



You can then, of course, always drive with them if you want, but it’s not a legal requirement for you to wear them while driving. This is because it will allow you to legally drive without your glasses. If you benefit from glasses but can pass this standard test without them, you may wish to do so. If you can reach this level of visual acuity with glasses or other corrective wear, you can generally drive unrestricted so long as you only drive while wearing that corrective wear. To drive unrestricted, you must either have 20/40 vision in both eyes, or 20/40 vision in one eye and 20/70 vision (or better) in your other eye. If you have 20/40 vision, it means that you can details at 20 feet that someone with “normal” vision could see at a distance of 40 feet. Below that is when vision can really start to affect one’s driving ability, although not necessarily enough that you shouldn’t be able to drive at all (discussed later). Generally, 20/40 vision is considered a good cutoff for visual acuity. As a result, it is too strict a cutoff when determining who can safely drive. While this level of vision is more or less ideal, it is relatively rare. While better vision is possible, the gold standard for vision is generally considered 20/20 vision.Īt this level of visual acuity, a person at 20 feet can see at the same level of detail as what a person with essentially perfect vision can see at 20 feet. To understand California’s driving vision requirements, it’s important to grasp how visual acuity is measured. To help make roads safer, California’s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) requires that people seeking their driving license must pass a vision test, written exam, and practical driving test. California Vision RequirementsĬalifornia is a big state with busy roads, so it shouldn’t be surprising that they have various laws that regulate driving. You may be required to retake your test if a family member or relevant professionals are worried you are unsafe on the road. In some cases, people with vision problems may be permitted to drive, but they may be limited to only driving in the day.ĭrivers who are age 70 or older will be required to retake some of the tests required to get their license, including a vision test, whenever they renew their license. Several medical conditions can also cause you to be unable to drive unless you are approved by a specialist or via a special hearing. If your corrected vision in your best eye is worse than 20/200 vision, you cannot drive in California.
