Massachusetts Learner's Permit Vision Test: 20/40 Standard, Restriction B and Retest Rules

You need at least 20/40 distant visual acuity in either eye (with or without glasses) and a 120-degree horizontal field of vision to get a Massachusetts learner's permit. You must also distinguish red, green, and amber.

Massachusetts RMV Vision Test: 20/40 Standard and Restriction B

The RMV screens your eyesight at the service counter when you apply. You'll read letters for visual acuity and identify side flashes for peripheral vision.

• Wearing Glasses/Contacts: Wear your corrective lenses during screening if needed. Passing with them results in a Restriction B on your permit.
• Testing Location: Vision screening happens at the RMV service counter during your permit application appointment.
• Mono-Vision Exemption: For mono-vision, submit a vision screening certificate from an optometrist or ophthalmologist instead of RMV screening.
• Diplopia Disqualification: No unresolved diplopia allowed for permit eligibility.

Failing for VISION TEST FAILED is more common than you'd think, and easily preventable. At the Worcester RMV, contacts dried out during the long queue wait, and vision blurred at the chart. Failed the screening; returned the same afternoon with fresh contacts and passed. Worcester RMV waits regularly hit 45 minutes, bring rewetting drops.

Failed Massachusetts RMV Vision Screening? What Happens Next

If you fail the RMV vision test, the RMV will not issue your permit. You must get an outside eye exam and submit a completed certificate.

1. Get the Form: Download the Class D and M Vision Screening Certificate from mass.gov before your eye exam.
2. Where to Go: Take the form to a licensed Massachusetts ophthalmologist or optometrist for a full eye exam.
3. Cost: An outside vision exam cost varies by provider and insurance coverage.
4. Submit: Return the completed, signed certificate to the RMV with your permit application documents.

Certificate expires 12 months from screening date. RMV accepts original certificate only; photocopies not valid.

Can you come back same day with glasses/contacts and retest vision? No. If you fail the screening, you cannot retest on the same visit. You must obtain the completed certificate from an eye doctor and return on a different day.

Real Vision Test Situations

A student in Worcester arrives at the RMV without their glasses, fails the acuity test, and is turned away. They return the next day with their glasses, pass the screening, and receive their permit with Restriction B.

An applicant at the Haymarket Service Center in Boston scores 20/80 in their better eye. They fail and are given the vision certificate form. They schedule an appointment with an optometrist in Cambridge, who confirms the 20/80 acuity. The RMV denies the permit application until a medical review is completed.

Someone in Springfield suspects they will fail the RMV test. They visit their optometrist first, get the vision screening certificate filled out showing 20/30 acuity with glasses, and bring it to the RMV. The agent accepts the certificate, skips the screening, and issues the permit.

Can You Get a Massachusetts RMV Permit Wearing Glasses?

Yes, you can get a learner's permit if you wear glasses in Massachusetts. If you use them to pass the test, Restriction B (Corrective Lenses) is added to your permit.

• Wear your glasses or contacts whenever you drive.
• Driving without them is a restriction violation.

To remove Restriction B after vision correction surgery, you must pass an RMV screening without lenses or submit a new certificate. Check full vision rules on the RMV medical standards page.

How to Prepare for the Massachusetts RMV Vision Screening

Bring your up-to-date prescription glasses to your RMV appointment to avoid an automatic vision test failure and a required second trip. Complete the Vision Screening Certificate with your eye doctor before your RMV visit if you have any vision concerns, this bypasses the screening entirely and prevents a referral delay.

Don't be that person who forgets glasses and wastes two trips.

• Learn RMV appointment details for your local service center before scheduling.
• Wear your glasses or contacts for your road test if you have Restriction B or the examiner will cancel your test and you will forfeit the fee.
• Review the Massachusetts Driver's Manual for complete licensing requirements.

The learner's permit application and exam fee is $30. The road test fee is $35, and the 5-year license costs $50.