Yes, many people with epilepsy drive. But there are rules about when you can start again after a seizure, and they are not optional.
This is one of the areas where people get the most confusing advice, often from friends or from websites written for other countries. What follows is what actually applies in Queensland.
The short version
After a seizure, you must stop driving. You must tell Transport and Main Roads (TMR). You can generally return to driving once you have gone long enough without a seizure, and once your doctor supports it.
The waiting period is the part that varies. It depends on what kind of seizure you had, whether it was your first, and what your treatment situation is.
How long am I off the road?
The standard rule for a private car licence is 12 months seizure-free.
That is the default. It applies unless your situation matches one of a number of specific exceptions, and there are several.
If it was your first seizure, the period is usually shorter. About half of people who have one seizure never have another, and the risk drops the longer you go without one. A shorter non-driving period is commonly considered in this situation.
If you have just started treatment for the first time, seizures that happen in the first six months of starting a medication do not necessarily reset you back to a full 12 months, because it takes time for a medication to reach an effective dose. A seizure that happens later than that generally does put you back on the default rule.
If your seizure was caused by something temporary and identifiable, such as a severe illness, a metabolic problem or drug withdrawal, and you have no history of epilepsy, a shorter period may apply.
If your seizures only happen during sleep, and this has been a consistent, established pattern, driving may be possible even though seizures continue. The reasoning is straightforward: a seizure that only ever happens while you are asleep is not a seizure that happens while you are driving.
If your epilepsy has been well controlled for at least 12 months and you have a single seizure with a clear, avoidable trigger, a shorter period may be considered. Worth knowing: being short on sleep does not count as an avoidable trigger under the standards, because it cannot be reliably avoided in real life.
If your medication is being changed or withdrawn, there is a non-driving period around that change, even if you have had no seizures at all. This one catches people out. Talk to your neurologist before any change, not after.
These are national standards, set out in the Austroads seizures and epilepsy guidelines and applied by TMR. Your neurologist or GP works out which one fits you. Do not try to work it out yourself from a table.
One rule has no exceptions: if a seizure caused a crash in the last 12 months, the full default period applies no matter what category you otherwise fall into.
Do I really have to tell Transport and Main Roads?
Yes. In Queensland you have a legal responsibility to report a long-term medical condition that is likely to affect your driving. Epilepsy is one of them.
You can report it online through TMR's notification service, or complete a medical condition notification (Form F4355) and email it to the Medical Condition Reporting Unit. The Queensland Government reporting page sets out both options.
You will also need a Medical Certificate for Drivers from your doctor. We have covered the whole process in reporting a medical condition to Queensland Transport.
People sometimes decide not to report, on the basis that nobody will know. Two things worth being clear about. Your insurer can decline a claim if you were driving against medical advice or without a valid licence condition, which can leave you personally liable for a serious crash. And doctors in Queensland can report a patient directly if they believe there is a safety risk.
What licence will I get back?
Usually a conditional licence.
A conditional licence is a normal licence with a review date attached. It means TMR will want an updated medical certificate at set intervals, often annually, to confirm your seizures are still controlled and you are still following your treatment.
If you have gone at least five years without a seizure and have been off anti-seizure medication for at least the past 12 months, an unconditional licence can be considered.
Some people also get restrictions, such as being limited to certain times of day where seizures follow a known pattern. We have explained how these work in licence conditions after an OT driving assessment.
Where does an OT driving assessment fit in?
For most people with epilepsy, it does not. This is worth saying plainly.
Epilepsy on its own is usually managed through the medical pathway. Your neurologist confirms your seizure control, TMR issues a conditional licence, and no driving assessment is required. If your GP has told you that you simply need to wait and then get certified, that is normally all there is to it.
An occupational therapy driving assessment becomes relevant when there is something else going on alongside the seizures. That includes:
Thinking or memory changes, whether from the epilepsy itself, from surgery, or from your medication
A long time off the road, where the concern is not seizures but rusty driving skills
Weakness, reduced coordination or vision changes
An underlying cause such as a stroke or brain injury, which brings its own assessment requirements. See driving after a brain injury in Queensland
A referral where TMR or your doctor specifically wants your practical driving observed
If that describes you, an assessment looks at how you actually drive, not at your seizure history. It runs about three hours, half at home and half on the road in your own area with a driving instructor present. What to expect on the day sets it out step by step.
What about the wait itself?
Twelve months is a long time to be off the road, particularly on the Gold Coast where public transport does not reach everywhere.
A few practical points. The clock runs from your most recent seizure, not from your diagnosis or from the day you reported it. Taking your medication as prescribed is the single biggest factor in whether the clock keeps running or resets. And if you are approaching the end of your non-driving period, book your doctor's appointment early, because the certificate and TMR's processing both take time.
Some people find a couple of refresher lessons with a driving instructor helpful before returning after a long break. That is a sensible use of money and is not the same thing as an assessment.
Frequently asked questions
I only had an aura, not a full seizure. Does that count?
Usually yes. Anything involving confusion, vagueness, difficulty speaking, automatic movements or memory loss is treated as a seizure. Only in narrow, well-documented cases where consciousness and vehicle control are genuinely unaffected can a seizure be treated differently, and that is a specialist decision, not a self-assessment.
My seizure was caused by missing a dose. Does that shorten the wait?
Possibly, if your epilepsy has otherwise been well controlled for at least 12 months and the trigger is one you can reliably avoid. Your neurologist makes that call.
Can I drive while I am waiting for TMR to process my paperwork?
Not if you are inside your non-driving period, and not if your doctor has told you to stop. The waiting period is about seizure risk, not about paperwork.
Do I have to tell my employer?
If you drive for work, yes. Commercial licence standards are considerably stricter than private ones and generally require much longer seizure-free periods. Speak to your doctor about which standard applies to you.
Does epilepsy medication affect my driving on its own?
It can, particularly when you are starting a new medication or increasing a dose. Drowsiness, slowed reactions and blurred vision are all common early on. We have written about this more broadly in driving and medications.
I live at Tweed Heads but see a doctor on the Gold Coast. Which rules apply?
The state that issued your licence. A New South Wales licence holder reports to Transport for NSW, even if all your medical care happens in Queensland. The clinical standards are the same nationally, the paperwork is not.
Ready to book an OT driving assessment on the Gold Coast? Steer Driving is a mobile assessment service covering the Gold Coast and surrounding areas. Whether you already have a referral or you're just getting started, get in touch and we'll guide you through the next steps.
This article was written by Elise, an AHPRA-registered Occupational Therapist and driver assessor. Elise is the founder of Steer Driving, a mobile OT driving assessment practice.
References
Austroads. (2022). Assessing fitness to drive for commercial and private vehicle drivers (6th ed.). Austroads. https://austroads.gov.au/publications/assessing-fitness-to-drive/ap-g56/neurological-conditions/seizures-and-epilepsy
Queensland Government. (2024). Reporting your medical condition. Department of Transport and Main Roads. https://www.qld.gov.au/transport/licensing/healthy-to-drive/report-medical-condition
