What are the vision requirements for a driver's license physical examination?
4 Answers
Below are the vision requirements for a driver's license physical examination: 1. When applying for large passenger vehicles, tractors, city buses, medium-sized passenger vehicles, large trucks, trolleybuses, or tram driving licenses, the naked or corrected vision of both eyes must reach 5.0 or above on the logarithmic visual acuity chart; 2. When applying for other driving licenses, the naked or corrected vision of both eyes must reach 4.9 or above on the logarithmic visual acuity chart; 3. No red-green color blindness. This aligns with the actual vision requirements in the driving school physical examination. Additional information: Wearing glasses is allowed for the driver's license physical examination, and corrected vision is acceptable—there is no requirement for it to be naked vision.
When I was getting my driver's license, I specifically checked the physical examination requirements. For vision, it mainly depends on the type of vehicle you're applying for. For small cars, your naked-eye or corrected vision needs to reach at least 4.9, which means you can see the third row from the bottom on the eye chart. For larger vehicles like trucks or buses, the requirement is stricter, requiring 5.0. Corrected vision refers to your vision with glasses or after laser surgery—many of my nearsighted friends passed the exam wearing glasses. A special reminder: if one eye has vision problems, the other eye must reach 5.0 and have a wide enough field of vision to qualify for a Class C license. On the day of the exam, remember to bring your usual glasses, as you'll need to clearly see where the pointer is indicating during the test—don’t misread the lines due to nervousness. Nowadays, many driving schools have on-site vision testing machines, so go early to check. If you don’t pass, you can get new glasses in time.
As a driving school staff member, I often get asked about vision standards. Actually, the requirements for a regular car driver's license are quite lenient - you just need uncorrected or corrected visual acuity of 4.9 to pass. Corrected vision includes glasses, contact lenses, and post-surgery vision, and many people pass while wearing glasses. However, pay attention to the color vision test - red-green color blindness is an absolute disqualifier. During the physical exam, doctors will first test your uncorrected vision, and only if you fail will they test you with glasses. I recommend myopic students get an optometry exam in advance to ensure their glasses prescription is adequate. Those who've had myopia surgery should bring medical records for verification. Students with monocular vision impairment need 5.0 vision in their good eye with a 150-degree visual field, which requires specialized hospital testing. If your vision doesn't meet standards, don't force the test - getting new glasses only takes 2-3 days nowadays.
I remember accompanying my cousin to get his driver's license last year, and the vision requirements for the physical exam varied by vehicle type. For a C1 license (small cars), being able to read the 4.9 line on the eye chart was sufficient. He passed easily with his 500-degree myopia glasses. For large vehicles, a 5.0 vision is required. My neighbor, a truck driver, mentioned he got new glasses specifically for the physical exam. Even high myopia isn’t a concern as long as corrected vision meets the standard. During the check, the doctor will cover one eye and test each eye separately. It’s best to blink beforehand to relieve eye fatigue. Nowadays, some young people stay up late gaming before the exam, leading to bloodshot eyes and poor vision—it’s advisable to rest for a couple of days in advance. The color blindness test is also crucial; failing to distinguish red and green in the dotted color book means immediate disqualification.
