Virginia Driver’s License Restriction Codes: Meaning and Penalties

The restriction codes on a Virginia driver’s license are letters and numbers printed in the “Restrictions” field that spell out the conditions you must follow every time you drive: wearing corrective lenses, driving only in daylight, using a vehicle with hand controls or an automatic transmission, operating only a car equipped with an ignition interlock, or, for commercial drivers, staying inside specific vehicle classes. Driving in violation of any printed restriction is a Class 2 misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $1,000.¹

The codes fall into a handful of categories depending on why the DMV imposed them: vision test results, a medical review, a physical limitation that requires adaptive equipment, a DUI conviction, or the class of vehicle you tested in for a CDL.

Vision Restrictions

Vision codes are the most common. Virginia sets its thresholds by statute, and where you land on the scale determines what appears on your card.²

At 20/40 acuity or better in at least one eye and 110 degrees of horizontal vision, you drive unrestricted. If you only reach 20/40 with glasses or contacts, a corrective-lenses restriction is printed on your license.³

If your acuity falls between 20/40 and 20/70, corrected or uncorrected, the DMV issues a daylight-only restriction. That limits you to driving from half an hour after sunrise to half an hour before sunset, and you must have at least 70 degrees of horizontal vision. Drivers with sight in only one eye need at least 40 degrees temporal and 30 degrees nasal horizontal vision to qualify. Below 20/70, Virginia does not issue a standard license.²

Drivers who use bioptic telescopic lenses have separate requirements: 20/200 or better through the carrier lenses with 70 degrees of horizontal vision, and at least 20/70 through the telescope itself. Bioptic drivers are generally restricted to daylight hours unless they demonstrate 20/40 through the telescope.⁴

Commercial drivers face stricter vision standards: 20/40 in each eye and 140 degrees of horizontal vision. A CDL applicant who meets the standard in only one eye with at least 120 degrees horizontal vision may apply for a disability waiver limiting them to intrastate driving.³

Medical and Equipment Restrictions

Medical restrictions come out of the DMV’s Medical Review Services process. If a report from law enforcement, a healthcare provider, or a family member reaches the DMV, you’ll be asked to submit a Customer Medical Report (Form MED-2) completed by your physician, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner. You typically have 60 days to schedule the appointment and return the form; failing to respond leads to suspension.⁵⁶

Depending on what the review reveals, the DMV may impose conditions like limiting driving to a certain radius from home, prohibiting highway driving, or requiring periodic medical recertification. Conditions that can trigger these restrictions include seizure disorders, insulin-dependent diabetes, and cardiovascular issues that risk sudden incapacitation.

Age by itself does not trigger a restriction in Virginia, but the DMV has authority to reexamine any driver it believes cannot operate a vehicle safely, and that examination can add restrictions or lead to suspension.⁷

Equipment restrictions describe your vehicle, not your condition. If you’ve lost the use of a limb or have limited mobility, your license may require hand controls, a left-foot accelerator, a spinner knob, extended side mirrors, or an automatic transmission. Before issuing the license, the DMV generally requires a road test in the modified vehicle. Driving anything without the mandated equipment is a violation even if you feel able to manage without it.¹

Ignition Interlock Restrictions After a DUI

A court issuing a restricted license after a DUI conviction will generally prohibit you from operating any motor vehicle not equipped with a certified ignition interlock. For a first offense, a court may reduce the minimum interlock period to six consecutive months without alcohol-related violations if it imposes additional driving restrictions for the rest of the restricted license term. For a second or subsequent offense, the interlock stays installed for at least 12 consecutive months without violations.⁸

While the device is installed, you must enroll in the Virginia Alcohol Safety Action Program (VASAP), and the interlock must be monitored and calibrated at least every 30 days by an approved provider.⁸

Interlock violations are prosecuted separately from other restriction violations, under Virginia Code 18.2-272 rather than the general restriction statute.⁹ A restricted interlock license also cannot be used to operate a commercial motor vehicle.

