Rhode Island Driver’s License Restriction Codes: Standard and CDL

The restriction codes on a Rhode Island driver’s license are letters printed on the card that limit how, when, or what you can drive, and the most common one — “A” for corrective lenses — is issued automatically if you only pass the vision screening while wearing glasses or contacts. Driving outside any restriction is a civil violation, and the DMV can suspend or revoke your license if it decides you’re ignoring the limit.¹

Rhode Island uses two sets of codes. Standard codes go on regular Class D licenses and are usually tied to vision or a physical condition. CDL codes are set by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and match the letters used in every other state.

Standard License Restriction Codes

The corrective lenses restriction, printed as “A” on a Rhode Island license, is by far the most common. It applies to anyone who needs glasses or contacts to meet the state’s 20/40 visual acuity standard. Getting pulled over without your corrective lenses while carrying this restriction is a civil violation, and repeated violations can lead the DMV to suspend or revoke your license.¹

A mechanical aids restriction covers drivers who need specialized vehicle controls, such as hand-operated brakes or steering knobs, because a physical condition makes standard controls hard to use. A prosthetic aids restriction is separate and covers drivers who need an artificial limb or similar device to operate the vehicle safely. Both restrictions travel with the driver, so the DMV expects the equipped vehicle to be there every time you drive.

A daylight-only restriction is issued to drivers whose vision makes nighttime driving unsafe. The statute requires an affidavit from a licensed physician or ophthalmologist certifying that the person can safely drive during daylight hours before the DMV issues it.¹ Drivers who use bioptic telescopic lenses automatically receive both the daylight-only restriction and the corrective lenses restriction. Removing the daylight-only piece requires passing a nighttime road test.²

Commercial Driver’s License Restriction Codes

CDL restriction codes are federally standardized, so the letters on a Rhode Island commercial license mean the same thing as the ones on a CDL from any other state. The Rhode Island DMV recognizes the following codes:³

L — No full air brakes. Issued when the driver did not pass the air brakes knowledge test, could not identify air brake components, or did not take the skills test in a vehicle with a full air brake system.
Z — No full air brakes (air-over-hydraulic). Issued when the skills test was taken in a vehicle with an air-over-hydraulic brake system. Like the L restriction, it bars driving any commercial vehicle equipped with full air brakes.
E — No manual transmission. Issued when the skills test was taken in a vehicle with an automatic or semi-automatic transmission. The driver cannot operate a commercial vehicle with a manual gearbox.
O — No tractor-trailer. Issued when the Class A skills test was taken in a vehicle using a pintle hook, gooseneck, or other non-fifth-wheel connection. The driver cannot operate a Class A tractor-trailer connected by a fifth wheel.
M — Class B and C passenger vehicles only. Applied when a Class A CDL holder earns a passenger or school bus endorsement by testing in a Class B vehicle.
N — Class C passenger vehicles only. Applied when a Class B CDL holder earns a passenger or school bus endorsement by testing in a Class C vehicle.
V — Medical variance. Indicates that the FMCSA has granted a medical variance, with the details recorded on the Commercial Driver’s License Information System.

A K restriction — intrastate only — is also part of the federal scheme and limits a CDL holder to driving commercial vehicles inside Rhode Island. It commonly applies to drivers aged 18 to 20, who do not yet meet the federal minimum age of 21 for interstate commercial driving.⁴

How the DMV Decides to Add a Restriction

Most restrictions start at the vision screening. Rhode Island requires 20/40 acuity for private vehicle operators, whether or not corrective lenses are used, and the same 20/40 standard applies to commercial vehicle drivers. One-eyed drivers must meet 20/40 in the functioning eye and are advised to install a rearview mirror on the side of the blind eye.⁵

If you meet 20/40 only with glasses or contacts, the corrective lenses restriction is added automatically. If you cannot reach 20/40 even with correction, the DMV requires a formal evaluation from a licensed eye care professional. Bioptic telescopic lens users face stricter rules: the telescope must be monocular, fixed-focus, spectacle-mounted, and no greater than 3x magnification, and the driver must meet at least 20/40 through the telescope and 20/100 through each carrier lens.²

Non-vision medical conditions can also produce a restriction. When a driver’s physical or mental fitness is questioned through a physician report, a crash investigation, or observations during a road test, the DMV Administrator can consult the Medical Advisory Board. The Board’s role is advisory: it evaluates fitness and recommends restrictions, and the Administrator makes the final decision.⁶

What Happens If You Drive Outside Your Restriction

Driving outside the terms of a restricted license is a civil violation. The statute does not fix a dollar amount; the fine is set by the traffic tribunal.¹

The administrative consequence is the bigger one. When the DMV receives evidence of a violation, whether from a traffic stop, a crash report, or another source, it has the authority to suspend or revoke the license. You are entitled to a hearing before any suspension takes effect, under the same procedures used for other license suspensions in Chapter 31-2.¹ A forgotten pair of glasses is a ticket the first time; a pattern of the same violation is what puts the license itself at risk.

Removing or Modifying a Restriction

If the underlying condition has changed, you can ask the DMV to lift the restriction. For corrective lenses, the process is short: see an eye care professional, obtain a completed eye exam card showing you now meet the 20/40 standard without correction, and submit it with an application for an updated license.⁵

Removing a daylight-only restriction requires passing a nighttime road test.² For restrictions tied to a broader medical condition, the Medical Advisory Board may review updated physician documentation before the Administrator approves a change.⁶

Once the DMV updates the record, you pay for a duplicate license showing the change. The current duplicate license fee in Rhode Island is $28.50, plus a payment processor fee if you use a credit card.⁷

A Note on Teen Driver Restrictions

The conditions on a teen driver’s limited provisional license — the 1:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. curfew, the one-passenger-under-21 rule for the first twelve months, the seat belt requirement, and the 50-hour supervised driving prerequisite — are part of Rhode Island’s graduated licensing system, not lettered restriction codes.⁸ They apply by operation of law to every provisional license holder, so you won’t see them printed on the card the way you’d see an “A” for corrective lenses. They still carry the force of a restricted license, and driving outside them exposes a young driver to the same kinds of penalties.

1
Rhode Island General Assembly. Rhode Island Code 31-10-28 – Restricted Licenses
2
Rhode Island Secretary of State. 280-RICR-30-05-4 – Visual Acuity and Horizontal Peripheral Field of Vision Standard for Applicants and Licensees Who Use Bioptic Telescopic Lenses
3
Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles. Endorsements/Restrictions
4
FMCSA. Drivers
5
Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles. Eye Exam Card
6
Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles. Medical Advisory Board
7
Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles. Fee Schedule
8
Rhode Island General Assembly. Rhode Island Code 31-10-6 – Graduated Licensing