Licence suspension, a condition to declare, renewal for professional activity: the medical fitness-to-drive exam is a mandatory step for many drivers. Here's who it concerns, which documents to prepare, and how the appointment unfolds. For waiting-time ranges by department and levers to speed things up, see our driving licence medical board: real waiting times and how to get an appointment sooner.
Who is concerned by the medical board?
Suspension, cancellation, or probationary licence
- Drivers whose licence has been suspended or cancelled (alcohol level, drugs, serious offence).
- Holders of a probationary licence affected by invalidation due to a zero point balance or certain offences.
Declared condition or professional activity
- People with a medical condition that could affect driving (heart conditions, epilepsy, vision problems...), declared voluntarily or reported by a doctor.
- Professional drivers, including taxi, private hire, goods or passenger transport, subject to a mandatory periodic fitness check, regardless of any incident.
Préfecture, sous-préfecture, or an approved doctor: who does what
Depending on the department, the exam takes place before a collegial medical board (several doctors) for the most serious cases, or before a general practitioner approved by the préfecture for more common situations or professional renewals. It's the préfecture or sous-préfecture that organizes the booking, or publishes the list of approved doctors to contact directly. The process varies a lot from one department to another.
This local variability is exactly why so many people search "driving licence medical board" followed by their city name: there's no single national procedure, and each préfecture communicates differently on its own site. To understand who handles what in your department, our préfecture, sous-préfecture, one-stop desk guide can help.
What documents to bring on the day of the appointment
Documents common to every situation
- A valid ID document.
- The summons or the suspension/cancellation notice, if applicable.
- The medical questionnaire filled in beforehand if the préfecture requires it (often downloadable from its site).
Documents that depend on your medical situation
- Medical reports, prescriptions, or assessments related to a declared condition. They speed up the exam and avoid being referred for a further test.
- Two ID photos, in some departments.
- For professional drivers, your professional card or any proof of activity requested by the préfecture.
Plan ahead for the wait
How the appointment unfolds, and special cases
What happens during the exam
The visit generally starts with an ID and file check, followed by a medical exam whose content depends on the reason: blood pressure, eyesight, reflexes, questions about current treatment, and sometimes a more detailed discussion if a point in your file needs clarifying. Expect roughly fifteen to thirty minutes, unless a further exam is needed on the spot.
Moving house, changing department, professional emergency
If you moved after receiving the notice, report your new address before booking: the competent board is, in principle, the one matching your current place of residence, not the one on the original notice. In a genuine job-related emergency (a professional driver whose activity is suspended), a detailed letter to the préfecture can sometimes move things along, with no guarantee of priority handling.
Mistakes to avoid before the appointment
- Showing up with expired tests or analyses: the opinion is then systematically deferred.
- Forgetting to mention an ongoing medication, when some treatments must be disclosed to the doctor.
- Booking with a board that isn't competent for your file, which leads to a redirect and a fresh wait.
- Paying a middleman to "get" an appointment faster: the administrative appointment stays free, and no serious service offers a guaranteed booking.
And after the medical opinion?
The board or the approved doctor issues a favourable opinion (with or without a restriction, such as wearing glasses), a deferral opinion (a further exam to schedule), or an unfavourable opinion. The opinion is passed on to the préfecture, which then notifies the final decision on the licence's validity.
See availability near you
Medical board slots open in waves and fill up fast. A few examples of pages Perfecture monitors live:
- Medical board in Alpes-Maritimes
- Medical board in Bas-Rhin
- Medical board in Aisne
- Follow slot openings for your own department on our live map.