If you failed the eye screening at a Tennessee Driver Services Center, the examiner gave you the Tennessee DMV vision examination form, officially numbered SF-0257. Take it to any licensed ophthalmologist or optometrist you choose, have them complete and sign it, then return the original to a Driver Services Center in person or mail it to the Driver Improvement Section of the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security in Nashville.1State of Tennessee. What if I Cannot Pass the Vision Screening?
When You Get the Form
Every applicant for a Tennessee driver’s license takes a vision screening at the service center. If your acuity measures worse than 20/40 in either eye, the examiner hands you the SF-0257 and sends you to an eye specialist of your choosing. The state does not refer you to a provider.1State of Tennessee. What if I Cannot Pass the Vision Screening?
If you had a qualifying eye exam in another state within the past year and you are transferring your license to Tennessee, you can mail the SF-0257 to that out-of-state provider for completion instead of booking a new appointment.1State of Tennessee. What if I Cannot Pass the Vision Screening?
What the Eye Specialist Must Fill In
You do not complete the medical portions of this form. Your job is to hand it over blank and make sure it comes back complete. A form missing signatures or fields will be rejected, and a rejection means another appointment.
- Your full legal name, date of birth, and Tennessee driver’s license number (or the number from your current out-of-state license if you are transferring).
- Snellen visual acuity readings for the right eye alone, the left eye alone, and both eyes together, taken with and without corrective lenses if you use them.
- Whether corrective lenses bring your acuity up to a passing level, and the prescription in use.
- Any restrictions the specialist recommends, such as outside rear-view mirrors, corrective lenses, or daylight-only driving.
- The specialist’s signature, the date, and their professional license number, printed legibly.
Before you leave the office, look the form over. The professional license number is what allows the state to verify the exam was performed by a qualified provider, so make sure it is readable.
The Acuity Levels That Pass
Tennessee’s non-commercial vision standards are set in Administrative Rule 1340-01-13-.10. The clean pass is 20/40 (Snellen) or better in each eye separately and both eyes together, which produces a license with no vision restrictions.2Tennessee Secretary of State. Rules of the Tennessee Department of Safety – Chapter 1340-01-13
Two lower tiers still qualify you, but with restrictions attached:
- 20/60 or better in both eyes qualifies you with a corrective lens restriction (if lenses were needed to reach that level) and a requirement that your vehicle have both left and right outside rear-view mirrors.3Cornell Law Institute. Tennessee Comp. R. and Regs. 1340-01-13-.10 – Vision Standards
- 20/40 or better in one eye, with the other eye ranging from 20/60 to blind, qualifies you under the same mirror and corrective lens restrictions.3Cornell Law Institute. Tennessee Comp. R. and Regs. 1340-01-13-.10 – Vision Standards
Fall below both of those tiers and the state will not issue a standard license. If lenses are needed to reach any passing threshold, expect a restriction requiring you to wear them every time you drive.2Tennessee Secretary of State. Rules of the Tennessee Department of Safety – Chapter 1340-01-13
How to Submit the Completed Form
Once the specialist has filled out and signed the SF-0257, you have two ways to get it to the state.
- In person at any Tennessee Driver Services Center. Bring the completed original. If you are applying or renewing at the same visit, this is the faster route because staff can process both together.
- By mail to the Driver Improvement Section, Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, in Nashville. Send the original. This works when you are not ready to visit a center or when the form was requested as part of a medical review of an existing license.
If the report shows you meet one of the passing tiers, the state updates your record with any applicable restrictions. You then visit a Driver Services Center to receive the updated license reflecting those restrictions. If the report shows your vision does not meet any qualifying standard, the state will deny or suspend your driving privilege and notify you by mail.
If You Use Bioptic Telescopic Lenses
Drivers who use bioptic telescopic lenses follow a different and stricter track than standard applicants. Tennessee allows licensing for bioptic wearers under Class D, PD, or H licenses, but the requirements go well beyond a single SF-0257.3Cornell Law Institute. Tennessee Comp. R. and Regs. 1340-01-13-.10 – Vision Standards
Acuity with the best conventional corrective lenses must be at least 20/200, acuity through the bioptic telescope must reach at least 20/60, and the telescope cannot exceed four-power magnification. You need a horizontal visual field of at least 150 degrees without field expanders. You must also complete certified driver training while wearing the bioptic system, use the system for at least 60 days before the specialist writes the report, and submit that report on a state-supplied form. An updated report is required annually after the initial report date.3Cornell Law Institute. Tennessee Comp. R. and Regs. 1340-01-13-.10 – Vision Standards
Restrictions for bioptic drivers can include daylight only, a 50 mph speed limit, outside rear-view mirrors on both sides, no interstate driving, and area or time restrictions based on individual driving performance.3Cornell Law Institute. Tennessee Comp. R. and Regs. 1340-01-13-.10 – Vision Standards
Commercial Applicants Follow Federal Standards
The tiers above apply to standard, non-commercial licenses. Commercial driver’s license applicants in Tennessee meet the federal vision standards in 49 C.F.R. § 391 rather than the state tiers.2Tennessee Secretary of State. Rules of the Tennessee Department of Safety – Chapter 1340-01-13 If you fail the vision screening as a CDL applicant, the service center still sends you to an eye specialist, but the thresholds evaluated are the federal ones.
Do Not Drive While Your License Is Suspended
If you skip the form and drive on a vision-related suspension, Tennessee treats it as any other suspension violation. Under Tennessee Code § 55-50-504, driving on a canceled, suspended, or revoked license is a Class B misdemeanor for a first offense and a Class A misdemeanor for a second or subsequent offense, with jail time and fines attached to each, plus a longer suspension and a harder path back to reinstatement.4Justia Law. Tennessee Code 55-50-504 – Minors – Forfeiture Submitting the vision form, even one that produces restrictions you would rather avoid, is the far simpler path.