It is DMV policy, based on guidance and recommendations from the Medical Advisory Board, that drivers with a diagnosis of cognitive impairment of any severity that may affect their ability to drive or a diagnosis of dementia of any type must successfully pass the DMV knowledge test and then the DMV skills test.
If the driver is not able to successfully pass the knowledge test after three attempts, the driver must successfully pass a driver evaluation with a driver rehabilitation specialist before being allowed one additional attempt to pass the knowledge test. In order to ensure the safety of DMV staff, a medical report is required before the skills test is administered.
This policy is established in order to address the concern that drivers with any type of condition resulting in memory loss and impairments in cognition, reasoning and/or judgment may have days when they are lucid and days when they are confused. The driver evaluation is designed to evaluate cognition, judgment, reaction time and visual spatial perception.
Drivers who come to the attention of DMV with evidence that their driving is being impacted by their condition may be asked to submit to driving evaluations before being allowed to take any test.
Driver Monitoring
After successfully passing the driver evaluation with a driver rehabilitation specialist and the DMV knowledge and skills tests, the driver is monitored every 6-12 months. The frequency of monitoring depends upon the results of the driver evaluation.
Additional Documentation
DMV reserves the right to request that a driver provide additional information from a specialist in order to determine the severity of the condition and to assess the driver's ability to safely operate a motor vehicle. DMV may also impose additional requirements on the individual depending on the information received by the agency.