CDL Restriction Codes

Commercial driver’s licenses use their own set of codes, defined by Virginia Code 46.2-341.16. Most reflect the vehicle you tested in, not a medical condition:

E — No manual transmission. You tested in an automatic and can only drive commercial vehicles with automatics.
K — Intrastate only. You cannot operate a commercial vehicle outside Virginia. Common for drivers aged 18 to 20 who don’t yet meet the federal age requirement for interstate commerce, or for drivers with medical waivers.
L — No air brake vehicles. You didn’t take or pass the air brake knowledge test, or you tested in a vehicle without air brakes.
O — No tractor-trailers. Limits you to straight trucks and other non-combination vehicles.
N — No Class A or B passenger vehicles.
P — No passenger-carrying commercial vehicles.
V — Medical variance. You must carry your medical variance documentation while driving.
X — No cargo in tank vehicles.

Commercial learner’s permits carry similar codes along with automatic P and X restrictions. The DMV also has discretion to create additional codes with the meaning printed on the card.¹⁰

Penalties for Driving in Violation of a Restriction

This is where drivers underestimate the stakes. A restriction violation is a Class 2 misdemeanor, not an ordinary traffic ticket, and carries a fine of up to $1,000. A conviction goes on your criminal record, not just your driving record.¹

The DMV can also suspend your license independently for noncompliance. It must give you at least 10 days’ written notice, and the suspension remains in place until you come back into compliance. Driving on a suspended license is a Class 1 misdemeanor under Virginia Code 46.2-301, which carries up to 12 months in jail.¹¹¹

Insurance can add another layer. If a restriction violation contributes to an accident, insurers may deny coverage on the theory that you were driving outside the scope of your license, leaving you personally liable for damages.

How to Check What Your Codes Mean

Look at the “Restrictions” field on your physical license. The alphanumeric codes there are what you must comply with every time you drive. If a code isn’t self-explanatory, the DMV’s website or a local DMV office can identify it.

Ordering a copy of your driving record gives a fuller picture and captures any changes that may not yet appear on your card, which matters after a medical review or reexamination. If your record and card don’t match, contact the DMV to update them. An outdated card can create problems during a traffic stop even when you’re actually in compliance.

Removing or Changing a Restriction

Restrictions aren’t permanent when the underlying reason has changed. How you get one removed depends on how it got there.

For a vision restriction, submit an updated exam. An ophthalmologist’s or optometrist’s report carries more weight than the DMV’s own screening; the statute gives a specialist’s report precedence over an examiner’s test when they conflict. If corrective surgery has brought you to 20/40 or better without lenses, a vision report showing the improvement should get the corrective-lenses restriction removed.²

Medical restrictions require an updated MED-2 from your physician, PA, or nurse practitioner showing that the condition has resolved or improved enough to drive without the limitation. Seizure disorders, for example, generally require a sustained seizure-free period before the restriction is lifted.⁵

Equipment restrictions usually require a driving evaluation by a certified driver rehabilitation specialist, followed by a DMV road test in a standard vehicle, before the DMV will update the license.¹

Once a change is approved, you’ll need a replacement license: $20, plus $10 more if you’re upgrading to a REAL ID-compliant card.¹²

Appealing a Restriction You Believe Is Wrong

If the DMV denies your license or imposes a restriction you believe is unwarranted, request an administrative fact-finding hearing with a DMV hearing officer under Virginia’s Administrative Process Act. You can present medical evidence, driving evaluations, and other documentation at the hearing.¹³

If the outcome doesn’t go your way, you can take the case to a Virginia circuit court for judicial review. Court review is slower and more formal, but it’s independent of the DMV. Whichever route you use, moving quickly matters: delay leaves you driving on a restricted or suspended license longer than you need to.¹⁴

1
Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 46.2-329 – Special Restrictions on Particular Licensees
2
Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 46.2-311 – Persons Having Defective Vision; Minimum Standards of Visual Acuity and Field of Vision; Tests of Vision
3
Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Vision Screening
4
Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 46.2-312 – Persons Using Bioptic Telescopic Lenses
5
Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Medical Review Process
6
Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Suspension Date Approaching/Past
7
Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 46.2-322 – Examination of Licensee Believed Unable to Drive Safely
8
Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 18.2-270.1 – Ignition Interlock Systems; Penalty
9
Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 18.2-271.1 – Probation, Education, and Rehabilitation of Person Placed on Probation or Sentenced
10
Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 46.2-341.16 – Vehicle Classifications, Restrictions, and Endorsements
11
Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 46.2-301 – Driving While License, Permit, or Privilege to Drive Suspended or Revoked
12
Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Replace Your Driver’s License or Learner’s Permit
13
Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Appeals Process
14
Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 46.2-321 – Appeal From Denial, Suspension, or Revocation of License; Operation of Vehicle Pending Appeal