When Should an Elderly Person Stop Driving? (2026)

Knowing when to stop driving depends on how well a person drives, because federal safety guidance says driving performance, not age, determines fitness to drive.1 The National Institute on Aging says there's no one recommended age to quit driving, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says decisions about someone's ability to drive should never be based on age alone, though it also notes that some state motor vehicle departments place restrictions on drivers once they reach a certain age.2 So the signs to watch are about driving itself, and a family can notice them, act on them early, and plan around them so that stopping never has to mean becoming stranded.

In This Guide

• Key Takeaways
• When to Stop Driving: There's No Magic Age
• Warning Signs of When to Stop Driving
• Dementia and Driving Are a Special Case
• How to Have the Conversation
• Who Decides, and What Your State's DMV Can Do
• Life After Driving: Staying Mobile
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Learn More

When to Stop Driving: There's No Magic Age

Families often ask what age a person has to stop driving, and the health guidance doesn't name one. We all age differently, so the National Institute on Aging says there is no one recommended age to quit, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration frames it the same way: decisions about someone's ability to drive should never be based on age alone, though changes in vision, physical fitness and reflexes may cause safety concerns.2 Licensing is a separate question that each state answers for itself, which the DMV section below covers.

That's freeing and it's demanding at the same time. NHTSA's guidance for families is that a person's driving performance, not their age, determines fitness to drive.1 It means an 80-year-old in good health may be a perfectly safe driver while a 68-year-old with certain conditions is not, and it means you can't outsource the judgment to a number.

This is a decision a great many families will face. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention counted almost 52 million licensed drivers ages 65 and older in the U.S. in 2022, a 77% increase since 2004.4 The same CDC page reports that about 9,100 older adults were killed in traffic crashes in 2022 and over 270,000 were treated in emergency departments for crash injuries, and that drivers 70 and older have higher crash death rates per 1,000 crashes than middle-aged drivers, mainly because they are more easily hurt in a crash.4 What you can do is watch for the specific things that make driving unsafe and act on what you see, rather than waiting for a crash to make the decision for you.

Warning Signs of When to Stop Driving

The most useful move is to trade a vague sense that something's off for a concrete checklist. The National Institute on Aging's self-assessment asks whether your parent, or you, is running into the signs below.2

• Trouble seeing road signs, exits, or lane lines.
• Getting lost frequently, even on familiar roads.
• Physical conditions or medications that have slowed reaction time.
• Not being flexible enough to turn and check mirrors and blind spots comfortably.
• Accidents, even minor fender-benders, or cars and pedestrians that seem to appear out of nowhere.
• Being often distracted while driving.
• Other drivers honking often, or family, friends, or a doctor saying they're worried.

One or two of these on an off day isn't a verdict, and NHTSA cautions that families are not uncommonly wrong when they judge a driver's risk, which is why it suggests collecting information from several angles. Riding along with your parent is the most practical way to see their driving for yourself.1 A pattern of these signs is the signal to take a harder look, ideally with the doctor's help.

Check the medicines and the eyes before drawing conclusions. Some of what looks like declining driving can come from a medicine or a vision problem. The Food and Drug Administration says many medicines won't affect driving, but some prescription and over-the-counter ones can cause drowsiness, blurred vision, dizziness, slowed movement, or trouble focusing, sometimes for hours and even into the next morning. Examples FDA lists include sleeping pills, opioids, benzodiazepines for anxiety, some antidepressants, and some cold and allergy medicines that contain an antihistamine. Ask the doctor or pharmacist to review everything your parent takes, including vitamins and supplements; FDA notes the professional may be able to change the dose, adjust when the medicine is taken, or switch to one with fewer side effects.5 On vision, the National Institute on Aging advises people 60 and older to get a dilated eye exam every one to two years and keep any glasses or contact lens prescription up to date, and NHTSA notes that for cataracts, surgery can help drivers stay behind the wheel safely.6 Our guide to driving with cataracts or macular degeneration goes further on vision.

Dementia and Driving Are a Special Case

Dementia deserves its own section because its arc is predictable in a way ordinary aging is not. In the early stages of Alzheimer's disease or another dementia, some people are able to keep driving; but as memory and decision-making skills get worse, at some point it will no longer be safe to be behind the wheel, as the National Institute on Aging explains. NHTSA puts it bluntly: the issue is not whether the person will have to stop driving, but when.1

A diagnosis on its own is not the moment to take the keys. NHTSA's guidance for clinicians says a dementia diagnosis is not, by itself, a sufficient reason to withdraw driving privileges, that a significant number of drivers with dementia can drive safely in the early stages, and that what decides it is driving ability and how much and what kind of driving the person does. It encourages a plan for stopping driving, with alternative transportation, worked out with family and caregivers.7

That changes the caregiver's job. People with dementia often don't realize they are having driving problems, so the National Institute on Aging says family and friends need to watch the person's driving carefully. Signs it lists that it's time to stop include new dents or scrapes on the car, multiple near misses or crashes, two or more traffic tickets or minor accidents, sudden lane changes or other poor decisions in traffic, and taking a long time on a simple errand without being able to explain why. Some people with memory loss can still drive short distances on local streets during the day but not safely at night or on a freeway, and in that case NIA suggests limiting driving times and distances.1

When it is time, the doctor can carry some of the weight. The Alzheimer's Association suggests asking the physician to advise the person not to drive and to write a letter or prescription saying they must not drive, which the family can use as a reminder of what was decided; NIA notes the doctor can write "Do not drive" on a prescription pad. As a last resort, the Alzheimer's Association says to take away the keys, disable the car or consider selling it, while providing safe, reliable alternative transportation.8 Our guides to dementia behaviors, to whether doctors have to report dementia to the DMV and to what to do instead of guardianship cover the wider decision-making questions that ride alongside this one.

