International Standards:
Vision Requirements for Driving Safety:
Appendix 2 - Driving License Requirements in the USA
This information was taken from the "AMA’s "Physician Guide to Assessing and Counseling Older Drivers." (2003) [5].
Where applicable: U = unrestricted license, R = restricted license, may list additional criteria.
|
State |
VA |
VA |
Monoc. Vision |
Abs. min. |
Bi-optics |
Min. ext. vis. fields |
Color vision |
Restric. License |
|
|
Alabama |
20/40 |
20/40 |
20/40 |
20/60 |
No |
110° |
New dr. |
Yes |
|
|
Alaska |
20/40 |
20/40 |
20/40 |
20/100 |
Cond. |
None |
None |
Yes |
|
|
Arizona |
20/40 |
20/40 |
20/40 |
20/60 day only |
No |
70°/35° |
Prof. drivers |
Day-
|
|
|
Arkansas |
20/40 w/o corr. |
20/50 |
20/40 |
20/40 U 20/60 R |
Yes |
105° |
None |
Yes |
|
|
California |
20/70 |
20/40 |
20/40 |
20/200 |
Day- |
None |
None |
Yes |
|
|
Colorado |
20/40 |
20/40 |
20/40 |
None |
Yes |
None |
None |
Yes |
|
|
Connect. |
20/40 |
20/40 |
20/40 |
20/70 U 20/200 R |
No |
100° mon. 140° bin. |
None |
Yes |
|
|
Delaware |
20/40 |
20/40 |
20/40 |
20/50 |
Day- |
None |
None |
Day- |
|
|
D.C. |
20/40 lesser eye 20/70 |
|
20/40 |
20/70 requires 140° fld |
No |
130° |
New drivers |
Day- |
|
|
Florida |
20/40 lesser eye > |
|
20/40 |
20/70 |
No |
130° |
None |
Yes |
|
|
Georgia |
20/60 |
20/60 |
20/60 |
20/60 |
Yes |
140° |
None |
Yes |
|
|
Hawaii |
20/40 |
20/40 |
20/40 |
20/40 |
Yes |
70° |
None |
Yes |
|
|
Idaho |
20/40 |
20/40 |
20/40 |
20/40 |
Yes |
None |
None |
Yes |
|
|
Illinois |
20/40 |
20/40 |
20/40 |
20/40 U 20/70 R |
Yes |
105° one 140° both |
None |
Yes |
|
|
Indiana |
20/40 |
20/40 |
20/50 |
20/40 |
Yes |
70° one 120° both |
Prof. and bioptic |
Day- |
|
|
Iowa |
20/40 |
20/40 |
20/40 |
20/200 R |
No |
140° |
None |
Yes |
|
|
Kansas |
20/40 |
20/40 |
20/40 |
20/40 20/60 R |
Yes |
110° both 55° monoc |
None |
Yes |
|
|
Kentucky |
20/40 |
20/40 |
20/40 |
20/200 R |
Yes |
120° E 80° N |
None |
Yes |
|
|
Louisiana |
20/40 |
20/40 |
20/40 |
20/100 |
No |
None |
None |
Yes |
|
|
Maine |
20/40 |
|
20/40 |
20/70 R |
Yes |
140° U 110° R |
None |
Yes |
|
|
Maryland |
20/40 |
20/40 |
20/40 |
20/100 R |
Yes |
140° U 110° R |
Prof. only |
Day- |
|
|
Massach. |
20/40 |
20/40 |
|
20/40 U 20/70 R |
Yes |
120° |
Yes |
Day- |
|
|
Michigan |
20/40 |
20/40 |
20/50 ? |
20/70 R |
Yes |
110-140° |
None |
Yes |
|
|
Minnesota |
20/40 |
20/40 |
20/40 |
20/80 R. |
No |
105° |
None |
Yes |
|
|
Mississipp |
20/40 |
20/40 |
|
20/70 |
Yes |
140° both T 70°,N 35° |
None |
Yes |
|
|
Missouri |
20/40 |
20/40 |
20/50 ? |
20/160 R |
Yes |
55° both 85° one R |
None |
Yes
|
|
|
Montana |
20/40 |
20/40 |
20/40 |
20/100 R |
Yes |
Prof. only |
Prof. only |
Yes |
|
|
Nebraska |
20/40 |
20/40 |
20/40 |
20/70 |
Yes |
140° both 100° R |
|
Yes |
|
|
Nevada |
20/40 |
20/40 |
20/40 |
20/50 |
Yes |
140° U 110° R |
None |
Day- |
|
|
New Hampshire |
20/40 |
|
20/30 |
20/70 |
Yes |
None |
None |
Day- |
|
|
New Jersey |
20/50 |
20/50 |
20/50 |
20/50 |
Yes |
None |
None |
Yes |
|
|
New Mexico |
20/40 |
20/40 |
20/40 |
20/80 |
No |
120° temp 30° nasal |
None |
Yes |
|
|
New York |
20/40 |
20/40 |
20/40 |
20/70 |
Yes |
140° |
None |
Yes |
|
|
North Carolina |
20/40 |
20/50 |
20/30 |
20/100 R |
No |
60° |
None |
Yes |
|
|
North Dakota |
20/40 |
20/40 |
20/40 |
20/80 R |
Yes |
105° |
None |
Yes |
|
|
Ohio |
20/40 |
20/40 |
20/30 |
20/70 |
Yes |
70° temp |
Yes |
Day- |
|
|
Oklahoma |
20/60 |
20/60 |
20/50 |
20/100 |
No |
70° |
None |
Yes |
|
|
Oregon |
20/40 |
20/40 |
20/40 |
20/70 |
Yes |
110° |
None |
Day- |
|
|
Pennsyl-vania |
20/40 |
20/40 |
20/40 |
20/100 R |
Yes |
120° |
None |
Yes |
|
|
Rhode Island |
20/40 |
20/40 |
20/40 |
20/40 |
? |
? |
None |
No |
|
|
South Carolina |
20/40 |
20/40 |
20/40 outside mirrors |
20/70 + > 20/200 20/40 + < 20/200 |
Yes |
140° |
None |
Yes |
|
|
South Dakota |
20/50 |
20/40 |
20/40 |
20/60 R |
Yes |
None |
None |
Yes |
