Is there someone in your life whose driving is causing you concern?
- Are they frequently having close calls?
- Do they become confused or distracted easily?
- Do they get lost in areas that should be familiar?
- Do their reflexes or mobility make them unable to respond in emergencies?
If you answered "yes" to any of these questions or other similar ones, you may want to talk to your loved one about voluntarily surrendering their driving privileges.
What if my loved one won't listen?
Giving up driving is one of the hardest choices people face. Sometimes it isn't a choice people are willing or able to make for themselves.
In these cases, loved ones may have to step in and do what is right for the safety of the loved one and the greater community.
Here are the options you have to make sure the one you care about stays safe:
If you can discuss the situation with the treating physician, and the health care provider agrees the time has come for the individual to retest or look for alternative means of transportation, the physician may submit their recommendation to the North Dakota Drivers License Division.
The department has the authority to use medical advice in requiring re-examination for, or suspension of, driving privileges. A Medical Examination Report (SFN 4569) must be submitted by a physician for processing.
The driver will receive a letter informing them what will be required, or when their privileges to drive will no longer be valid.
If you are unable to discuss the situation with the driver’s physician, you may submit a written statement to the North Dakota Drivers License Division stating what the individual is doing wrong and explaining how they are unsafe.
The written statement must be detail-oriented and specifically address concerns regarding the medical, physical or mental status of the individual in question. Age is not a sufficient reason.
No third party or anonymous information will be accepted. The report must contain the date and the reporting party’s signature.
Please submit correspondence to the following address:
Drivers License Division
Attention: Medical Program Coordinator
608 East Boulevard Avenue
Bismarck, ND 58505-0750
Who can make a report?
A Medical Examination Report (SFN 4569) may be completed and submitted by a licensed health care provider to the Drivers License Division with their recommendations concerning driving.
A law enforcement officer may complete and submit a Request for Reexamination (SFN 13671) to the Drivers License Division.
The re-exam request must include:
- What the person was doing wrong
- Why the person is unsafe
- Date and signature
- Specific details pertaining to the medical, physical or mental status of the individual in question. Age is not a sufficient reason.
Note: No third party or anonymous information will be accepted
A Certificate of Vision Examination (SFN 2342) may be completed and submitted by a vision specialist to the Drivers License Division.
A Certified Driver Examiner may complete and submit a Request for Reexamination (SFN 13671) to the Drivers License Division.
A concerned family member, friend or citizen may submit a written statement detailing why they believe the driver is not safe on the roadways. The written statement must be detail-oriented, using specific first-hand accounts and examples of what the individual is doing wrong.
The statement must be signed and dated by the reporting party. Once received at the Drivers License Division, the Medical Program Coordinator will review the report and determine what retesting may be required based on the evidence presented.
If a judge has reasonable grounds for believing the holder of a driver license is not competent to drive any motor vehicle, the judge may make the appropriate order declaring such person to be disqualified.
The Drivers License Division will suspend the individual's driving privileges until a new court order has been provided to the Department indicating the individual is now competent to drive. The Drivers License Division may also require testing before the individual in question can become fully licensed again.
When should I report?
Making the decision to report an unsafe driver can be a very difficult decision. Please see Tips for Talking to Aging Drivers and Voluntary Surrender of Driver License or Permit to help determine if it may be time for you to talk to the driver's health care provider or submit a report on the driver for review.
What happens when I report?
Reports are carefully screened by the Medical Program Coordinator. As a result, the driver may be requested to submit a medical report from their physician or a vision report from an eye specialist, or they may be required to report to a driver license office for retesting.
If the Medical Program Coordinator does not find any substance or validity to the complaint, no further action is taken.
Once the reports are received, if the driver does not meet certain medical and/or visual criteria based on state law, the Drivers License Division will suspend the driving privileges of the individual in question.
If the driver fails to submit the required medical, visual, written or road tests, the Department can suspend driving privileges for failure to file/complete those tests.