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

Ohio's vision requirements for a learner's permit are defined by state law.

What Vision Standards Must You Meet for an Ohio BMV Learner's Permit?

Ohio's vision requirements for a learner's permit are defined by state law. See BMV vision standards and our Ohio vision test guide. You must pass a vision screening at a Deputy Registrar license agency or BMV exam station.

The test uses a vision screening machine. You look into an eyepiece and read letters or identify flashing lights for the peripheral check.

Does color blindness affect Ohio learner's permit eligibility? Ohio's published Class D vision rules focus on visual acuity and field of vision. Color blindness by itself is not listed as an automatic disqualification in the standard BMV vision requirements.

What Happens During the Ohio BMV Vision Test?

You can and should wear your glasses or contact lenses during the vision screening if you need them to see.

• If you pass the test while wearing your corrective lenses, you will get your permit with 'Restriction B.'
• Restriction B legally requires you to wear those lenses whenever you drive.
• If you do not wear your glasses during the test and fail, you must retest with them.

A 16-year-old in Columbus goes to the Morse Road exam station without his glasses, thinking his vision is 'good enough.' He fails the acuity test. The examiner informs him he can retest with his glasses the same day. He returns with his glasses, passes, and receives his permit with Restriction B printed on it.

What if only one eye meets Ohio's learner-permit vision standard?

Ohio has separate standards for monocular vision, so having useful vision in only one eye does not automatically end the application. The required acuity can be stricter than the ordinary binocular standard, and daylight-only restrictions may apply at lower acuity levels. See the Ohio BMV vision requirements.

What Happens If You Fail the BMV Vision Screening?

Failing the initial screening means you cannot receive your learner's permit that day. The BMV will provide you a BMV 6317 Vision Screening Referral form.

• Where to go: You must take this form to a licensed optometrist or ophthalmologist for a full eye exam.
• Cost of outside exam: A thorough eye exam typically costs between $50 and $150, depending on the provider and insurance.
• Retesting: Once the doctor completes the form certifying your vision meets standards (with or without correction), you return to the BMV. You may return to the BMV with the completed and signed BMV 6317 form to finish your permit application on the same day.

A student in Cleveland fails the peripheral vision test at the West 117th Street location. She is given the BMV 6317 form. She schedules a same-day appointment with an optometrist in Lakewood, pays $85 for the exam, gets the form signed, and returns to the BMV that afternoon to complete her permit application.

The Ohio learner's permit guide has full eligibility details.

Vision Screening: Location, Failure, and BMV 6317 Rules

• Ohio issues TIPICs to learners age 151/2 and older. The vision screening is required at the time of the first TIPIC appointment.
• The vision test must be taken at a BMV driver exam station or a deputy registrar that has the screening machine.
• No: If you fail the vision test, your application is not closed - you cannot be issued the permit until the BMV 6317 form is returned and any follow-up screening is passed.
• BMV 6317 is typically valid for 30 days from the date of referral. If you do not return within that window, you may need to restart the vision-screening process.
• Restriction B appears on both the TIPIC and the full license if the vision condition persists. It stays on your license until a BMV screening confirms you meet the 20/40 standard without corrective lenses.
• No: You cannot begin the supervised driving required for the learner's phase until you pass the vision screening and receive the TIPIC.
• The "ask to try again after a short break" tip is at the examiner's discretion - it is not a guaranteed right.

Ohio Learner's Permit With Glasses - What Restriction B Means for You

Yes. Needing glasses or contacts is common and does not prevent you from getting an Ohio learner's permit.

• The permit will include Restriction B.
• Driving without the lenses you are required to wear under Restriction B violates the condition on your license and can be treated as a license-restriction violation.

Can Restriction B be removed from an Ohio permit later?

Yes, but do not simply stop using corrective lenses because your vision improved. Ask the BMV for a new vision screening and have the restriction formally removed before driving without the required lenses.

How Do You Retake the Ohio BMV Vision Screening?

Common reasons for failing the BMV vision screening include not wearing your current prescription or misunderstanding the peripheral vision test.

• Action: Bring your most recent prescription glasses or contacts to your BMV appointment to avoid an immediate failure and rescheduling delay.
• Action: If you feel the machine's results are incorrect, calmly ask the examiner if you can try the test again after a short break. Sometimes eye strain from waiting can affect performance.

A teen in Cincinnati arrives for his permit test at the Oakley station wearing old glasses with a scratched lens. He must leave, find his current pair at home, and return, losing his place in line and adding over an hour to his trip.

Driving With Corrective-Lens Restriction B

Restriction B is printed directly on your Temporary Instruction Permit Identification Card (TIPIC).

• It appears as a 'B' in the Restrictions field or the words 'CORRECTIVE LENSES.'
• You must update your license if your vision improves (e.g., after LASIK) by passing a new BMV screening without glasses.
• A duplicate license without the restriction costs $29.00.

If the BMV flags a medical or vision condition, they will send you Form BMV 2310 for your doctor to complete; you must return that form before your license can be renewed or modified.

Action: If your glasses break or a contact lens is lost and you cannot meet the 20/40 standard, stop driving until you have a working corrective option. If your primary glasses break or a contact lens is lost, you cannot legally drive without a corrective option, which could strand you.

What happens to Restriction B after corrective eye surgery? The restriction stays on the credential until the BMV removes it. If surgery means you no longer need corrective lenses, request a new vision screening before driving without them.