Does this count as an official test?
No. It is a practice screener, so you arrive prepared. The official check is done by an examiner with their own equipment, and that is the only result that counts.
Can it replace a visit to an optometrist?
No. Nothing on a screen can diagnose a condition or produce a prescription. If your results worry you, see an optometrist.
What acuity do I need to drive?
In nearly every state, 20/40 or better with both eyes for an unrestricted licence. Many states still licence you with mirrors down to 20/70.
Should I wear my glasses or contacts?
Yes. Test with the correction you drive in — the center tests corrected vision, and your licence will carry the appropriate restriction.
Why do I have to calibrate the screen?
Letter sizes are computed in millimetres. Uncalibrated, a 20/40 letter on your monitor is not a real 20/40 letter. A bank card is enough to set the scale.
How far away should I sit?
Three metres fits most rooms; six metres is the Snellen standard. What matters is measuring once and always returning to the same spot.
What is a Tumbling-E test?
An E with its gap pointing in one of four directions. Instead of naming letters you say which way it points. It is used for people who do not read the Latin alphabet, and in many CDL exams.
Are my results stored anywhere?
Only in this browser. There are no accounts, no advertising trackers and no uploads. You can clear them whenever you like.
What is the duochrome test?
The same letters are shown on a red and a green background. If they look sharper on red, your eye is focusing slightly in front of the retina (short-sight); on green, slightly behind (long-sight). Opticians have used it for a century to fine-tune a prescription.
Can this tell me my prescription?
No. The refraction and astigmatism checks give a screening hint about the direction of any error, and nothing more. Only a qualified optometrist with a phoropter and trial lenses can issue a prescription.
Why can I not see the hidden shape?
About one person in ten cannot free-view an autostereogram, and it also fails if one eye is much stronger than the other or if you cannot fuse the two images. Not seeing the shape is not by itself a diagnosis — but it is worth mentioning at your next eye exam.
What happens if you fail the eye test at the DMV?
You do not lose your licence on the spot. The examiner hands you a form for an eye doctor (California DL-62, New York MV-619, Florida HSMV-72010 and Texas DL-63 are common examples), you get your eyes checked, and you come back to retake the vision screening.
Can I wear my glasses or contacts for the test?
Yes, and you should. Wear whatever you drive in. The catch is that passing with correction adds a corrective-lenses restriction to your licence. Reading glasses alone rarely help, because the test measures distance vision, not reading vision.
What does the DMV eye test look like?
Most offices use a desktop viewer such as the Optec 1000 or Titmus V1. You rest your forehead against it and read lines of letters or numbers on small slides inside, one eye at a time. The examiner may ask you to read one numbered line fully, then move to the next, and finish with flashes at the sides plus a red, green and amber colour check.
Can I take the DMV eye test online?
No, with one exception. New York accepts results through its Online Vision Registry from approved providers. Everywhere else the official screening happens in person, so an online test is practice only.
What should I bring if my vision might fail?
Your glasses or contacts, your current prescription if you have one, and your ID. If you already failed once, bring the completed doctor form your state asked for. New York also accepts an optometrist report on form MV-619 instead of a counter reading.
How to pass the DMV eye test?
Learn the procedure, not the poster. Offices rotate charts and the letters change, so memorising one chart buys you nothing. Practising with randomised letters, the way this screener does it, is the only rehearsal that transfers.
Why do I cover one eye when I drive with both open?
Because most states set a standard per eye as well as for both together. One weak eye can hide behind a strong one when both are open, so the examiner checks each eye separately first and both together last.
What restrictions can end up on my licence?
The common ones are corrective lenses, daylight-only driving and outside mirrors. Texas adds a 45 mph limit to its daylight restriction for the 20/60 to 20/70 band. The code is printed on the licence itself.
How do I get a glasses restriction removed?
Pass the screening without correction at a later visit, or after surgery such as LASIK. In New York you can also submit a fresh passing result through the Online Vision Registry instead of queuing at an office.