Texas DMV Vision Form (DL-63): Thresholds and Restrictions

The Texas DMV vision form, officially the DL-63 Report of Vision Specialist, is the document a licensed optometrist or ophthalmologist fills out to tell the Texas Department of Public Safety whether your eyesight meets state driving standards. You bring the blank form to your eye exam, the specialist records your visual acuity, field of vision, and color perception on it, signs it, and you submit the completed original to DPS. Based on the results, DPS clears you, adds restrictions to your license, or moves toward revocation.1Texas Department of Public Safety. DL-63 Report of Vision Specialist

When DPS Asks for a DL-63

Three situations trigger the requirement.

The first is failing the counter vision screening at a driver license office during an original application or renewal. Anyone scoring worse than 20/40 with both eyes, or worse than 20/25 in the functioning eye for a monocular applicant, is referred to a specialist to complete a DL-63.2Legal Information Institute. 37 Texas Administrative Code 15.51 – Vision Tests The DPS office typically hands you the form on the spot or tells you to get one from your eye doctor.

The second is a request from the Medical Advisory Board. If DPS learns your vision may have declined, through a crash report, a physician notification, or a law enforcement referral, the MAB can ask you to provide current medical documentation, including a DL-63, within 90 days of the request.3Legal Information Institute. 25 Texas Administrative Code 1.152 – Operation of the Medical Advisory Board Do not ignore this letter. Failing to respond or refusing testing leads DPS to begin revocation proceedings.4Texas Department of Public Safety. Texas Medical Evaluation Process for Driver Licensing

The third is renewing a Texas license by mail from out of state. DPS requires the completed eye specialist form as part of the out-of-state renewal packet.5Texas Department of Public Safety. Out-of-State or Out-of-Country Renewal/Replacement/Change of Texas Driver License or Identification Card

Where to Get the Form

The DL-63 PDF is posted on the Texas DPS website and can be downloaded and printed before your appointment. Many eye doctors’ offices keep copies on hand, and DPS offices provide the form when they refer you after a failed screening.1Texas Department of Public Safety. DL-63 Report of Vision Specialist

Only an optometrist or ophthalmologist can complete the form. The DL-63 refers to an “eye specialist” throughout, and primary care physicians are not listed among qualified signers.1Texas Department of Public Safety. DL-63 Report of Vision Specialist

Schedule a comprehensive exam and tell the office ahead of time that you need a DL-63 completed for DPS, so they can build the necessary tests into your visit. A standard eye exam in Texas generally runs between $100 and $200 out of pocket, though costs vary by provider and by whether insurance covers part of the visit.

What the Specialist Records

The form is two pages. Page one explains the DPS acuity standards to the specialist. Page two is the actual report.1Texas Department of Public Safety. DL-63 Report of Vision Specialist

The specialist enters visual acuity for the right eye, left eye, and both eyes together under three conditions: without glasses, with your current glasses, and with the best possible correction. That gives DPS a full picture of whether your current prescription is doing the job or whether a stronger one would help.

Next come fields for horizontal field of vision, measured to the right and left of your fixation point along with the total angle, and a color perception result. Color blindness alone does not disqualify you from driving, but DPS records it on all original applicants.2Legal Information Institute. 37 Texas Administrative Code 15.51 – Vision Tests

The bottom section is a checklist covering eye conditions such as cataracts, glaucoma, or macular degeneration; whether corrective lenses are being fitted; whether lenses will not improve vision; whether the patient declined lenses; whether daylight-only driving is recommended; whether other treatment such as surgery could help; and, at Item 9, whether the condition is permanent and stable enough that no re-examination is needed at the next renewal.1Texas Department of Public Safety. DL-63 Report of Vision Specialist

The specialist signs the report, provides a medical license number and office contact information, and has you sign in their presence. Check that every field you need is filled in before you leave the office. A blank on the form can push the whole packet back to you.

