Photo: Ant Armada, Pexels
California does allow driving with a bioptic telescope, but you can’t wear it to pass the DMV vision screening. You need better than 20/200 best-corrected vision in at least one eye without the telescope. Then your eye doctor completes a Report of Vision Examination (DL 62), and you take a driving test while wearing the bioptic. If you pass, your license is restricted to driving with it, and to daylight only if you passed during the day.
California bioptic rules at a glance
| Requirement | California rule |
|---|---|
| DMV screening standard | 20/40 with both eyes together, and 20/40 in one eye and at least 20/70 in the other, with or without corrective lenses |
| Minimum to be considered | Better than 20/200 best-corrected in at least one eye, without the telescope |
| Using the bioptic at the screening | Not allowed |
| Eye report | DL 62, Report of Vision Examination, based on an exam within the last 6 months |
| Driving test | A drive test or Supplemental Driving Performance Evaluation, wearing the bioptic |
| Restrictions | Must wear the bioptic when driving; daylight-only if you passed in daylight |
Step by step: getting a California license with a bioptic
- Take the DMV vision screening without the telescope. If you don’t meet the screening standard, you are referred to a vision specialist.
- See your optometrist or ophthalmologist. They complete the DL 62. If you don’t meet the screening standard, they fill in every section, including your acuity with and without lenses, visual fields and diagnosis.
- Bioptic section of the DL 62. The current form (rev. 8/2024) asks:
- your acuity through the bioptic telescope in each eye
- whether you received bioptic lens training, and whether it included driving
- whether the telescope is suitable for driving
- your skill in using it
- Bring the form to the DMV. Don’t mail it unless a DMV employee asks you to. Bring any new lenses too.
- DMV review. The DMV makes the final decision using a combination of factors, including your vision specialist’s information.
- Drive test wearing the bioptic. If you pass, your license is restricted to wearing the bioptic. Passing in daylight gives a daylight driving restriction.
If your vision is 20/200 or worse, the DMV says you may not be scheduled for a drive test.
What acuity do you need through the telescope?
Check with the DMV for any minimum acuity through the telescope. Secondary summaries cite 20/40, but treat that as unofficial. In practice, the DL 62 records your acuity through the telescope, and the DMV weighs it with your driving test.
Learner’s permit and training
- The same vision process applies when you apply for an instruction permit. Restricted licenses or instruction permits can be issued for a suitable period while you train.
- The DL 62 asks whether you had bioptic training that included driving, so tell your eye doctor about any training with a driver rehabilitation specialist. See learning to drive with a disability in the US.
- The usual California learner steps still apply: see learning to drive in California.
Removing the daylight restriction
To lift a daylight-only restriction, ask the DMV Driver Safety office and your eye doctor. The DL 62 asks whether night driving is recommended.
How California compares
Most states that allow bioptics set a minimum acuity without the telescope, as California does. For all 50 states, see bioptic driving laws by state and the Western vision rules. Ask your eye doctor whether a bioptic is right for you. This guide covers licensing only.
All medical and disability topics: the US guide to driving with a medical condition or disability.
Want to practise the eyesight check? Our sister site Driving Eyesight Test has a free US letter chart on drivingeyesighttest.com. It is a practice screen, not an eye test.
Sources
- California DMV, “Vision Conditions” (dmv.ca.gov)
- California DMV, “Report of Vision Examination (DL 62), rev. 8/2024” (dmv.ca.gov)