|
|
Tennessee |
20/40 |
20/40 |
20/40 |
20/60 R |
Yes |
Prof. only |
Prof. drivers |
Yes |
|
|
Texas |
20/40 |
20/59 |
20/25 |
20/70 R |
Yes |
None |
New drivers |
Yes |
|
|
Utah |
20/40 |
20/40 |
20/40 |
20/100 R |
No |
120°hor+ 20°vert.U 90° hor.R |
None |
Yes |
|
|
Vermont |
20/40 |
20/40 |
20/40 |
20/40 |
Yes |
Each 60° |
None |
Yes |
|
|
Virginia |
20/40 |
20/40 |
20/40 |
20/200 R |
Yes |
100° U 70° R |
None |
Yes |
|
|
Washing- ton |
20/40 |
20/40 |
20/40 |
20/70 R |
Yes |
110° |
New and prof. |
Yes |
|
|
West Virginia |
20/40 |
|
20/40 |
20/60 |
No |
None |
None |
No |
|
|
Wisconsin |
20/40 |
|
20/40 |
20/100 |
Yes |
70° |
Prof. only |
Yes |
|
|
Wyoming |
20/40 |
20/40 |
20/40 |
20/100 R |
Yes |
120° |
None |
Yes |
|
This table shows that the situation in the USA, where legislation varies from state to state, is as diverse as among countries in Europe. Since bioptic telescopes are allowed in some states this information has been included as well.
Apparently there are some strange rules. In Indiana and in Michigan a monocular patient could be allowed with a vision of 20/50 (0.4, 6/15) whereas the requirement for binocular drivers is 20/40 (0.5, 6/12).
All States indicate a limit of license validation:
4 years in 18 states (Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nevada, New Jersey, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Wyoming).
Reduced to 3 years at age 75 in Indiana and to 2 years at age 65 in Pennsylvania.
5 years in 18 states (Alaska, California, Delaware, District of Columbia, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia).
Reduced to two years at age 70 in Iowa and in Rhode Island.
6 years in 6 states (Connecticut, Hawaii, Kansas, Maine, Missouri, Texas).
Reduced to 4 years at age 65 in Kansas and in Maine, to 3 years at age 70 in Missouri and to 2 years at age 72 in Hawaii
8 years in 4 states (Montana, New York, Oregon, Wisconsin).
Reduced to 4 years at age 75 in Montana.
After age 50 vision screening is required every 8 years in Oregon
10 years in Colorado (reduced at 5 years at age 61)
12 years in Arizona (reduced at 5 years at age 65)
Variable limits:
2-4 years in Vermont
4-6 years in Florida, depending on driving history
4-8 years in New Mexico (each year after age 75)
It must be stated that vision testing at the time of renewal is not required in Alabama, Connecticut, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Vermont and West Virginia. In Maine the vision must be tested at age 40, 52, 65 and every 4 years thereafter, in Oregon vision testing is required only after the age of 50 years and only after the age of 65 years in Utah.
There are no age-based renewal procedures in 30 states.
Renewal by mail is not accepted at age 65+ in Colorado and Connecticut, and at age 69 or 70 in Alaska, Arizona, California, Idaho, and Louisiana.
At age 70 the applicant must submit a letter from his/her physician stating that he/she is medically fit to drive (vision, physical and mental status), in the District of Columbia and in Maryland.
In Nevada a vision test and a medical report are required for renewal at the age of 70, vision testing is required at license renewal at age 65+ in Utah. New Hampshire requires a road test at the age of 75.
In Florida vision testing is required at each renewal from age 79 on.
Illinois does not allow renewal by mail after the age of 75.
A vision test and an on-the-road test are required at each renewal, drivers aged 81-86 must renew each 2 years and at age 87+ every year.
In North Carolina drivers age 60 and older are not required to parallel park on their road test.
In Pennsylvania drivers aged 45+ are requested to submit a physical and vision exam prior to renewing.
Next: Vision Requirements for Driving Safety: Appendix 3 - Suggestions for Additional Tests
Also see: Table of Contents
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