The Thresholds That Decide the Outcome

Texas uses a tiered system under 37 Texas Administrative Code Section 15.51. Better scores mean fewer restrictions; scores below the minimum mean no license.2Legal Information Institute. 37 Texas Administrative Code 15.51 – Vision Tests

For two-eyed vision:

  • 20/40 or better without lenses in each eye and both together: no visual restriction.
  • 20/50 or better with lenses: license restricted to corrective lenses (Restriction A).
  • 20/50 or better without lenses, with specialist confirmation that vision cannot improve: no restriction.
  • 20/60 to 20/70 with lenses: corrective lenses, daytime driving only, 45-mph speed limit, plus any other restriction DPS considers advisable.
  • 20/60 to 20/70 without lenses, with specialist confirmation that improvement is not possible: same daytime and speed restrictions, no corrective-lens requirement.
  • Worse than 20/70 with no further improvement possible: license denied.

An acuity score worse than 20/200 with corrective lenses, or a specialist statement that improvement to 20/200 or better is not possible, is classified as legally blind for licensing purposes.

For monocular applicants, the screening threshold is stricter: 20/25 or better in the functioning eye without lenses to pass with no restriction. Below that, the two-eyed tiers above apply the same way.2Legal Information Institute. 37 Texas Administrative Code 15.51 – Vision Tests

How to Submit the Completed Form

DPS wants the original, not a copy. You have two ways to get it there for most situations:

  • Mail it to Texas Department of Public Safety, Enforcement and Compliance Service, P.O. Box 4087, Austin, TX 78773. This address handles compliance items that do not require a fee.
  • Deliver it in person to your local driver license office.

For an out-of-state renewal, the DL-63 goes with the rest of your renewal packet to Texas Department of Public Safety, PO Box 149008, Austin, TX 78714-9008.6Texas Department of Public Safety. Renew or Replacing Your DL or ID While You Are Out-of-State

Processing takes several weeks. You can track your status through the DPS License Eligibility portal online; once DPS processes the form, your eligibility updates to show whether you are cleared or whether restrictions have been added.4Texas Department of Public Safety. Texas Medical Evaluation Process for Driver Licensing DPS also sends a letter with the outcome.

Restrictions That May Appear on Your License

If your results meet the standard only with conditions, DPS prints one or more restriction codes on the card. Driving without meeting the restriction, such as forgetting your glasses, can result in a citation. The vision-related codes are:7Texas Department of Public Safety. Driver License Endorsements and Restrictions

  • A: with corrective lenses.
  • C: daytime driving only.
  • S: outside rearview mirror or hearing aid, sometimes applied alongside vision restrictions when peripheral awareness is limited.
  • P8: with telescopic lens.

Drivers in the 20/60 to 20/70 range also face the 45-mph speed limit built into the administrative code, applied case by case.

If DPS Moves to Deny or Revoke

When DPS decides you are medically incapable of driving based on the DL-63 results, or that you failed to comply with MAB testing, the department mails a notice of pending revocation to the address on your license. You have 20 days from the date on that notice to request a hearing. The hearing takes place in a municipal or justice court in the county where you live, and it can take up to 120 days to be scheduled. At the hearing, you carry the burden of showing that the grounds for revocation are not valid.4Texas Department of Public Safety. Texas Medical Evaluation Process for Driver Licensing

Miss the 20-day window and the request is denied; your license is revoked 45 days from the notice date. Drivers whose licenses are denied or revoked for medical reasons are not eligible for an occupational driver license, so there is no temporary workaround while things are resolved.

If the revocation goes through under a vision-related category, coded as “Revoked Incapable,” “Revoked MAB No-Reply,” or “Revoked Test Required,” reinstatement requires a $100 fee on top of whatever medical documentation DPS needs to clear you.4Texas Department of Public Safety. Texas Medical Evaluation Process for Driver Licensing

A Note for CDL Holders

The DL-63 covers non-commercial licenses. Texas ran its own vision waiver program for commercial drivers who could not meet federal acuity thresholds, but that program ended on January 1, 2023. Commercial drivers who fall short of the standard federal vision requirements must now qualify under the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s alternative vision standard, which replaced the old federal exemption program effective March 22, 2022.8Texas Department of Public Safety. CDL Waivers and Exceptions If you hold a CDL and need a vision accommodation, check the FMCSA process rather than relying on a DL-63.