How to Fill Out and Submit Indiana State Form 56520: Vision Screening

Indiana State Form 56520 lets you skip the vision screening machine at a BMV branch by having your own licensed ophthalmologist or optometrist certify your eyesight in advance. You fill out the top section, your eye doctor fills out the rest, and you bring the completed form to a full-service BMV branch in place of the standard electronic eye test. The form is available for download from the state forms catalog or in person at any branch.

Who Uses This Form

The BMV allows a completed Form 56520 from a licensed ophthalmologist or optometrist to waive the in-branch vision screening for a learner’s permit or driver’s license.1Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Vision Screening Two situations bring most people to it:

  • You’d rather have your own eye doctor document your vision than use the branch machine, often because you already wear corrective lenses or have a known condition.
  • Your last renewal was done online. Indiana requires you to pass a standard vision screening or submit a completed Form 56520 the next time you renew in person.2Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Renewing a Driver’s License, Learner’s Permit, or Identification Card

The legal authority for the form is IC 9-24-10, which empowers the BMV to examine every applicant’s eyesight as part of the licensing process.3Justia. Indiana Code Title 9, Article 24, Chapter 10 – Examination for License or Permit

Filling Out Section A

Section A is yours. Enter your full legal name, date of birth, and Indiana driver’s license or identification card number. Sign and date the authorization line, which permits the doctor to release results to the BMV.4Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles. State Form 56520 – Vision Screening Documentation Then hand the form to your eye doctor.

What Your Eye Doctor Fills In (Section B)

Section B is the clinical portion. The doctor records:

  • Snellen visual acuity readings (20/xx) for the left eye, the right eye, and both eyes together.
  • Whether you need corrective lenses, and whether contact lenses are needed in the left eye, right eye, or both.
  • Their signature, printed name, license number, office address, and the date of the examination.

That is the entire clinical section. Form 56520 does not ask about peripheral vision, eye diseases, or long-term stability of your condition.4Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles. State Form 56520 – Vision Screening Documentation

How Long the Completed Form Is Good For

A completed Form 56520 is valid for one year from the date of the examination when you present it at a branch. If you plan to use it for an online renewal, the window is 30 days from the exam date.4Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles. State Form 56520 – Vision Screening Documentation The shorter deadline matters for drivers 75 and older who are eligible to renew online after emailing the form. For everyone else, the one-year window is generous enough to schedule the exam well before your renewal date.

Where to Submit It

For most drivers, submission means walking the physical form into a full-service BMV branch. There is no option to upload a scanned copy through the myBMV portal. If your last renewal was completed online, you must bring Form 56520 into a branch in person to renew.1Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Vision Screening

One exception: customers 75 and older whose ophthalmologist or optometrist completed Form 56520 within the past 30 days can email it to DriverAbility@bmv.IN.gov and then renew online or at a BMV Connect kiosk without visiting a branch.2Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Renewing a Driver’s License, Learner’s Permit, or Identification Card

When Form 56520 Won’t Work

Form 56520 cannot be used if your vision is below 20/50 in either eye or if you are currently under a Driver Ability review. In those situations, the BMV requires State Form 22106, Certificate of Vision (Eye Referral), which covers peripheral fields, eye diseases, and stability assessments.4Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles. State Form 56520 – Vision Screening Documentation If your doctor discovers during the exam that either eye is worse than 20/50, Form 56520 won’t be accepted and you’ll go through the Form 22106 process instead.5Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Certificate of Vision (Eye Referral)

Restriction Codes That May Follow From Your Results

Based on your acuity readings, the BMV may add restriction codes to your license. Three codes relate directly to vision:

  • B: You must wear glasses or contact lenses while driving.
  • F: You must use outside rearview mirrors while driving.
  • G: You may drive only during daylight hours.

Which codes apply depends on the specific combination of corrected acuity in each eye:1Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Vision Screening

  • No restrictions: both eyes read 20/20 to 20/40 without corrective lenses.
  • F only: one eye reads 20/20 to 20/40 without lenses, the other reads 20/50 to blind.
  • B and F: one eye reads 20/20 to 20/40 with lenses, the other reads 20/50 to blind.
  • B only: both eyes read 20/50 with lenses.
  • B, F, and G: one eye reads 20/50 with lenses and the other reads 20/70 to blind, or both eyes read 20/70 with lenses.

Drivers who land in the last tier can still hold a valid license, but nighttime driving is off-limits.