California DMV Form DL 546, the Health Questionnaire, is the document the Department of Motor Vehicles uses to decide whether a physical or mental condition affects your ability to drive safely. You will deal with it in one of two situations: the DMV opened a medical review of your driving privilege and asked you to complete one, or you are applying for a license class that requires one up front. The completed form goes to the DMV’s Driver Safety division, which decides whether to leave your license alone, restrict it, or take it away.
Who Has to File a DL 546
When the DMV Asks for One
A physician, a law enforcement officer, or a family member can refer a driver to the DMV for reexamination using the Request for Driver Reexamination (DS 699), and the person making the referral can ask to stay confidential. Physicians are required by law to report conditions involving lapses of consciousness or loss of control.1California DMV. Deteriorated Driving Skill Once a referral comes in, the DMV may mail you a DL 546 as part of its investigation.
Vehicle Code Section 12806 lets the department refuse to issue or renew a license when a driver has a disorder involving lapses of consciousness, has had a lapse or episode of marked confusion within the past three years, or has any physical or mental condition that could affect safe driving. The same section covers impairment from alcoholism or habitual drug use.2California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code 12806
License Classes That Require It
Some applicants have to submit a DL 546 even without any known medical issue. If you are applying for a noncommercial Class A license, used for recreational vehicles and large trailers, you need a Health Questionnaire dated within two years of your application and then a fresh one every two years after that.3California DMV. Recreational Vehicles and Trailers Handbook – Noncommercial Class A Requirements Firefighters who operate fire equipment or any vehicle in their firefighting role must file one, as must drivers hauling hazardous agricultural material.4California DMV. Commercial Driver License Medical Eligibility and Exams
Standard commercial driver’s license holders are on a different track. They use the federal Medical Examination Report (MCSA 5875) and Medical Examiner’s Certificate (MCSA 5876), not the DL 546.5California DMV. Commercial Driver Licenses
Getting the Form
Download the current DL 546 from the forms library at dmv.ca.gov. If the Driver Safety division opened a case on you, the form will usually arrive by mail with the DMV’s correspondence. Work from the version on the DMV website rather than an old copy you may have on file.
Filling It Out
The questionnaire asks for identifying information, medical history, and treating physician details. Pull these together before you start:
- Your full legal name, date of birth, and California driver’s license number.
- The nature of any diagnosed condition, the date of your most recent episode or lapse of consciousness, and how the condition is being managed through medication or other treatment.
- The name, address, and phone number of every doctor treating the relevant condition. The DMV may contact them to verify what you report.
Be specific but concise. The DMV is trying to gauge your current stability: what the condition is, when it last caused a problem, and what you are doing about it. Vague answers slow the review and often prompt a request for more information. Where a section does not apply, write “N/A” so it is clear you did not skip it.
Your signature at the end is a declaration under penalty of perjury that everything on the form is true. False statements can lead to refusal of a license or withdrawal of your driving privilege.6California DMV. DS 326 – Driver Medical Evaluation Check your dates against your own medical records before you sign. For noncommercial Class A applicants, the form expires two years from the signature date.3California DMV. Recreational Vehicles and Trailers Handbook – Noncommercial Class A Requirements
How and Where to Submit It
You have three ways to get the completed form to the DMV.
- Upload it through the Driver Safety Portal at dmv.ca.gov. The portal also lets you receive notices, schedule hearings, and track your case. This is usually the fastest route.7California DMV. Driver Safety Offices
- Bring it to a Driver Safety office in person. These offices handle medical licensing cases but do not provide regular driver’s license or vehicle registration services.7California DMV. Driver Safety Offices
- Mail it to the Driver Safety office handling your case. The address is on the DMV letter that opened the review.
If you are filing the DL 546 as part of a noncommercial Class A application rather than a medical investigation, hand it to the DMV when you apply for the license.3California DMV. Recreational Vehicles and Trailers Handbook – Noncommercial Class A Requirements
What the DMV Does Next
The Driver Safety division reviews the questionnaire and decides what, if anything, needs to happen. Review can take several weeks. Possible outcomes include:8California DMV. California Driver Handbook – Section 12 Driver Safety
- No action. Your condition does not warrant any change to your driving privilege.
- A request for more medical information. The DMV may send you a Driver Medical Evaluation (DS 326) to take to the physician most familiar with your condition for a clinical assessment.6California DMV. DS 326 – Driver Medical Evaluation
- A reexamination that may include a knowledge test, vision test, or behind-the-wheel driving test.1California DMV. Deteriorated Driving Skill
- A restricted license. You might be allowed to drive only during daylight hours, within a certain geographic area, or with specialized equipment installed in your vehicle.1California DMV. Deteriorated Driving Skill
- A limited-term license that expires sooner than the standard term so the DMV can reassess your condition at renewal.8California DMV. California Driver Handbook – Section 12 Driver Safety
- Suspension or revocation. If your condition presents an immediate public safety threat, the DMV can act right away. A suspension stays in place indefinitely until you can show you are compensating for the condition or it no longer poses a risk.1California DMV. Deteriorated Driving Skill
Priority Reexamination: The Five-Day Rule
If a law enforcement officer triggers a priority reexamination after a stop or collision, the clock is much shorter. You have five working days to contact the Driver Safety division and start the process. Miss that window and your driving privilege is automatically suspended.8California DMV. California Driver Handbook – Section 12 Driver Safety Read any priority reexamination notice carefully; the deadline and the response instructions are on the form itself.
If You Disagree With the Outcome
You can request a hearing through the Driver Safety Portal if the DMV restricts or suspends your license based on the medical review.9California DMV. Driver Safety Case Management At the hearing you can introduce medical evidence showing your condition is under control. A current letter or evaluation from your treating physician supporting your fitness to drive carries the most weight.
Confidentiality of What You Submit
Everything medical you send to the DMV is confidential. Vehicle Code Section 1808.5 keeps records tied to a person’s physical or mental condition closed to public inspection.10California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code 1808-5 Employers, insurers, and the general public cannot pull these records through a standard DMV records request, and the protection applies whether you submitted the DL 546 on your own or because the DMV asked for it.