SAFE DRIVING AFTER A CHANGE IN MEDICAL CONDITION
REQUESTING A RESTRICTED LICENSE
There are two forms that need to be sent to the DMV to start the process. In some cases the physician that treats you in the emergency room reports a change in medical condition to the DMV. Due to the fact that my stroke happened out of state it was not reported to the California DMV and therefore my license is still active and I have to report myself. The forms you need for driving clearance post-stroke in California are the DS699 and the DS326. One is called a self referral where you report that you had a change in medical condition. The second is a medical evaluation/request for Driver reexamination (DS699) form addressing the stroke and necessary modifications by the doctor treating you. In my case I had the doctor in charge of my outpatient rehab fill out my medical evaluation since he was the one tracking my progress consistently on a quarterly basis, at the time. I no longer go to that outpatient facility so if I had to go through this process now, I would request that my primary care provider fill it out. Additionally, my adaptive driving instructor added some bits to the DS699 form to be more specific in what was necessary for my specific situation.
How to start the process:
Do a driving assessment with a drivers ed teacher and OT. If you live in southern California I have more specific resources and contacts for you, just message me!
After the driving assessment they will make a recommendation of a certain amount of hours for behind the wheel adaptive driving training you'll need to complete for becoming accustomed with the new car modifications (such as the steering knob and turn light indicator.). In California, the minimum amount of hours needed is 10 hours with the driving instructor.
My driving instructor told me to hold off reporting to the DMV until we knew when I would finish my training hours as the process with the DMV is time sensitive.
After reporting yourself to the DMV/local driver’s safety office you will receive a letter from the DMV about the next steps. The California DMV communicates through paper mail, NOT through texts etc.
Time frame: this can vary, once contact is made between you and the driver safety officer it can go relatively fast. However, getting to that point takes time. I submitted all my paperwork mid may of 2021 and only received a letter in august 2021 about my hearing date in mid September 2021. A week after my hearing I took a written test equivalent to the permit test and my vision test and then two weeks later I had my behind the wheel test. I was told my driver safety officer would call me to schedule the behind the wheel test. They call to verify what location is closest to you and then you receive a letter in the mail with the location, date and time. There’s a reason that the DMV in Zootopia is run by sloth’s, their system is SUPER slow, so you will most likely need to call to put yourself on their radar/get things going. The squeaky wheel gets the oil!!
The process broken down:
The hearing is just an interview with the driver safety officer assigned to your case. Because we’re in the midst of a global pandemic, my hearing was over the phone. In the letter you receive from the DMV/ Driver Safety Office it specifies if it's a telephonic hearing or in person hearing. This step is mainly the driver safety officer reading off the paperwork that was sent in as evidence, confirming that the information declared is correct and that's about it. My call lasted a maximum of 15 minutes.
At the end of the call the driver safety officer asked me to give some days and times that work for me to take the written test. The written test and vision test are done at your county’s driver safety office, thankfully it's nothing like the DMV. You check in and then they take you back to do the vision test and then you take the written test. The written test is on an accessible computer. It's 18 questions and you can miss three questions and still pass,if I remember correctly. You get the results on the spot. To prepare I retook the drivers ed course online. In hindsight I felt like I didn't need it. I felt like the questions were checking cognitive ability. Also, as someone who has been driving for years, the answers are pretty intuitive. Although, I did get stumped on one question due to the tricky wording.
For the behind the wheel test, I recommend arriving with time to spare so that you can ensure a smooth process. Bring your proof of registration and insurance with you to check in. Also bring the letter you receive in the mail with your test date and time info. They return the insurance card immediately and they return the proof of registration once the instructor is in the car with you. Thankfully at my behind the wheel testing location, you are in a separate line from all the teens waiting to get their license so it goes pretty fast. The driving instructor asks you to flicker all your lights and honk your horn to make sure everything is working. Then he asked me to do manual turn signals out the driver window, however my left side not working is why i'm taking the test in the first place. Which is what I told him in a more respectful way, so he apologized and we started the driving part. He didn't ask me to do it with my right arm, but I would review that before just in case you get a prickly instructor. Because we are still in a global pandemic, the windows of the car had to be rolled down. This is tricky if your instructor speaks softly as mine did. I asked him if i could roll up the windows and he said only half way, so i asked him to speak louder so that i could hear him clearly. From there the test was about 30 minutes.
The Behind the Wheel Test:
You will be taken on the freeway, if you refuse, they will add a restriction that says you are not permitted to drive on freeways
If you already have a license, their main goal in the behind the wheel test is to see that you have mastered driving with the necessary adaptations and that the car you're driving is a good fit for you/your needs.
Communicate with the instructor so that there isn't a miscommunication; i.e. the window/voice volume situation I had. Advocating for yourself never ends.
When we finished the instructor let me know I passed and that he would process my paperwork and that I was free to go and would hear from my Driver Safety Officer.
I assumed I would be receiving a new driver’s license in the mail with the restrictions listed but when that didn't arrive in the mail, I called my driver safety officer and they let me know that because my license is valid through 2023 they don't issue a new license, they just issue a piece of paper that I need to carry with me when driving.
Here's the link to access those forms in California:
Then put the form numbers in the search box on the top right and it'll give you the necessary PDF's
The equipment process:
Where to get the equipment:
Adaptive equipment must be NMEDA approved, you CANNOT buy off amazon, don’t waste your time and money there.
These are the only certified dealers that issue and install adaptive equipment. So, in the future if you are needing to move equipment from one vehicle to the next, going with a NMEDA vendor is always recommended to ensure proper installation.
At this link you can find NMEDA vendors by your zip code:
What do I need, to be approved for adaptive equipment installation?:
The NMEDA vendor will need a copy of your assessment and a letter from your adaptive driving instructor. The letter should state that you, the driver, is certified to drive with these modifications.
What equipment do I need?:
Depending on the extent of your disability and deficits you may require different equipment.
I have an adaptive turn signal and a steering knob.
If you require an adaptive turn signal there are multiple types, I recommend checking at the NMEDA vendor which one you want (if they have that as an option). Additionally, it's super important to let them know that you would like a steering knob that can be detached so if someone who doesn’t require it needs your car they can use your car. In California it's illegal to drive with a steering knob without clearance from the DMV stating it’s a necessity. At the bottom of this post, I’ve included pictures of how my steering knob and turn light look. (my car needs a deep clean, dont judge, unless you'd like to pay for it ;))
The steering knob gets extremely hot in the summer, so I detach mine and put it in my purse or the center console until I need it or I drape a towel over it to try and keep it as cool as possible so I don’t damage my only good hand.
Goodluck!!
As always, please reach out if you have any questions or need any clarification. Hope this resource was helpful!
the adaptive turn light indicator, top view:
The wheel with the steering knob and turn light indicator:
The wheel showing the removable steering knob:
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