. Certain criteria must be met.
  • One example: seizures that happen only when the person could not be driving, such as at night in bed.
  • The pattern must be stable for at least 12 months.
  • There must be no other reason not to drive.
• The evidence on crashes caused by functional seizures is extremely limited.
  • The ILAE report found eight studies. They did not give a firm base of evidence.
  • Twenty-six experts answered its survey.

• The MTO's Medical Condition Report form has a sudden incapacitation category. It lists:
  • Seizure.
  • Fainting (syncope).
  • Alcohol or drug withdrawal.
  • A single episode not yet diagnosed.
  • Epilepsy.
  • Repeated episodes.
• Ontario ministry pages do not name functional, psychogenic or dissociative seizures.
  • Ontario's rules list dissociative disorders as an example of severe problems with perception, under psychiatric illness. Seizures are not mentioned there.
  • It does not say whether this applies to functional seizures. Ask your doctor how this applies to you.
• Whether your doctor must report you depends on their opinion.
  • The form's sudden incapacitation category covers a disorder with a moderate or high risk of sudden incapacitation.

• Doctors, nurse practitioners and optometrists must report some conditions (Highway Traffic Act, section 203).
  • The person must be aged 16 or older.
  • The person has, or seems to have, a condition named in Ontario's rules that makes driving dangerous.
• On the MTO's report form, seizure and epilepsy are listed under sudden incapacitation.
  • This covers a disorder with a moderate or high risk of sudden incapacitation.
• Doctors, nurse practitioners and others may also report other conditions when they think driving is dangerous.
• The MTO encourages doctors to tell you first.
  • They do not need your consent.
• The CMA guide says doctors should generally lean toward reporting any possibly unfit driver.
• Ontario's rules say a doctor need not report an impairment they judge to be clearly short-term or one that will not come back.
  • Ask your doctor how this applies to you.

• The MTO's reporting page says a report of a mandatory condition results in a licence suspension.
  • The MTO's seizure fact sheet says it suspends the licence in some cases after a seizure report.
  • The two pages differ.
  • The MTO reviews each report.
• A discretionary report (one the doctor chooses to make) does not always mean a suspension.
  • A well-controlled condition does not necessarily lead to suspension.
• Discretionary reports are assessed against national medical standards.
• If it is unclear whether a condition is stable, the MTO may ask for:
  • Follow-up medical information.
  • A functional assessment with an occupational therapist.
  • Other assessments.
• Cases are reviewed within 15 business days. More time may be needed if more information is requested.

• No Ontario rule requires patients to report themselves.
• Ontario's rules say a licence holder must not have a condition likely to significantly interfere with safe driving.
  • This is a condition of holding a licence. It is not a duty to report.

• Call the Driver Medical Review Office.
  • Phone: 416-235-1773, or 1-800-268-1481 within Ontario.

• If the medical report shows you do not meet the medical standards, the licence is suspended.
  • You get a Notice of Suspension.
  • You also get a letter that says what medical information is needed.
• If you meet the medical standards, the licence is reinstated.
  • This is as long as there are no other suspensions or requirements.
  • You get a notice in the mail.
• If you are reported unfit because of a neurological condition, you may need a functional driving assessment.
  • It has an in-clinic part and an on-road part with an occupational therapist.
  • OHIP and the Ministry of Transportation do not fund these assessments. The person assessed pays.

• A medical suspension can be appealed to the Licence Appeal Tribunal. There is a fee.
  • You cannot appeal a suspension for failing mandatory vision standards.
  • You cannot appeal one for not filing a medical report by the due date.
• Your licence stays suspended or downgraded until the appeal is heard.
• Tribunal decisions in medical cases can be appealed to the Superior Court of Justice.
  • The deadline is 30 days from the date the decision is released.
• The tribunal can be reached at 416-314-4260 or 1-800-255-2214.

• This page does not cover insurance.
• Ask your insurer about your own policy.

• With epilepsy, the national standard asks for 5 years with no seizure for commercial drivers.
  • The CMA guide says it can be unsafe for some commercial drivers. These are drivers who must take seizure medicine and drive passenger or commercial transport vehicles.

• After medicine is stopped or changed, the CMA guide gives commercial drivers a 6-month observation period (section 11.4.5).
• After one seizure with no known cause, the CMA guide says commercial drivers should stop driving all vehicles at once (section 11.4.1).
  • If the check does not point to epilepsy, a return to commercial driving can be recommended.
  • That is after 12 months with no seizure.

• The MTO assesses commercial drivers directly against the national medical standards.
  • Holders of Class A to F licences send in a medical report on a schedule: every 5 years under age 46, every 3 years from 46 to 64, and every year from 65.
• If a report is late, the licence is downgraded to Class G.
  • A Class G licence is the licence for a car, van or small truck.
• The MTO's seizure fact sheet covers commercial drivers. After a seizure or epilepsy report, the licence will in some cases be downgraded or suspended.

