California DMV Vision Requirements

There are many factors to consider when it comes to safe driving. While it’s critical for drivers to understand the rules of the road, defensive driving measures, and how to safely drive when roads are slippery, it’s also important to have good vision!

In fact, the California Department of Motor Vehicles (CA DMV) requires drivers to meet specific vision requirements in order to pass their driver’s license test. Specifically, after completing the driving portion of the test, applicants must pass a standard eye test using the Snellen Eye Chart. This is the chart that has 11 lines of letters to determine your vision, ranging from 20/200 to 20/20.

For California drivers, DMV vision test requirements include:

• Having visibility at 20/40 with both eyes combined (i.e., one eye visibility at 20/40 and the other at 20/70).
• Anyone with less than 20/40 combined vision must wear corrective lenses while operating a motor vehicle, which includes contact lenses or glasses.

Worried you won’t pass the vision test? Want to pass without having to wear glasses or contacts? If so, now is the time to take charge of your vision. These days, vision correction procedures are more advanced than ever before. LASIK, PRK, and other options take just a few minutes per eye and often provide 20/20 vision. In fact, LASIK can even get patients to 20/15 vision, which is better than 20/20!

Are you preparing for a California DMV vision test? Take our online LASIK self-test to find out which procedure best suits your vision needs. We have offices located in Westlake Village, Camarillo, Simi Valley, Encino, Thousand Oaks, San Luis Obispo, and Beverly Hills. Schedule an appointment at Dougherty Laser Vision to learn more about improving your vision with laser eye correction surgery.