Eyesight rules for driving: the number plate test and when to tell DVLA

To drive in the UK you must be able to read a number plate from 20 metres away, wearing your glasses or contact lenses if you use them for driving. You must also tell DVLA about some eyesight problems.

The legal standard

Gov.uk sets out the standards of vision for driving (gov.uk: driving eyesight rules). For a car driver:

• You must be able to read a number plate from 20 metres away, about the length of 5 parked cars.
• You must have a visual acuity of at least decimal 0.5 (6/12) on the Snellen scale, using both eyes together or, if you have sight in one eye only, in that eye. You can use glasses or contact lenses.
• You must have an adequate field of vision. Your optician can tell you about this and test it.

Gov.uk adds that you must wear glasses or contact lenses every time you drive if you need them to meet the standards, and that you could be prosecuted if you drive without meeting them.

The eyesight check at the driving test

The number plate check also happens at the start of your practical test. Gov.uk says you must read a number plate from 20 metres for vehicles with a new-style plate and 20.5 metres for an old-style plate. New-style plates start with 2 letters followed by 2 numbers, such as AB51 ABC. If you fail the check, you fail the driving test and the test ends (gov.uk: driving test, cars).

Gov.uk lists the number plate check as part of the practical driving test. See theory test vs practical test for how the two compare.

When you must tell DVLA

Gov.uk says you must tell DVLA if you have any problem with your eyesight that affects both of your eyes, or the remaining eye if you only have one eye. This does not include being short-sighted, long-sighted or colour blind. You also do not need to say if you have had surgery to correct short sight and can meet the eyesight standards.

To check if your condition needs reporting, gov.uk points to its A to Z of medical conditions that could affect your driving. Lorry and bus drivers have a stricter rule: they must tell DVLA about any problem with either eye.

What happens after you report

If you report a medical condition that affects your vision, DVLA may refer you for an eyesight test with its contracted optician, at no cost to you. If you choose to get your test elsewhere, gov.uk says you can submit the results of another optician's test, as long as it includes an Esterman visual test. DVLA does not guarantee it will accept it, and you pay for it yourself.

Lorry and bus drivers

Gov.uk lists higher standards for lorry and bus drivers: a visual acuity of at least 0.8 (6/7.5) in the best eye and at least 0.1 (6/60) in the other, and an uninterrupted horizontal visual field of at least 160 degrees. Our HGV and LGV guide covers the theory test for those categories.

Eyesight in the theory test

Questions on this topic are about the legal requirement. Points worth knowing:

• the distance for the number plate check;
• wearing glasses or lenses if you need them to meet the standard;
• whether you should drive if you cannot meet it.

Beyond the legal minimum, the Highway Code deals with what you can see on the road, such as clean windscreens and mirrors, covered in our vehicle checks guide.

Practise

Check your knowledge with a practice test and read the Highway Code rules. The free theorytest.ai diagnostic finds your weak topics. This page is general information, so if you are worried about your sight, speak to an optician. theorytest.ai is independent and is not affiliated with the DVSA or DVLA.

Frequently asked questions

How far must you read a number plate to drive?

20 metres, about the length of 5 parked cars, wearing glasses or contact lenses if you use them for driving.

Do you have to tell DVLA if you wear glasses?

No. Being short or long sighted does not need reporting if you meet the standards of vision.

When must you tell DVLA about your eyesight?

When you have a problem affecting both eyes, or your remaining eye if you have only one.

When is the number plate check done in the driving test?

At the start of the practical driving test, according to gov.uk.

What happens if you fail the eyesight check at the driving test?

You fail the test and it ends, according to gov.uk.