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Vision Screening

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  • Medical & Fitness Requirements
    • Medical Review Process
    • Medical Review of Drivers
    • Appeals Process
    • Why am I on Review Plus Possible Outcomes
    • Medical Policies
    • Vision Requirements Overview
    • Vehicle Sun-Shading Medical Authorization
    • Bioptic Telescopic Lens Wearers
    • Conditions of Variance for CDL Driver to Haul Hazardous Materials
    • DMV Cognitive Impairment Policy
    • DMV Pain Management Policy
    • DMV Policy for Adaptive Equipment and Certified Driving Rehabilitation Specialist Referrals
    • DMV Policy for Drivers Experiencing a Crash Due to a Pedal Application Error
    • DMV Policy for Drivers with Heart-Assist Device
    • DMV Policy for Drivers with Psychiatric Disorders
    • DMV Policy for Drivers with Respiratory Conditions Requiring Supplemental Oxygen and/or Sleep Disorders
    • DMV Diabetes Policy
    • DMV Seizure/Blackout Policy
    • DMV Substance Abuse Policy
    • DMV Transient Ischemic Attack and/or Cerebral Vascular Accident Policy
    • DMV Vaso-Vagal Syncope Policy
    • DMV Visual Field Policy
    • Driving Under the Influence of Prescription Medications
    • Interpreting Letters / Instructions from the Medical Review Services (MRS) Team
    • Medical Advisory Board
    • Periodic Review with Medical Review Services (MRS)
    • Report an Impaired Driver
    • Suspension Date Approaching / Past

To keep our roads safe, drivers must meet certain vision requirements to qualify for a license. You can take a vision screening at any DMV customer service center.

Bioptic Telescopic Lenses

If you wear bioptic telescopic lenses, see bioptic lens requirements.

Vision Requirements

License TypeMinimum Vision RequirementsExplanation
Driver's License - Unrestricted
  • 20/40 or better vision in one or both eyes, corrected or uncorrected
  • 110 degrees or better horizontal vision in one or both eyes
 
Driver’s License - Restricted to Daylight Only
  • 20/70 or better vision in one or both eyes, corrected or uncorrected
  • 70 degrees or better horizontal vision. If vision is limited to only one eye, 40 degrees or better temporal and 30 degrees or better nasal are required  
A license restricted to daylight hours only permits you to drive during the period of time beginning one-half hour after sunrise and ending one-half hour before sunset.
Commercial Driver's License (CDL) or Commercial Learner's Permit (CLP)
  • 20/40 or better vision in each eye, corrected or uncorrected
  • 140 degrees or better horizontal vision
     
You must meet these visual requirements without the aid of a telescopic lens. Some drivers may be granted waivers from these requirements by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration or by Virginia DMV. See below.

Exemptions for CDL/CLP

If you don’t meet the minimum vision requirements for a CDL or CLP, drivers who are self certified EI or EA can apply to Medical Review Services for a disability waiver to qualify for an intrastate-only CDL or intrastate-only CLP, provided you meet the following requirements in one eye:

  • 20/40 or better vision, corrected or uncorrected
  • 120 degrees horizontal vision

See how to qualify to transport hazardous materials with limited vision.

What to Expect at a Vision Screening

To see if your vision meets the necessary requirements, we will ask you to look into a machine and read lines of letters or numbers. If you fail the vision screening, we will ask you to see an eye care professional for a vision exam. 

If you need to wear glasses or contact lenses to pass the vision screening, you must wear them when you drive. Your license will show this restriction. 

The vision screening is not a medical exam and is not intended to measure the health of your eyes. 

Note: See our Visual Field Policy for questions about visual field loss.

How to Remove Restrictions After Getting LASIK

If you must wear glasses or contact lenses when you drive, your driver's license will show a vision restriction. To have the vision restriction removed after having LASIK surgery, you must either:

  • Visit a DMV customer service center and get a replacement license by passing the vision screening without wearing glasses or contact lenses, or
  • Submit all the following by mail:
    • A completed Driver's License and Identification Card Application.
    • A Vision Screening Report (MED 4) that has been signed by an ophthalmologist or optometrist within the last three months. The MED 4 must show that you meet the minimum visual requirements without wearing glasses or contact lenses.
    • A $20 payment for the replacement license. We accept check or money order.

Mail these items to:

Department of Motor Vehicles
Medical Review Services
P.O. Box 27412
Richmond, VA 23269-0001
Fax: 804-367-1604

DMV will process your request and send you a replacement license with the vision restriction removed. If the expiration date on your license is less than one year away, consider renewing your driver's license instead of replacing it.

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