- 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
- Psychiatric disorders, such as:
- personality disorders, such as borderline personality disorder
- hypomania or mania, such as if you have bipolar disorder or a schizoaffective disorder
- severe depression or severe anxiety, especially if you cannot concentrate, are agitated, have memory problems, have behavioral disturbances, or have suicidal thoughts
- acute psychotic disorder
- schizophrenia
- long-lasting psychosis
The following bubble graph shows these medical conditions that can lead to your driver’s license being suspended in Nevada.
What can the DMV do?
Depending on the seriousness of your medical condition, the DMV will take one of the following three measures:
- If your doctor or family member voiced doubts to the DMV about your ability to drive, the DMV may request that you take a driving, written, and/or vision test. Depending on the results, the DMV may suspend or restrict your license and require annual re-examinations.
- If the medical condition causes you to lose consciousness, the DMV will probably request that you surrender your license for three months. Afterward, the DMV should re-issue your license (with or without restrictions) if you can produce a doctor’s certification that you can drive.
- If your doctor believes that you are unfit to drive, the DMV may suspend or revoke your license immediately pending any subsequent medical clearance.
Can I contest the suspension?
If your Nevada driver’s license gets suspended, you have the right to contest it at a DMV hearing. This is an administrative proceeding similar to a small-scale trial.
At the hearing, you or your attorney can present evidence and cross-examine witnesses. You are encouraged to bring your physician to testify that you are well enough to drive.
Note that DMV hearings are very difficult to win. This is because the state needs very little evidence to find against you. Still, it is always worth requesting a hearing because you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
Other Grounds for a License Suspension in Nevada
Other reasons that the Nevada DMV may suspend or revoke your driver’s license include:
- DUI arrests
- accruing 12 or more driver’s license demerit points within a year
- graffiti convictions
- drag racing convictions
- not paying child support
- not maintaining automobile or SR-22 insurance
- missing a court appearance
- not maintaining liability insurance, and you caused an accident with bodily injury or property damages in excess of $750
- juveniles who are habitually truant, use firearms in a crime, or have alcohol or drugs
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 articles, Who reports seizures to the DMV in Nevada?, Medically-restricted driver’s licenses in Nevada and How to avoid a driver’s license suspension or revocation in Nevada.
