How to Pass the NC DMV Eye Test: Standards, Screening, and Restrictions

North Carolina’s DMV eye test requirements are straightforward: you need at least 20/40 visual acuity in one eye, with or without corrective lenses, and a horizontal field of vision of at least 60 degrees in one eye or 70 degrees using both. You’ll take the screening on a viewer machine at the DMV office, and under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 20-7(c), it happens every time you get or renew a license in person.¹

The Vision Standards You Have to Meet

For a standard Class C license, the DMV checks two things: how sharply you see and how far your vision extends to the sides.

The sharpness threshold is 20/40 in at least one eye. That means you need to read, from 40 feet, the line a person with normal vision reads from 40 feet. Corrective lenses are allowed, so wearing your glasses or contacts to hit the number is fine.¹

The peripheral requirement is a horizontal field of at least 60 degrees in one eye, or a combined 70 degrees using both. You must meet both the acuity and the field-of-vision standards before the DMV will issue or renew your license.

What the Screening Looks Like

An examiner will direct you to a tabletop vision viewer that you look into like a pair of binoculars. Inside are rows of illuminated letters or numbers at simulated distances. You’ll read specific rows aloud, first with each eye alone and then with both together.

The same machine checks peripheral awareness by flashing objects or lights at the edges of your field. You’ll be asked to say when and where they appear. A quick color check confirms you can distinguish red, green, and amber, since those are the traffic signal colors. The whole process takes a few minutes. Keep your forehead against the viewing hood, and don’t squint or tilt your head — that skews the reading.

How to Prepare

If you wear glasses or contacts, bring them, and make sure they’re clean and current. An outdated prescription is one of the most common reasons people fail a screening they should have passed. If your vision has shifted since your last exam, see your optometrist or ophthalmologist before your DMV appointment.

Drivers with eye conditions that might complicate a standard machine test should have Form DL-77, the Vision Specialist Form, completed ahead of time. You can download it from the NCDMV website or pick one up at any DMV office.² A licensed ophthalmologist or optometrist fills in the clinical sections — acuity in each eye, field of vision, diagnosis, and whether the condition is stable or progressive — and you sign to authorize release of the information. Bringing this form to your appointment can save a return trip if the machine test raises questions.

The Corrective Lens Restriction

If you pass while wearing glasses or contacts, the DMV adds Restriction 1 (“Corrective Lens”) to your license. It appears as a code on the front of the card and means you must wear your corrective lenses every time you drive.¹

Under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 20-7(e), violating any license restriction is treated as driving without a license. An officer who checks your license code during a stop and notices you aren’t wearing glasses can cite you. The restriction stays on your record until you pass a future screening without corrective lenses.

Removing the Restriction After Surgery

If you’ve had LASIK, PRK, or another refractive procedure and no longer need glasses, you can have Restriction 1 removed. Visit any NCDMV office, pass the standard screening without corrective lenses, and the examiner will update your record and issue a new license. You don’t have to wait for your renewal date.

If You Fail the Screening

Failing the in-office test doesn’t end things. The DMV will hand you a DL-77 and direct you to an ophthalmologist or optometrist for a full evaluation. The specialist records corrected and uncorrected acuity in each eye, visual field measurements, and any diagnosis and its stability.²

You return the completed form to the DMV. A clerk reviews it and may run a targeted retest. If the specialist’s findings show you meet the minimums with correction, the DMV can issue your license with the appropriate restrictions. If the report shows your vision falls below the minimums, the case may go to the Medical Review Unit.

Medical Review and Appeals

The Medical Review Unit handles cases where vision raises safety concerns beyond what a simple corrective-lens restriction can address. If your condition is stable and your doctor’s documentation supports it, the outcome may be a restricted license rather than a denial. Restrictions can include daylight-only driving, a 45 mph speed cap with no interstate use, limits to specific routes, or a set radius from home.³

If you disagree with the decision, you have 10 calendar days from receiving the notice to request a hearing in writing. The hearing runs about 30 minutes before the Medical Review Hearing Board, which includes a hearing officer and at least two physicians. If the board rules against you, the next step is an appeal to Wake County Superior Court.³

When the Test Applies at Renewal

State law requires a vision test at every in-person renewal, no matter your age. Look into the machine again each time you renew at a DMV office.¹

Online renewal is available for non-commercial licenses up to two consecutive times before an in-person visit is required. REAL ID holders can also renew online a second consecutive time if they had an in-person photo taken since their last renewal. Online renewal is not available if your license is suspended, you have restrictions beyond corrective lenses, or you hold a CDL or Class A/B license.⁴ Active military members serving in a combat zone or qualified hazardous duty zone are exempt from the eye exam when renewing by mail.¹

CDL Applicants and Bioptic Drivers

The standards above cover a regular Class C license. If you’re applying for a commercial driver’s license, federal rules under 49 CFR 391.41 apply on top of state requirements: 20/40 in each eye (not just one), a 70-degree horizontal field in each eye, and recognition of red, green, and amber. Corrective lenses are allowed, but you can’t lean on one strong eye to carry a weaker one the way you can with a Class C.⁵ Drivers who don’t meet the standard in their worse eye may qualify under an alternative federal pathway using FMCSA Form MCSA-5871.⁶ North Carolina’s Medical Review Unit no longer issues separate state vision waivers for commercial drivers.³

Drivers with reduced central vision may qualify to drive using bioptic telescopic lenses under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 20-7(t). The bioptic rules have their own acuity thresholds, a required specialist report, a DMV road test, and a behind-the-wheel training program, and license holders are initially limited to daytime driving.¹ If that’s your situation, plan on a longer process than the standard machine screening.

1
North Carolina General Assembly. North Carolina General Statutes Section 20-7 – Issuance and Renewal of Drivers Licenses
2
North Carolina Department of Transportation. North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles Vision Specialist Form
3
NCDMV. Medical Review Program
4
North Carolina Department of Transportation. NCDMV License and ID Renewal
5
eCFR. 49 CFR 391.41 – Physical Qualifications for Drivers
6
eCFR. 49 CFR 391.44 – Physical Qualification Standards for an Individual Who Does Not Satisfy the Vision Standard