Vermont DMV Vision Test: 20/40 Standard, Form VS-017 Referrals

To get a Vermont learner's permit, you must pass a vision screening at a DMV office. The requirements are 20/40 visual acuity in at least one eye and a 60-degree field of vision. You can wear glasses or contacts to meet the standard.

Vermont DMV's Vision Standards for a Learner's Permit

Vermont DMV tests two things, acuity and peripheral field, using an Optec screening machine or a wall-mounted Snellen chart. Miss either and you leave without a permit that day.

• Visual Acuity: You need 20/40 or better vision in one or both eyes. This is tested by reading letters or symbols on a chart from a set distance. Vermont allows bioptic telescopes prescribed by a licensed optometrist or ophthalmologist to meet the 20/40 requirement. If you use a bioptic device, you must complete a behind-the-wheel road test.
• Peripheral Vision: You must have 60 degrees external field of vision in each eye. If you have vision in only one eye, you need 60 degrees external and 60 degrees nasal field of vision in that eye.

You can get a learner's permit if you wear glasses or contacts in Vermont. If you need them to achieve 20/40 vision, your permit will be issued with a 'B' restriction, legally requiring you to wear them while driving.

Does Color Blindness Automatically Prevent a Vermont Learner's Permit?

Vermont DMV does not publish a blanket rule saying a color-vision condition automatically disqualifies every applicant. If the screening raises a vision concern, DMV may require the Driver Eyesight Evaluation form (VS-017) and an eye-care professional's assessment before the permit decision is completed.

Removing the Corrective-Lenses Restriction if Your Eyesight Improves

Yes, but the restriction does not disappear automatically. Vermont DMV uses form VS-017 when a driver needs an eyesight evaluation or wants an eyeglass restriction removed. DMV also states that restrictions cannot be removed online, so follow the current DMV process before driving without the required lenses.

What Happens During the Vermont DMV Vision Screening Appointment?

The vision screening runs at your application appointment at any full-service Vermont DMV office, Montpelier, South Burlington, Rutland, and others. Forget your lenses and the DMV reschedules you, period.

• Wear Your Corrective Lenses: Always wear your glasses or contacts to the DMV for your eyesight test. If you forget them, you will fail and need to reschedule.
• Testing Equipment: The DMV uses an Optec device. If you have difficulty with the machine, you may be asked to read a standard wall chart.
• Immediate Retest: If you fail while wearing your prescription lenses, a same-day retest is not an option. You will be referred to an eye doctor.

South Burlington's vision test failure is more common than most expect. Sofia booked her appointment too soon after eye surgery, her recovery was still affecting vision and she failed the eye chart. Vermont DMV's rule is firm: post-surgical recovery is not a vision waiver basis at any location. Return once cleared by an ophthalmologist, within 30 days.

If You Fail the Vermont DMV Vision Test

A failed vision screening ends your appointment immediately, the examiner issues Form VS-017 and you cannot get your permit that day.

• Where to Go for an Eye Exam: The form requires completion by a Vermont-licensed optometrist or ophthalmologist for an in-depth exam.
• Cost of Outside Vision Exam: The eye exam fee varies by provider and is not covered by the DMV permit fees.
• Submission Process: Once your eye doctor completes and signs the form, you must return it to the DMV with your required documents. If your doctor certifies your vision is safe for driving, the DMV will process your application, often with specific restrictions.

If You Get New Glasses After Failing the DMV Vision Test

New glasses do not by themselves close a DMV vision referral. Follow the VS-017 instructions you were given, have the required eye-care professional complete the evaluation, and return the completed documentation to DMV. Do not assume you can simply repeat the counter screening without completing the referral.

What Do Real Vermont DMV Vision Test Failures Look Like?

A 16-year-old applicant in South Burlington arrived for his permit test without his glasses, assuming his vision was 'good enough.' He failed the acuity test, reading only the 20/60 line. The DMV staff informed him he needed to reschedule, causing a significant delay in getting his permit.

An applicant in Rutland passed the 20/40 acuity test with her contacts but failed the peripheral vision screening in her left eye due to a previously undiagnosed field limitation. She was given Form VS-017. Her optometrist completed the evaluation, and the doctor's report allowed the DMV to issue a permit with a daylight-only restriction based on her visual field limitation.

A student wore his new prescription glasses to his Montpelier DMV appointment. He read the 20/30 line easily and passed the peripheral test. His permit was issued immediately with the standard 'B' restriction, and he proceeded to take the knowledge test the same day.

What Should You Do Before Your Vermont DMV Vision Appointment?

These steps eliminate the most common reasons Vermont DMV vision screenings fail, each one takes minutes and saves weeks of rescheduling.

Schedule your eye doctor appointment for a full exam before your DMV visit if it's been over a year since your last check. This avoids the referral delay and extra cost of a second, urgent exam.

Verify your prescription glasses are for distance vision, not just reading. Using reading glasses for the DMV's distance acuity test is a common reason for immediate failure.

Complete all sections of Form VS-017 with your eye doctor before leaving their office. An incomplete or unsigned form will be rejected by the DMV, forcing a return trip to the doctor.

Don't assume "good enough" vision will pass, bring your corrective lenses every single time.