Drug-impaired driving: from the police assessment to a MARVAD or Sabar summons
Translation published: 15 October 2026
Why a drug-related matter may lead to a fitness assessment
A fitness-to-drive summons can raise questions even when the event behind the referral did not occur while driving. The Ministry of Health lists drivers who use drugs or have drug- or alcohol-related convictions among those referred by licensing authorities, the police or the IDF licensing authority. Read the grounds for your own referral rather than assuming that assessments concern only people caught driving under the influence.
An investigation, a conviction and a referral are different
Being investigated on suspicion of an offence is not a conviction. Nor should you assume that every investigation automatically leads to a referral, or that every conviction has the same licensing outcome. Check who referred you, what the referral says and what is required. The absence of charges or the end of criminal proceedings does not establish that a fitness assessment has ended; check the notices in each process.
A referral can begin during the investigation
Where an investigation produces information about drug use or suspected driving under the influence of drugs, the police may report the matter to licensing and fitness-assessment bodies before charges are filed or a court decides the case. A driver may therefore face a fitness enquiry while the criminal matter is still under investigation. This does not mean that every investigation produces such a report or that a report proves guilt. Check what was reported, to whom, and which decisions followed.
What does the police procedure cover?
Procedure 02.231.14, version 4 dated 23 March 2025, covers reasonable suspicion, saliva, urine and blood testing, investigation and administrative disqualification. It distinguishes saliva screening from laboratory evidence. We found no express MARVAD-reporting provision in it.
Reconstructing what happened
For an individual review, build a timeline: when the vehicle was stopped, what the driver was told, which tests took place, which forms were provided and what arrived later. Distinguish documented information from personal recollection and material not yet obtained. This identifies questions to investigate without deciding in advance whether a test was proper or defective.
Keeping the processes clear
To organise the file, make separate lists of police-investigation records and documents concerning the licence and fitness summons. An invitation to questioning is a different document from a Sabar summons; a disqualification decision is not a laboratory result. Identify missing documents explicitly. A legal review should examine the meaning of each record and the individual decision received, rather than relying on the general name of the process.
Is the summons from MARVAD or Sabar?
Start with the organisation and instructions identified in your summons. Do not assume that you may choose where to be examined or that someone else's instructions apply to you. Confirm the address, appointment, payment requirements and documents through the official channel. A summons alone is not a medical finding of addiction and does not establish the current status of your licence.
Which documents should you prepare?
Gather the summons, Licensing Authority notices and requested documents. If relevant criminal-proceeding decisions exist, such as a case-closure notice or judgment, keep them available to assess their connection to the referral. Collect relevant medical or treatment records as requested. Before submitting, check precisely what is needed, which period it must cover and how to send it. There is no universal set of tests that every applicant should order independently.
Preparing for the assessment
Preparation means providing accurate, organised and complete information. Concealing use, rehearsing untrue answers or trying to influence test results is inappropriate. Follow your personal instructions for any laboratory tests or treatment records. Do not change medication on your own; direct medical questions about treatment and fitness to your treating doctor.
May you drive while the matter is being assessed?
Check your licence's validity, category, restrictions and the decisions issued in your case. An investigation, summons or pending result does not by itself answer whether driving is permitted. If a disqualification or suspension is in force, do not disregard it because assessments are unfinished. Where there is doubt, clarify the official position with the Licensing Authority before driving.
If a decision affects your licence
Keep the decision and record when you received it. Check its reasons, the licence categories covered, the applicable challenge route and deadline. Do not assume that contacting the examining body or awaiting records stops the clock. Any specialist opinion should address the relevant questions independently and professionally; no document guarantees a different decision.
How the firm can assist
Tsuri Saban & Co. can review the referral, its connection to criminal proceedings, the licence status and appropriate next steps based on the records. For an initial enquiry call 050-3302070. Submit only a brief description online and arrange sensitive-document transfer with the firm. This is general information, not individual medical or legal advice or a promise of an outcome.
Official sources
Related information
Who can provide information to MARVAD and the Licensing Authority? 5 key bodies
Summoned to MARVAD or Sabar Medical? Preparing your examination documents