Last Updated on July 23, 2025 by Beltz Law Group
Driver’s License Revocation in Texas Due to Medical Conditions
Texas Medical Driver License Revocations
In Texas, the ability to drive is a privilege, not an inherent right. When an individual’s medical condition raises concerns about their capacity to safely operate a motor vehicle, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), often advised by the Medical Advisory Board (MAB), can take action to revoke their driving privileges. This process is designed to ensure public safety on Texas roadways.
If you have received a notice that your driver’s license is being revoked due to a medical issue, it is a serious matter. We highly recommend you consult with a lawyer to understand your rights and to contest the proposed revocation. For more detailed information on how the medical revocation process works in Texas, you can refer to the DPS website or contact our office directly. This article will outline the general categories of medical conditions that the MAB considers. Again, if you wish to speak to an attorney about your medical advisory board revocation in Texas after reading this, feel free to contact our office today at 214-321-4105.
The Role of the Medical Advisory Board (MAB)
The Texas Medical Advisory Board (MAB) is a panel of physicians and optometrists that advises the DPS on the medical fitness of drivers. The MAB reviews medical information provided by individuals’ treating physicians and makes recommendations to the DPS regarding their driving capability. The DPS ultimately makes the final decision on whether to suspend, revoke, or restrict a driver’s license based on these recommendations.
General Categories of Medical Issues Affecting Driving Privileges
The MAB considers various medical conditions that could impair a person’s ability to drive safely. These generally fall into the following categories:
1. General Debilities
Medical Revocation Hearing
A “debility” refers to a state of being weak, feeble, or infirm. This broad category encompasses conditions that cause a general decline in physical or cognitive function, potentially impacting a person’s ability to safely control a vehicle.
- Aging: While aging itself is not a direct cause for license revocation, the MAB recognizes that age-related changes can contribute to driving problems. They focus on the functional capacity of the individual, not just their chronological age. Key considerations for older drivers include:
- General weakness and musculoskeletal disabilities: Affecting physical control of the vehicle.
- Cognitive impairments: Such as organic brain syndrome leading to memory loss, slowed reaction time, confusion, or psychoses. Conditions like Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias are particularly scrutinized.
- Sensory losses: Including declining visual acuity and peripheral vision.
- Recommendation: The MAB heavily relies on the treating physician’s opinion regarding functional capacity. In some cases, restricted driving (e.g., daytime only, specific speed limits, no freeway driving) might be recommended before a full revocation. Frequent re-evaluations (yearly or more often) are often advised.
- Malignancies: Cancers, especially those involving the central nervous system or other vital organ systems, can lead to general debility, disturbances of judgment, or altered consciousness. Such effects may contraindicate safe driving. Determinations are made on an individual basis, often requiring a Comprehensive Driving Test.
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Medical Advisory Board Revocation
Pulmonary Disease: Certain respiratory conditions can affect a driver’s ability to remain alert and responsive, posing a safety risk.
- Conditions: Diseases like emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and severe asthma are considered. In advanced stages, these conditions can cause shortness of breath (dyspnea) and fainting spells (syncope), which directly impair driving safety.
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD): Individuals with COPD experiencing dyspnea at rest or with exertion are evaluated. Oxygen saturation levels are often measured to assess oxygen-carrying capacity. Those requiring supplemental oxygen also fall into this category.
- Sleep Apnea: While mentioned briefly in the original text, it’s a significant concern. Untreated severe sleep apnea can lead to excessive daytime sleepiness, increasing the risk of falling asleep at the wheel. Evaluation usually occurs after optimal medical treatment to determine if the condition is adequately managed.
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Cardiovascular Disease: Heart conditions can lead to sudden incapacitation or impair a driver’s ability to react under stress.
- Assessment: The MAB considers the degree of limitation caused by an applicant’s cardiovascular status. This often involves utilizing established medical classifications, such as those from the American Heart Association, which categorize heart conditions based on functional capacity and therapeutic implications.
- Concerns: Conditions like severe arrhythmias, unstable angina, uncontrolled hypertension, or a recent history of heart attack (myocardial infarction) or stroke can raise concerns about a driver’s ability to maintain consciousness, focus, or react appropriately in traffic.
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Driver License Suspension
Neurological Disorders: Neurological conditions can profoundly impact sensory, motor, cognitive, and coordination functions essential for driving.
- Range of Disorders: This broad category includes conditions such as:
- Cerebrovascular disease (Stroke/TIA): Can result in paralysis, visual field loss, cognitive impairment (learning, memory), and sometimes seizure disorders.
- Seizure Disorders (Epilepsy): Any recurrent loss of consciousness or conscious control (including “blackouts,” even if not a typical epileptic seizure) arising from intermittent changes in brain function is a major concern. The MAB typically requires a period of seizure freedom, often a year or more, and consistent medication adherence.
- Head Injury (Traumatic Brain Injury – TBI): Depending on severity, TBIs can lead to a wide range of impairments, including motor deficits, cognitive issues, visual problems, and an increased risk of seizures.
- Parkinson’s Disease: Can cause tremors, rigidity, slowed movement (bradykinesia), and balance issues, all of which can affect driving control.
- Dementias (e.g., Alzheimer’s): Progressive cognitive decline impairs judgment, memory, reaction time, and the ability to process complex driving environments.
- Encephalopathies: Conditions causing brain dysfunction, often due to infection, toxins, or metabolic imbalances.
- Range of Disorders: This broad category includes conditions such as:
- Other Disorders Affecting Consciousness/Control: Conditions like syncope (fainting), cataplexy (sudden muscle weakness triggered by strong emotions), narcolepsy (uncontrollable urges to sleep), hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), episodic vertigo (dizziness), or “drop attacks” that cause sudden falls, are all considered in a similar manner to seizure disorders due to their potential to cause sudden loss of control.
- Individualized Assessment: For some neurological disorders, if stable, individuals may be deemed capable of driving safely if a comprehensive driving test demonstrates adequate performance. However, due to the potential for multiple overlapping impairments, each aspect (sensory, motor, cognitive, and coordination) is carefully evaluated.
Contesting a Medical Revocation: Your Rights
Driver License Suspension Lawyer
If the DPS initiates a medical revocation based on MAB recommendations, you have the right to appeal this decision through an administrative hearing. This hearing is your opportunity to present evidence, including additional medical reports from your treating physicians, to demonstrate that you are, in fact, capable of safely operating a motor vehicle.
How The Beltz Law Group Can Help
Dealing with a driver’s license revocation due to a medical condition can be overwhelming and emotionally distressing. Your ability to drive is often critical for independence, work, and daily life. The process involves complex medical evaluations and legal procedures.
The experienced attorneys at The Beltz Law Group can assist you by:
- Understanding the Notice: Helping you interpret the specific reasons for the proposed revocation outlined in the DPS notice.
- Gathering Medical Evidence: Guiding you in obtaining the necessary and comprehensive medical documentation from your treating physicians that addresses the MAB’s concerns.
- Requesting and Preparing for the Hearing: Ensuring your appeal for an administrative hearing is filed correctly and on time, and thoroughly preparing your case for presentation to the Administrative Law Judge.
- Presenting Your Case: Representing you at the hearing, cross-examining any witnesses, and making compelling arguments based on medical evidence and legal precedent.
- Seeking Alternatives: Exploring possibilities for license restrictions (e.g., daytime driving only, specific areas) instead of a full revocation, if appropriate for your condition.
Don’t face this challenge alone. If you have received a notice of driver’s license revocation due to a medical issue in Texas, contact The Beltz Law Group today at 214-321-4105 for a consultation. We are here to help you defend your driving privileges.
