Drivers Licence Medicals

Where a person has a medical condition that affects their ability to drive safely, they are a risk to other road users as well as themselves. NZTA state that medical conditions are a contributing factor in crashes that cause death and injury on New Zealand roads. GPs play an important role in helping to reduce the risk of harm on the roads by determining whether a person is fit to drive.

General Practice

Who must have a drivers medical certificate (a DL9)?

This includes drivers who:

are applying for or renewing a heavy vehicle licence (class 2,3,4,5) and who've not provided a certificate within the last five years or
are applying for or renewing endorsements for passengers (P), vehicle recovery services (V), driving instruction (I) or testing (O) and who've not provided a certificate within the last five years or
have a medical condition that may affect their ability to drive safely or
are 75 years old or more and applying for or renewing any licence or endorsement or
NZTA have asked to provide one.

Charging for a Driving Licence Medical

A normal GP consultation is discounted by the Ministry of Health as the consultation is related to the general wellness of the patient. Discounted health services do not apply if the consultation is related to employment or other non-health reason e.g. travel, drivers medicals, diving medicals. Furthermore, driving licence medials are more involved than normal doctor consultations. A special charge has been introduced to cover driving licence medicals which applies to all enrolled patients. The normal doctor consultation charge is applied for casual patients regardless of their CSC or HUHC status.