Safe driving

Drivers 75 and over

Everyone 75 and over who holds a Queensland driver licence must carry a current Medical certificate for motor vehicle driver form (F3712) at all times when driving and comply with any stated conditions—you can be fined if you don't.

Getting your medical certificate to drive

If you don't have access to a printer, ask at your health professional's surgery if they can download and print the Medical certificate for motor vehicle driver form (F3712) for you. You can also get this form from a transport and motoring customer service centre, at a participating QGAP office or at a police station in rural or remote areas of Queensland.

Complete part 1 of the form and then ask your health professional to complete part 2, including the tear-off medical certificate. Once your health professional has completed and signed the form, tear off the medical certificate portion and carry it with you whenever you drive, making sure the review/expiry date can be read. You must show your medical certificate to a police officer if they request it.

Heavy vehicle licence

If you hold a heavy vehicle licence and wish to keep it, your health professional will assess your medical fitness to drive against the commercial vehicle driver standards. The commercial vehicle driver standards are more stringent than the private vehicle driver standards because of the increased risk associated with motor vehicle crashes involving heavy vehicles.

Health professional fees

Health professional fees are set by each professional. We do not have any influence over the fees charged for services provided by health professionals.

Do you need to present your medical certificate to us?

There is no requirement for you to present your Medical certificate for motor vehicle driver form (F3712) to us unless:

you develop a permanent or long-term medical condition that is likely to adversely affect your ability to drive safely
you have a permanent or long-term change to an existing medical condition that is likely to adversely affect your ability to drive safely
your health professional has recommended a licence condition be imposed or altered, or the class of licence you hold should be downgraded
you are applying for or renewing your driver licence at a transport and motoring customer service centre.

For the above, you should not wait until you need to renew your driver licence. You must present your medical certificate to us as soon as you become aware of your medical condition or any change to your existing medical condition.

Notify us online

Notify us of a medical condition

How long is a medical certificate valid for?

Drivers 75 and over are subject to regular medical assessments. This means that if you are 75 or over, and want to keep driving, you must go back to your doctor at least every year. This does not affect the expiry date of your driver licence, which is shown on your driver licence.

For convenience, from 1 July 2017, medical certificates are valid for a maximum of 13 months.

In some cases your doctor may want to undertake more regular checks, and your medical certificate may be issued for a shorter period. If your doctor issues a medical certificate for longer than 13 months, you may only use the certificate for 13 months from the issue date.

Medical certificates issued prior to 1 July 2017, will expire on the stated expiry date.

Will I be reminded to get a medical certificate?

If you are turning 75 and hold a current licence, you may receive a letter from us approximately 6 weeks before your 75^th birthday to let you know you now need a medical certificate if you want to continue driving.

If you present your medical certificate to us, you will receive a reminder around 6 weeks before it is due to expire, to let you know you will need to get a new medical certificate.

This reminder is sent as a courtesy, so you should not rely on this as your only reminder to get a new medical certificate.

How age affects your driving

As you get older, how you process information, your vision, and your ability to move changes. It’s important to know how age affects your driving.

Vision

As you age it can become more difficult to:

change focus and see detail (such as traffic signs)
see objects and obstacles such as pedestrians or people on bicycles
deal with and recover from glare such as oncoming headlights or the afternoon sun
see things in your side vision (what you see out of the corner of your eyes when looking ahead)
adjust your vision when going from light to dark or vice versa.

Medical conditions such as cataracts, glaucoma and diabetes can also affect your vision.

To maintain your vision:

have your eyes checked regularly
keep the prescription for your glasses up to date and make sure your glasses are suitable for driving
modify your driving patterns (e.g. think about limiting or avoiding driving at night or twilight)
keep your windscreen clean to reduce glare.

Movement

Changes to your body can make movement slower and more difficult. You may experience a decrease in your:

muscle strength
flexibility and mobility
range of movement
coordination.

These changes, plus common health problems like arthritis, can affect the way you drive. For example, you may find it harder to operate the gears and clutch which can result in slower reaction times.

Information processing

Your ability to process information, and react to it, tends to slow down as you age.

Driving under pressure can become stressful, giving you less time to react to changes on the road.

When planning a trip, think about whether you are comfortable:

driving at peak hour
merging onto a busy freeway
changing lanes in traffic
travelling an unfamiliar route
dealing with a busy intersection or roundabout.

Car modifications

You can also modify your car to help compensate for age-related changes. For example installing special wing mirrors can improve your side vision if turning your head is a problem.

Voluntary surrender of your driver licence

If you voluntarily surrender your licence to us or it is cancelled because of a medical condition, you may be eligible to receive a Photo Identification Card free of charge as an alternative form of photo identification. For more information enquire at a transport and motoring customer service centre or call 13 23 80.

If you drive while your licence is suspended or cancelled, and you are convicted of the offence, you risk being fined or jailed.

Helpful resources

Last updated:: 1 August 2022

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