Photo: Acroterion, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Virginia lets you drive with bioptic telescopic lenses under Code of Virginia § 46.2-312. You need at least 20/200 in one or both eyes through your regular (carrier) lenses with a 70-degree horizontal field, and at least 20/70 through the bioptic, without field expanders. An ophthalmologist or optometrist sends a report to the DMV for review by the Medical Advisory Board. The license is daylight only (half an hour after sunrise to half an hour before sunset) at first; after one year you can qualify for night driving with 20/40 through the bioptic and a night skills test.
This page explains Virginia’s licensing rule. Whether a bioptic suits your vision is a question for a low vision optometrist or ophthalmologist.
Virginia bioptic requirements
| Requirement | § 46.2-312 |
|---|---|
| Acuity without the bioptic (carrier lenses) | At least 20/200 in one or both eyes |
| Horizontal field | At least 70 degrees, with or without carrier lenses. With vision in one eye only: at least 40 degrees temporal and 30 degrees nasal |
| Acuity through the bioptic | At least 20/70 in one or both eyes, without field expanders |
| Eye report | From an ophthalmologist or optometrist on a DMV form, evaluated by the Medical Advisory Board |
| Everything else | You must meet all other Virginia licensing requirements |
Can you get a learner’s permit with a bioptic?
Yes. Under subsection B, bioptic applicants can get a learner’s permit under § 46.2-335 if they meet the requirements above, except the part of the examination that involves actually driving a vehicle. You take the road test after practising on the permit. The general permit steps are in Virginia DMV knowledge exam and learner’s permit.
Restrictions on a Virginia bioptic license
- Daylight only: from half an hour after sunrise to half an hour before sunset.
- No endorsements: bioptic drivers are not eligible for the endorsements in § 46.2-328.
Teen drivers also follow Virginia’s provisional license limits; see Virginia provisional license rules for teen drivers.
Night driving after one year
You can be licensed for night driving if you:
- have at least 20/40 in one or both eyes through the bioptic, without field expanders
- have held the daylight bioptic license for at least one year
- pass a skills test taken at night
Step by step
- See a low vision eye doctor and get your bioptic prescribed.
- Have the ophthalmologist or optometrist complete the DMV’s eye report form.
- The Medical Advisory Board reviews it.
- If approved, take the knowledge test for your learner’s permit.
- Practise and complete driver education as any Virginia learner does; see Virginia 45 hour driving log and driver education.
- Take the road skills test; see Virginia road skills test.
Before you start, check Virginia DMV’s current bioptic forms, any training it recommends, and the fees.
How Virginia compares
Virginia’s 20/70 telescope line is less strict than Tennessee’s 20/60, and it sets a separate field rule for drivers with sight in one eye. Compare in Bioptic driving laws by state, North Carolina bioptic driving rules and Driver’s license vision rules in the South. The full Virginia process is in Learning to drive in Virginia.
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 only, not an eye test, and it cannot assess bioptic vision.
Back to the hub: Driving with a medical condition or disability in the US.
Sources
- Commonwealth of Virginia, Code of Virginia § 46.2-312 (law.lis.virginia.gov)