To pass the Texas DMV eye chart vision test, you need to read 20/40 or better with each eye alone and with both eyes together. That result, without corrective lenses, gets you an unrestricted license. Scores below that threshold either add conditions to your license or send you to an eye specialist before the Department of Public Safety (DPS) decides whether to issue one.
What the Screening Looks Like at the DPS Office
DPS uses a Snellen chart or a similar screening device. It’s the standard wall chart with a large letter on top and smaller rows below. You read the smallest line you can make out clearly, once with your right eye covered, once with your left eye covered, and once with both eyes open. Bring your glasses or contacts and wear them during the test if you use them.
First-time applicants also take a quick color screening to confirm you can tell red, green, and amber signals apart.1Legal Information Institute. Texas Administrative Code 37-15.51 – Vision Tests The color check is not repeated at renewal.
The Acuity Tiers That Decide Your License
Texas grades the results in tiers. The tier your eyes fall into determines whether the license comes back clean, with restrictions, or not at all.1Legal Information Institute. Texas Administrative Code 37-15.51 – Vision Tests
- 20/40 or better in each eye and both together, without corrective lenses: no vision restriction.
- Worse than 20/40 without corrective lenses: referral to an eye specialist for a full evaluation.
- 20/50 or better in the best eye or both together, with corrective lenses: license restricted to driving with corrective lenses.
- 20/60 or 20/70 in the best eye or both together, with corrective lenses: corrective lenses required, daytime driving only, 45 mph speed limit, plus any other restriction DPS considers advisable.
If your corrected vision is worse than 20/70 in your best eye, you fall outside the published tiers. DPS will coordinate with your eye specialist, and potentially the Medical Advisory Board, to decide whether you can drive at all and under what conditions.
The Tighter Rule for Drivers With One Eye
If you have vision in only one eye, the bare-eye threshold is stricter. Your functioning eye must score 20/25 or better without corrective lenses to avoid any restriction. Worse than 20/25 means referral to an eye specialist.1Legal Information Institute. Texas Administrative Code 37-15.51 – Vision Tests For everything else, including results with corrective lenses, the two-eyed tiers apply. So a one-eyed driver who corrects to 20/50 gets a corrective-lens restriction, and one who corrects only to 20/60 or 20/70 picks up the daytime and speed limits too. The tighter bare-eye standard exists because of depth perception: with only one eye contributing, DPS wants confirmation your unaided acuity is particularly sharp before clearing you without conditions.
When You Actually Take the Test
Not every renewal means reading the chart again.
First-Time Applicants
Every original applicant for a Texas driver’s license takes the vision test. No exceptions. It happens at the DPS office alongside the knowledge and driving exams.2State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code Chapter 521 – Drivers Licenses
Drivers 79 and Older
At 79 and older, you must renew in person at a DPS office and pass the vision exam every time. Online and mail renewal are off the table for this age group.3Texas Department of Public Safety. Senior Drivers – Age 65 or Older
Everyone Else
Drivers under 79 can renew online if they meet the eligibility rules, which include renewing in person last time and self-certifying that vision, physical health, and mental health have not significantly changed.4Texas Department of Public Safety. Renew Your Texas DL, CDL, Motorcycle License or ID Because you have to alternate between in-person and online, you’ll take the vision test at least every other cycle. DPS can also require an in-person test at any renewal if it has reason to believe your vision has deteriorated.
If You Don’t Pass the Screening
A failed screening at the counter is not a final denial. It’s a referral.
Full Exam With an Eye Specialist
DPS refers you to a licensed ophthalmologist or optometrist. The specialist examines your eyes, determines whether lenses or treatment can bring your acuity up, and completes the DL-63 Vision Examination Form.5Texas Department of Public Safety. DL-63 Vision Examination Form If lenses get you to 20/50 or better, you’ll get a license with a corrective-lens restriction. If they only get you to 20/60 or 20/70, expect the daytime and speed restrictions on top of that.
You can also get the DL-63 done proactively by your own eye doctor. The specialist records your acuity with and without correction, notes any eye conditions, can recommend specific restrictions, and signs and dates the form. You bring the completed form to a DPS office or fax it in. The form has no explicit expiration date, but DPS expects recent results, so schedule the exam close to your DPS visit rather than months ahead.
Medical Advisory Board Review
When your vision falls outside the standard tiers or an eye condition complicates things, DPS can send your case to the Texas Medical Advisory Board. This panel of licensed physicians meets every two weeks and evaluates whether you can safely drive. Your doctor completes a detailed questionnaire, and the board’s recommendation goes back to DPS for the final call.6Texas Department of Public Safety. Medical Advisory Board FAQ
Restrictions or Denial
Texas law lets DPS tailor restrictions to your situation: corrective lenses, daytime driving, specific speed limits, certain roads, or any other condition DPS finds appropriate.2State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code Chapter 521 – Drivers Licenses Violating a restriction is a misdemeanor. If no correction is enough to make driving safe under any conditions, DPS denies the license.
Removing a Corrective-Lens Restriction After LASIK or Similar Surgery
If you’ve had LASIK or another vision correction procedure and no longer need glasses or contacts, you can have the restriction removed. As of September 1, 2025, Texas law requires DPS to remove the corrective-lens restriction and mail you a new license once you submit a written statement from your physician or optometrist verifying the surgical correction, along with the required fee.2State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code Chapter 521 – Drivers Licenses DPS must accept the statement and fee electronically or by mail, so an office visit is not required. If you’re stopped after the surgery but before the restriction is formally removed, a court can dismiss the charge as long as DPS removes the restriction before your first court appearance and you pay a reimbursement fee of up to $10.
Commercial Driver’s Licenses Have Different Standards
If you’re testing for a CDL, the tiered Texas rules above do not apply the same way. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration requires at least 20/40 acuity in each eye individually and both together, a horizontal field of vision of at least 70 degrees in each eye, and the ability to recognize red, green, and amber traffic signal colors.7Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Examining FMCSA Vision Standard for CMV Drivers and Waiver Program There’s no daytime-only or reduced-speed alternative. You either meet the CDL threshold or you don’t. Drivers who fall short because of a condition in one eye can apply for a federal vision exemption through FMCSA.