How to Have the Conversation

This is the part families dread. NHTSA's advice for families boils down to three steps: collect information, make a plan, and follow through on it.1 A few things make the talk itself go better.

• Lead with specifics, not a verdict. Base what you say on what you've actually observed, and use "I" messages rather than "you" messages: "I am concerned about your safety when you are driving" rather than "You're no longer a safe driver," an example both NHTSA and NIA give. Choosing the family member or friend your parent tends to hear best to lead the talk can help too.1
• Bring in the doctor. The National Institute on Aging suggests asking a doctor or pharmacist whether any health problems or medicines might make driving unsafe.5 Keep in mind that NHTSA says doctors, pharmacists, and eye specialists can't discuss your parent's driving with you until your parent has signed a release form.1
• Consider a formal driving evaluation. It's done by a driver rehabilitation specialist, who is often an occupational therapist with extra training, and it covers vision, thinking, and physical abilities, sometimes with an on-the-road assessment. The result isn't always a full stop: the specialist can recommend restrictions such as daylight-only driving, vehicle changes, or new strategies, or can tell the doctor the person should retire from driving. NIA notes there may be fees for these assessments.1 Our guide to getting a driving evaluation explains how to find one.
• Separate the loss of the keys from the loss of independence. NIA advises learning about local community services for someone who can no longer drive before you have the conversation, and offering to help your parent stay independent.1 If you arrive with a concrete answer to "then how will I get to the doctor and the store," you've removed a big reason to say no.
• Make it a process, not a single showdown. NIA suggests raising the topic gently and revisiting it over time, and if a safety problem remains after the conversation, NHTSA recommends a written action plan, made with your parent deeply involved, whose goal is to preserve their independence, with the transportation plan reviewed at least twice a year.1 One exception: NHTSA says a driver who fails to stop at red lights and stop signs, or to yield as traffic laws require, is at extreme risk and needs immediate action to stop driving.1

Who Decides, and What Your State's DMV Can Do

In the end, the legal authority over a driver's license belongs to the state, not to the family. NHTSA notes that some state departments of motor vehicles place restrictions on drivers once they reach a certain age, and it suggests finding out whether your state defines "older drivers" at a certain age and what that means for license renewal, restrictions, and tests.2 Check your parent's state department of motor vehicles for what applies where they live, or see our roundup of older driver license renewal rules by state.

If a parent with clear warning signs won't stop, there is a reporting route. NHTSA says that in almost every state a family member can report a driver to the DMV with a letter describing specific examples of unsafe driving or medical conditions believed to put the driver at risk. The DMV is required to examine the claims carefully so the driver isn't harassed unfairly, and depending on the state the letter may or may not be confidential, so your parent could find out who wrote it. Even a driver who is re-examined and passes may face periodic reviews afterward, such as physician reports or road tests. NHTSA advises sitting down with the driver to discuss your concerns before contacting the DMV.1 Our guide to reporting an unsafe older driver to the DMV walks through the process.

Life After Driving: Staying Mobile

The single most effective thing you can do to make stopping easier is to prove that life goes on without the car, and it has to go on for a long time. A national study published in 2002 estimated that, on average, male drivers aged 70 to 74 would depend on other transportation for about 7 years after they stop driving, and female drivers that age for about 10.3

Several public programs help fill that gap. Transportation is one of the access services that Older Americans Act Title III-B funds, which flow through local Area Agencies on Aging.9 Public transit agencies that run regular fixed-route service (other than commuter bus, commuter rail, or intercity rail) must also offer ADA complementary paratransit to eligible riders whose disability keeps them from using that service.10 And every state Medicaid program must ensure necessary transportation to and from medical providers for its members.11

Line one up before the keys go away, not after. Our guide to senior transportation walks through every option and which one fits which trip, and your local Area Agency on Aging, which you can find through the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116, can tell you what operates in your parent's town.12 Our guide to giving up a driver's license covers what to do with the license itself. When the answer to "how will I get around" is already sitting on the table, the decision to stop driving stops feeling like the end of independence and starts feeling like a manageable change.

Learn More

Find personalized help planning the transition when an older adult stops driving at brevy.com.

The information on Brevy.com is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional legal, financial, or medical advice. Rules vary by state and program and change frequently. Always verify with the relevant agency or a qualified professional. Brevy is not a law firm, financial advisor, or healthcare provider.