When Delaware Asks for a Medical Review: What Happens Next

Once you receive the MV-56 form, you schedule an appointment with your primary care physician or a specialist treating your condition. The form asks specific questions about diagnoses, medications, functional limitations, and whether the physician believes you are medically fit to drive without restrictions. Your physician completes the form and submits it directly to the DMV Medical Review Unit—not to you. You will not see what your doctor wrote unless you specifically request a copy before submission. The DMV reviews the report within 10 to 15 business days and issues one of four outcomes: full clearance with no restrictions, restricted license with specific limitations, required road test, or license suspension pending further evaluation. If the DMV requires a road test, you receive a 60-day window to schedule and pass the test at a Delaware DMV office. Failing the road test results in immediate suspension. Passing reinstates your full license or confirms the restricted license parameters depending on what the medical report recommended.

Delaware issues restricted licenses that limit driving to specific hours (typically daylight only), geographic radius (often within 10 miles of your home address), or speed-restricted roads (no highways or interstate driving). These restrictions are printed directly on your license and are legally enforceable—driving outside your restrictions is treated as driving without a valid license. A restricted license keeps your insurance active at standard rates because you remain a legally licensed driver. Most carriers do not increase premiums solely because you hold a restricted license, though your annual mileage will likely drop, which can qualify you for low-mileage discounts if you notify your insurer and request a mileage adjustment. Restricted licenses must be renewed annually in Delaware for drivers over 75, compared to the standard eight-year renewal cycle for younger drivers. Each renewal requires a new Medical Report Form submission, creating an annual checkpoint that some drivers find reassuring and others find burdensome depending on their health stability.

If you receive full medical clearance or a restricted license, your current policy continues without interruption. You are not required to notify your carrier of the medical review itself, though you must disclose any license restrictions if your policy application or renewal paperwork asks about restrictions or endorsements. If your license is suspended following a failed medical review or road test, your insurance policy enters a grace period. Delaware law does not require you to cancel your policy immediately, but carriers will non-renew your policy at the next renewal term if you remain unlicensed. You have until that renewal date—typically 6 to 12 months depending on when the suspension occurred in your policy cycle—to regain your license or surrender your vehicle registration. Some drivers over 75 maintain their insurance policy even after suspension if they expect to regain their license within the renewal window or if a household member will become the primary driver. Premiums drop significantly when you convert from a primary driver to an excluded driver or when the vehicle is re-titled to a licensed household member, but the policy remains active and the vehicle remains insured.

Most families frame the medical review as a pass-fail event: you either keep your full license or you stop driving entirely. Delaware's restricted license structure offers a middle option that preserves independence for essential trips while acknowledging real limitations. Drivers with restricted licenses in Delaware most commonly use them for medical appointments, grocery shopping within their local area, and religious or community activities during daylight hours. The 10-mile radius restriction covers most suburban and rural drivers' immediate needs, and the daylight-only restriction aligns with how many drivers over 75 already self-restrict their driving patterns. Requesting a restricted license proactively—before the DMV mandates one—is possible in Delaware if you and your physician agree that limitations are appropriate. This approach keeps you legally licensed, keeps your insurance active, and avoids the suspension-and-appeal process that occurs when drivers contest a DMV-imposed restriction and lose.

If you decide to surrender your license before or after a medical review, you have three insurance options depending on your household and vehicle ownership situation. If you live alone and no longer own a vehicle, you cancel your auto policy and notify the DMV that you have surrendered your registration—this closes the loop cleanly. If you live with a licensed household member who will continue driving your vehicle, you transfer the title to that person and they obtain a new policy with you listed as an excluded driver. This eliminates your liability exposure and reduces premiums significantly, but you cannot drive the vehicle under any circumstance—not even in a parking lot or driveway. If you want to keep the vehicle titled in your name for estate planning or Medicaid asset protection reasons but will not drive it, you convert to a storage or parked-vehicle policy. These policies cost $15 to $40 per month in Delaware and cover comprehensive-only risks like theft, fire, or weather damage while the vehicle remains garaged. You must surrender your license plates to the DMV to qualify for this coverage type.

If you receive a Medical Report Form, schedule your physician appointment immediately—do not wait until the end of the 30-day window. Physicians often need 5 to 7 business days to complete the form after your appointment, and mail delays can push you past the deadline even if you saw your doctor on time. Bring a list of all current medications, recent vision exam results, and any medical records related to conditions the DMV is likely evaluating—diabetes management logs, seizure history, cardiovascular event timelines, or cognitive assessment results if you've had any. Your physician cannot advocate for you effectively without complete information, and missing records often result in overly cautious recommendations that trigger unnecessary restrictions. If you disagree with the DMV's decision after the medical review, you have 15 days from the decision notice to request an administrative hearing. This hearing allows you to present additional medical evidence, contest the restrictions, or request a re-evaluation. Approximately 30% of drivers who appeal a restriction or suspension in Delaware receive a more favorable outcome at the hearing level, but you must file within the 15-day window or the decision becomes final.