• For functional seizures, most ILAE experts wanted a much longer time with no seizures. For commercial licences, that was two to five years.
  • The AAN also recommends stricter limits for professional drivers.

• A Canadian commercial driver can drive in the United States only without a history of epilepsy or seizures. Other conditions also apply.

• This page does not cover taxi or ride-share licences.
• To ask the MTO, call the Driver Medical Review Office: 416-235-1773, or 1-800-268-1481 within Ontario.

• The CMA guide says all provinces and territories have a legal duty for doctors to deal with patients they think are unfit to drive. The duty may be mandatory or left to the doctor.
• The national standard for epilepsy asks for:
  • 6 months with no seizure for regular drivers.
  • 5 years for commercial drivers.
• Rules and steps differ by province. Check with the licensing office where you live.

Reporting wording follows the CMA Driver's Guide table, current as of July 2022.

• AlbertaDoctor may report
  Alberta Transportation and Economic Corridors
• British ColumbiaDoctor must report only when a patient with a dangerous medical condition keeps driving after being warned
  RoadSafetyBC
• ManitobaDoctor must report
  Manitoba Public Insurance (home page)
• New BrunswickDoctor must report
  Service New Brunswick (home page)
• Newfoundland and LabradorDoctor must report
  Motor Registration Division
• Northwest TerritoriesDoctor must report
  Driver and Vehicle Services
• Nova ScotiaDoctor may report
  Registry of Motor Vehicles
• NunavutDoctor must report
  Nunavut Motor Vehicles Division
• Prince Edward IslandDoctor must report
  PEI Highway Safety Division
• QuebecDoctor may report. The Collège des médecins du Québec expects doctors to report a patient who is a serious risk to public safety and keeps driving after being warned
  SAAQ (home page)
• SaskatchewanDoctor must report
  Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI)
• YukonDoctor must report
  Yukon Motor Vehicles

Laws change, so confirm with the licensing authority.

• These summaries show how other systems handle seizures and driving.
• They are not advice for Ontario drivers.

United Kingdom

• Epilepsy, car or motorcycle: stop driving for 12 months after the last seizure. A permitted seizure under the law is an exception.
• First unprovoked seizure, car or motorcycle: stop driving for 6 months. It is 12 months if a cause may raise the risk.
• The DVLA lists dissociative seizures, also called non-epileptic attack disorder or functional seizures.
• Dissociative seizures, car or motorcycle: do not drive and tell the DVLA. Licensing may be considered after 3 months with no events.
• Dissociative seizures that have happened, or may happen, while driving need at least 6 months off driving. A specialist's review is also needed.

Source: DVLA, Neurological disorders: assessing fitness to drive

United States (AAN position)

• The AAN says at least 3 months with no seizure should usually be required before driving.
• It can be longer in individual cases.
• For functional seizures that could disrupt driving, it says at least 3 months. Or the time the state sets for epileptic seizures.
• Health care practitioners should be allowed to report drivers who pose an elevated risk. They should not be required to.

Source: AAN position statement, Neurology 2025.

• Reviewed November 2026.
• Main sources:
  • The CMA guide.
  • The CCMTA national standard.
  • The AAN statement and the ILAE report.
  • For Ontario: the CMA guide and the Ministry of Transportation.

• Canadian Medical Association, Determining Medical Fitness to Operate Motor Vehicles, 10th edition (2025), sections 3 and 11
• Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators, Medical Standards for Drivers, chapter 17 Seizures and epilepsy (national standard, as published by RoadSafetyBC, updated January 2021)
• Tolchin B et al. Seizures, Driver Licensure, and Medical Reporting Update: An AAN Position Statement. Neurology 2025;104(7):e213459
• Asadi-Pooya AA et al. Driving a motor vehicle and psychogenic nonepileptic seizures: ILAE Report by the Task Force on Psychogenic Nonepileptic Seizures. Epilepsia Open 2020;5(3):371-385
• Ministry of Transportation of Ontario, Reporting a driver for medical review (updated September 16, 2026)
• Ministry of Transportation of Ontario, Medical review for Ontario drivers
• Ministry of Transportation of Ontario, fact sheet Medical Reporting by Physicians and Other Health Care Professionals (January 2019)
• Ministry of Transportation of Ontario, Get your G driver's licence
• Ministry of Transportation of Ontario, Medical, vision and hearing standards for commercial drivers
• Ministry of Transportation of Ontario, fact sheet Drivers with Seizures (January 2019, archived copy)
• Ministry of Transportation of Ontario, Medical Condition Report form 5108E (2022)
• Ontario Highway Traffic Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. H.8, section 203
• Ontario Regulation 340/94, Drivers' Licences, sections 14 and 14.1
• UK Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), Neurological disorders: assessing fitness to drive