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Most Northeast states want 20/40 vision for a driver’s license with no vision limits, measured with glasses or contacts if you wear them. New Jersey is the main exception at 20/50. Several states also set a side-vision (field) standard, from 120 degrees in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania to 140 degrees in Connecticut, DC and Maryland, and some allow lower acuity with a daylight-only license. This guide lists each state’s published rule, with bioptic status, for Connecticut, Delaware, DC, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont.
New to vision tests? The basics (what 20/40 means, what happens if you fail) are in the vision test by state guide. This page adds the detail for the Northeast.
Northeast vision standards, state by state
| State | Acuity standard | Field of vision | Lower-vision options | Bioptic telescopes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | 20/40, glasses allowed | 140 degrees binocular (DMV web page) | If blind in one eye, the other eye must be 20/40 with a field of at least 100 degrees | Allowed since 1 October 2022 (C.G.S. 14-45a); check details with the DMV |
| Delaware | 20/40, with or without glasses | Check with the state | 20/40 to 20/50 may mean daylight-only driving | Reported allowed; check with the state DMV |
| District of Columbia | 20/40 in the better eye | 140 degrees needed if using the 20/70 route | 20/70 in the better eye with a 140-degree field | Reported allowed; check with the DC DMV |
| Maine | Check with the state | Check with the state | Check with the state | Can’t be used for the acuity test (BMV form MVE-103) |
| Maryland | 20/40 or better in each eye for an unrestricted license | Continuous field of at least 140 degrees | Restricted and low-vision categories exist; check with the MVA | Statute exists; see the Maryland guide |
| Massachusetts | 20/40 in the better eye, with lenses if worn | 120 degrees horizontal | 20/50 to 20/70 corrected in the better eye may qualify for daylight-only | Allowed; see the Massachusetts guide |
| New Hampshire | 20/40 in both eyes; 20/30 if you have sight in one eye only; B restriction if you need lenses | Check with the state | Check with the state | Reported allowed; check with the state DMV |
| New Jersey | 20/50, with or without lenses | Check with the state | Sight in one eye: 20/50 in that eye plus a physician’s statement | Reported allowed; check with the MVC |
| New York | 20/40 in at least one eye, with or without lenses | Check with the state | If you don’t pass the screening, you are sent to an eye test provider | Allowed; see the New York guide |
| Pennsylvania | 20/40 or better combined vision to drive without lenses | 120 degrees combined horizontal | Daylight-only routes if 20/40 can’t be reached (one based on 20/60 corrected); below 20/70 but at least 20/100 best-corrected: restricted license only on an optometrist’s recommendation | Allowed through a separate program; see the Pennsylvania guide |
| Rhode Island | 20/40 with corrective lenses | Check with the state | Check with the state | Allowed: 20/100 carrier, 20/40 telescope, 3x maximum, daylight only (280-RICR-30-05-4) |
| Vermont | 20/40, or referral to an eye doctor | Check with the state | Check with the state | Reported allowed; check with the state DMV |
Where a cell says “check with the state”, ask the DMV for the figure before your appointment. It does not mean the state has no standard.
Daylight-only and other restricted licenses
If you can’t reach the full standard, several Northeast states may still license you with limits:
- Daylight only: Delaware (20/40 to 20/50), Massachusetts (20/50 to 20/70) and Pennsylvania (where 20/40 can’t be reached).
- Restricted license on an eye doctor’s advice: Pennsylvania, for 20/70 to 20/100 best-corrected. Pennsylvania restricted licenses can carry road-type and vehicle-weight limits.
- Wider field route: DC accepts 20/70 in the better eye if your field is 140 degrees.
Each restriction appears as a code on your license. See driver’s license restriction codes.
Bioptic telescopes in the Northeast
Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and New York have confirmed bioptic routes, Maryland and Rhode Island have bioptic regulations, and Connecticut has allowed bioptics since October 2022. Pennsylvania’s regulation says a telescope can’t be used to meet the acuity standard, so its bioptic program is a separate route with its own training and restrictions. For every state, see bioptic driving laws by state.
Is vision checked again at renewal?
Renewal rules vary by state and age, so check your renewal notice or ask the DMV. Expect a screening if you renew in person, and check your renewal notice for what your state needs.
Before your permit appointment
- Wear the glasses or contacts you drive in. Passing with them adds a lens restriction.
- If you have a low-vision condition, contact the DMV’s medical review unit before booking.
- Ask your optometrist or ophthalmologist about your own eyes. This guide covers licensing rules only.
Other regions: South, Midwest and West. All medical topics: 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
- Bioptic column: the state rule, statute or form cited in each row (full list in the bioptic driving laws by state guide)
- Pennsylvania Code, “Title 67 section 83.3 Visual standards” (pacodeandbulletin.gov)
- Maryland MVA, “Vision Tests and Requirements” (mva.maryland.gov)
- Massachusetts RMV, “Learner’s Permit” (mass.gov)
- Connecticut DMV, “Learn about DMV’s knowledge and vision test” (portal.ct.gov)
- New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, “Knowledge Test” (nj.gov)
- New York DMV, driver’s manual and “Eye Test Report for Medical Review Unit (MV-80L)” (dmv.ny.gov)
- Connecticut DMV, “Connecticut Driver’s Manual” (rev. March 2023) (portal.ct.gov)
- New Hampshire DMV, “New Hampshire Driver’s Manual” (DSMV 360, rev. 07/24) (dmv.nh.gov)
- Rhode Island DMV, “Rhode Island Driver’s Manual” (April 2024) (dmv.ri.gov)
- Driver manuals and licensing pages of Delaware, DC and Vermont (official state domains)