Last updated: 31 October 2026
Book your HGV / D4 medical with Dr Steve Walton, Sheffield S12: £80, 30-minute GP examination
Before you start: which version, and when you need one
Always use the latest D4 from GOV.UK or our D4 download page. DVLA updates the form from time to time, and the version number is printed bottom right of page 1.
According to DVLA's notes (leaflet INF4D) you need a D4 when you:
- apply for a lorry or bus licence for the first time
- renew your Group 2 entitlement at 45, then every 5 years until 65, and every year from 65
- are 70 and want to keep C1 and D1 entitlement (a D4 every 3 years)
- apply for a new Group 2 provisional entitlement and haven't sent a D4 in the last 12 months
- hold an NI, EU or EEA licence and your authority to drive Group 2 in Great Britain has run out
The report is valid for 4 months from the date the doctor (and optician, if used) signs it. Send it within that window.
What to bring to your appointment
- Photo ID and proof of identity. DVLA accepts two or more documents such as a passport, driving licence, birth certificate or utility bill. The doctor must confirm your identity.
- Your driving glasses and your current glasses prescription, if you wear glasses (not contacts) to meet the eyesight standard. The doctor has to confirm the lens strength is no more than +8 dioptres.
- A list of your medicines and any hospital letters, especially for heart, diabetes, sleep apnoea, epilepsy or eye conditions.
- If you have insulin-treated diabetes, your glucose meter or CGM with your readings.
- The D4 itself, with your sections left blank so they can be completed and signed in front of the doctor.
Page 1: your details (driver) and the examiner's details (doctor)
The form is colour-coded. Grey sections are for you; green sections are for the medical professional.
Your part (left-hand, grey): name, date of birth, address and postcode, optional phone and email, the date you were first licensed to drive a bus or lorry, and your own GP's details, but only if your GP is different from the examining doctor. INF4D asks you to fill in your details when you are with the doctor.
Doctor's part (right-hand, green): the examining doctor's name, whether a company booked the examination, the practice or company address and contact details, GMC number, a signature confirming your ID was checked, your weight and height, and whether the doctor has access to your full medical record.
Page 2: the vision assessment (doctor, optician or optometrist)
This page can be filled in by a doctor, an optician or an optometrist. A doctor should only complete it if they can measure your eyesight down to the 6/7.5 line of a Snellen chart and confirm your glasses strength. If not, you will be asked to get this page done by an optician. It covers:
- The chart scale used (Snellen, decimal or LogMAR).
- Your eyesight in each eye without glasses, and with them if you wear correction to drive. The standard is at least 6/7.5 in the better eye and 6/60 in the other. Readings with a plus or minus (such as 6/6-2) are not accepted.
- Whether you have a known visual field defect.
- Conditions that might cause a field defect.
- Double vision (diplopia) and whether it is controlled.
- Glare intolerance, impaired contrast sensitivity or poor twilight vision.
- Any other eye condition affecting acuity or fields.
- Further details, then the examiner's name, signature, date, GMC or GOC number and stamp.
See our HGV eyesight standards guide for the detail.
Pages 3 to 6: the medical assessment (doctor only)
This must be completed by a doctor, after taking your history and examining you. The sections are:
- 1 Neurological disorders: seizures and epilepsy, dissociative seizures, stroke or TIA, sudden disabling dizziness, subarachnoid haemorrhage, significant head injury in the last 10 years, brain tumour, Parkinson's, chronic neurological conditions and blackouts in the last 5 years.
- 2 Diabetes: how it is treated, glucose monitoring (including whether a CGM is approved for non-adjunctive use), hypoglycaemia awareness, any severe hypo needing help in the last 12 months, and retinal laser treatment. If your diabetes is treated by something other than insulin or a sulphonylurea/glinide, questions 2a to 2d don't need answering. See driving an HGV with diabetes.
- 3 Cardiac: coronary disease (angina, heart attack, stents, bypass), arrhythmias and devices, arterial disease and aneurysm, valve disease, heart failure and other conditions, then blood pressure and cardiac investigations. The doctor records a resting BP. If it is 180 systolic or 100 diastolic or more, two further readings are taken at least 5 minutes apart and the best of the three is recorded.
- 4 Psychiatric illness: significant psychiatric disorder in the last 6 months, psychosis or mania in 12 months, severe depression in 6 months, dementia or cognitive impairment.
- 5 Substance misuse: alcohol use disorder in the last 10 years, dependence features, current drinking, and drug misuse in the last 6 years.
- 6 Sleep disorders: obstructive sleep apnoea or other causes of excessive sleepiness, severity (AHI), control and treatment compliance.
- 7 Other medical conditions: narcolepsy, physical impairment affecting vehicle control, illness causing significant fatigue, liver disease, kidney failure and severe lung disease causing low oxygen.
- 8 Medication: anti-seizure drugs, clozapine, sulphonylurea/glinide and insulin.
- 9 Further details and 10 Consultants' details: names and addresses of any specialists you see.
- 11 Examining doctor's signature and stamp.
Answer the doctor's questions honestly. The doctor signs to confirm your history has been taken into account, and you sign a declaration that making a false statement to get a licence is a criminal offence.
Page 8: your declaration (driver)
You must sign and date the declaration yourself, and not alter it. It authorises your doctors to share relevant medical information with DVLA. There is also a tick box for whether DVLA may contact medical professionals by email, and a short checklist. Your full name and date of birth also go at the foot of every page.
The most common reasons a D4 comes back
- Driver's name and date of birth missing from the foot of one or more pages.
- Declaration on page 8 not signed or dated.
- Eyesight written with a plus or minus (6/9+2), or no glasses prescription when glasses are worn.
- A question left blank, or a "yes" without dates or details in section 9.
- The report sent more than 4 months after it was signed.
- The D4 posted separately from the application form (D2 or D1) and licence.
Where to send it
Send the completed D4 together with your application form (D2 for most lorry and bus applications, or D1) and your licence to DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1BR, as INF4D instructs. Keep a photocopy.
Having your D4 done in Sheffield
At Stonecroft Medical Centre I carry out every D4 as a full 30-minute examination in a CQC-registered medical centre, including the vision assessment, for £80. Appointments are Monday to Wednesday at 6pm and 6.30pm.
Book your HGV / D4 medical with Dr Steve Walton, Sheffield S12: £80, 30-minute GP examination
Frequently asked questions
Who fills in the D4 form?
You fill in your personal details on page 1, your name and date of birth on every page, and the declaration on page 8. A doctor completes the medical assessment. The vision assessment can be completed by a doctor, optician or optometrist.
How long is a D4 medical valid for?
The D4 is valid for 4 months from the date the doctor (and optician, if used) signs it. Send it to DVLA within that time.
What do I need to bring to my D4 medical?
Proof of identity, your driving glasses and glasses prescription if you wear them to drive, a list of your medicines, any relevant hospital letters, and your glucose meter or CGM if you take insulin.
Can my own GP fill in the D4?
Yes, any GMC-registered doctor licensed to practise in the UK can complete it, but many NHS practices don't offer it. A private examiner can do it if they record their details and GMC number.
Where do I send my completed D4?
Send it with your D2 or D1 application form and your licence to DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1BR. Sending them separately delays processing.
Sources (GOV.UK / DVLA)
- D4 medical examination report and INF4D notes (GOV.UK)
- Assessing fitness to drive: guide for medical professionals (GOV.UK)
- Medical conditions, disabilities and driving (GOV.UK)
Medical standards checked against DVLA's Assessing fitness to drive (November 2025 edition) and GOV.UK guidance, October 2026. Always check GOV.UK for the latest rules.