Florida DMV Eye Test Chart: Vision Standards and Rules

The Florida DMV eye test is a short vision screening you take at a driver license office: you look into an optical machine, read letters off a chart inside the viewfinder, and the examiner checks that your eyesight meets the state’s 20/40 acuity standard with a horizontal field of vision of at least 130 degrees.¹ The screening applies to first-time applicants and anyone renewing in person.²

What the Test Looks Like

Florida offices don’t use a wall chart. You step up to a screening machine and look into a viewfinder that shows rows of letters, largest at the top, shrinking line by line in the same pattern as a Snellen chart. The examiner asks you to read the smallest line you can see clearly. That line sets your acuity score.

The same machine checks your peripheral vision. While you focus on the letters, small lights flash at the edges of the viewfinder, and you signal when you spot them. The enclosed viewfinder blocks outside glare, so results stay consistent from one office to the next.

You test each eye separately, then both together. The whole thing takes about two minutes. If you wear glasses or contacts, bring them and wear them during the test.

The Vision Standards You Need to Meet

Florida’s minimum visual standards sit in Administrative Code Rule 15A-1.013. Where you land on the scale decides whether you walk out with a license that day or get sent to a specialist first:¹

20/40 or better in each eye, with or without correction: you pass on the spot.
Worse than 20/40 in either eye: you’re referred to a licensed eye specialist to see whether glasses or contacts can bring you up to standard.
20/70 in either eye: you can still be licensed after seeing a specialist, provided your vision cannot be improved further. If one eye is blind or reads 20/200 or worse, the other eye must reach 20/40 or better.
20/80 or worse in both eyes, with no possible improvement: the department will not issue a license.
Field of vision below 130 degrees: you must submit a charted field measurement from a specialist.³

If You Don’t Pass the Screening

Failing the in-office test is not the end of the road. The examiner hands you a Report of Eye Examination form (HSMV 72010) and sends you to a licensed ophthalmologist or optometrist.³ The specialist examines you, decides whether lenses can bring you up to the qualifying range, and completes the form. You bring it back to the driver license office.

A general practitioner cannot fill this form out. Only reports from licensed eye specialists are accepted, and the completed form is valid for one year from the date of the exam. You can download a blank copy from the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles website or pick one up at any service center.³

If the specialist’s reading differs from the screening machine’s by more than 20 points, the examiner contacts the specialist for an explanation and may ask for a second opinion.¹ If your vision cannot be corrected enough to meet the minimums, the license is denied. Drivers age 80 and older who fail may receive a free state identification card instead.⁴

Glasses, Contacts, and the Restriction Code

If you need corrective lenses to reach 20/40, your license will carry a corrective lenses restriction, coded “A” on the card, and you must wear your lenses every time you drive.¹⁵

Contact lens wearers who want to avoid the restriction have options. You can present a contact lens wearer card from your specialist showing your uncorrected vision meets the standard, submit a completed Form 72010 proving the same, or return to the office without your contacts and retake the screening. If your uncorrected vision doesn’t pass, the restriction stays on the license.¹

Driving without your required lenses is a moving violation that can also be charged as a second-degree misdemeanor under Florida law, carrying a fine, points, and up to 60 days in jail.⁶ A backup pair of glasses in the car is cheap protection.

Telescopic Lenses Are Not Allowed

Some states let low-vision drivers use bioptic telescopic lenses to reach the acuity minimum. Florida does not. The administrative code prohibits telescopic lenses from being used to meet the visual standard, regardless of the reading they produce, and a driver who shows up wearing them will receive a field revocation order for inadequate vision.¹⁷

Rules for Drivers Age 80 and Older

Younger drivers who renew online or by mail skip the vision screening for that cycle. Drivers 80 and older do not have that option. A vision test is required at every renewal, whether you renew in person, online, or by mail.⁴ The renewal cycle also shortens from eight years to six years at age 80.⁸

You can take the test at any driver license service center at no extra charge. If you’d rather not visit an office, a Florida-licensed medical doctor, osteopathic physician, or optometrist can administer the test, and you or the doctor submits a Mature Driver Vision Test form (HSMV 72119) to the department. That form is simpler than the Report of Eye Exam (72010). If the test turns up a condition that needs more evaluation, you’ll be referred to a specialist and the full Form 72010 comes into play.⁸

What the Test Costs

The screening at the driver license office is included in your license fee. There’s no separate charge for the eye test. A standard non-commercial Class E license costs $48 for original issuance or renewal, plus a $6.25 service fee if you’re processed at a tax collector’s office rather than a state-run location.⁹ Veterans with proof of veteran status are exempt from that service fee.

If you’re referred to an eye specialist, the exam cost is yours and varies by provider and insurance. Specialist visits typically run from $50 to $250, more if you need additional testing such as a visual field map. If you know your eyesight has slipped since your last renewal, budget for that possibility before you walk into the office.

1
Legal Information Institute. Florida Administrative Code 15A-1.013 – Minimum Visual Standards for Licensing
2
Florida Senate. Florida Statutes Chapter 322 Section 12 – Examination of Applicants
3
Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Report of Eye Examination Form
4
Florida Senate. Florida Statutes Chapter 322 Section 18 – Renewal of Licenses
5
Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. License Classes, Endorsements and Designations
6
The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes Chapter 322 Section 16 – License Restrictions
7
Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Vision Standards
8
Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Driver License Renewal Requirements and Options for Older Drivers
9
Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Fees