1.2 Vision Screening, Reportable Medical Conditions & Medical Review
Key Takeaways
An unrestricted Class C license needs binocular vision, 20/40 or better in each eye and a continuous field of vision of at least 140 degrees.
If you need glasses or contacts to meet the standard, you must wear them whenever you drive, and your license shows that restriction.
Vision between 20/40 and 20/70, or a field of at least 110 degrees, can still qualify for a restricted license.
Reportable conditions must be disclosed when diagnosed, when you apply and when you renew.
The Driver Wellness and Safety Division and the Medical Advisory Board review reported conditions; the goal is to keep people driving safely, not to remove them automatically.
Why Vision and Health Are Tested
Driving is mostly a visual task, and sudden medical events behind the wheel can be as dangerous as impairment. Maryland therefore screens vision at the permit stage and requires drivers to report certain medical conditions. The manual covers this in Section 1 (Vision Screening; Reportable Medical Conditions) and Section 10.A (Medical Conditions to Report to MVA).
Maryland Vision Standards
The MVA or your eye doctor can do the screening. The MVA accepts an eye exam up to two years old when an authorized provider submits it, or when your doctor completes the MVA vision form.
| Category | MVA standard (noncommercial license) |
|---|---|
| Unrestricted license | Binocular vision (vision in both eyes), 20/40 or better in each eye, and a continuous field of vision of at least 140 degrees |
| Restricted license | Acuity between 20/40 and 20/70 in one or both eyes, and/or a continuous field of at least 110 degrees, or a need for corrective lenses |
| Special review | Acuity between 20/70 and 20/100, and/or a field between 70 and 110 degrees, handled through the MVA Modified Vision Unit |
Corrective lenses: if you need glasses or contact lenses to meet the standard, you must always wear them when you drive, and your license says so. Driving without them breaks a license restriction, and on the skills test it is an automatic failure.
Low vision: the Modified Vision Program lets some drivers with corrected vision between 20/70 and 20/100, and a field of at least 70 degrees, qualify for a restricted license. The Driver Wellness and Safety Division (DWS) sends a program package, and the Medical Advisory Board (MAB) decides each case.
Conditions You Must Report
State law requires you to tell the MVA about any of the following. Report a condition when it is diagnosed, when you apply for a license, and when you renew.
- Diabetes that caused a low blood sugar episode requiring help from another person in the past 6 months.
- Epilepsy or seizures.
- A heart condition that caused a loss of consciousness in the past 6 months.
- Stroke.
- Any condition that causes dizzy spells, fainting or blackouts.
- Sleep apnea or narcolepsy.
- A history of traumatic brain injury (TBI).
- Weakness, shaking or numbness in the arms, hands, legs or feet that may affect driving.
- A hand, arm, foot or leg that is absent, amputated or has a loss of function that may affect driving.
- An eye problem that prevents corrected acuity of 20/70 in at least one eye or a binocular field of at least 110 degrees.
- An alcohol use problem or a drug use problem.
- A mental health condition that may affect driving, schizophrenia, or dementia.
You can report through your myMVA account, by phone to the Driver Wellness and Safety Division, or in person at any branch. There is no fee.
What Happens After You Report
- DWS sends forms. These may include a health questionnaire (DC-001), an alcohol and drug use questionnaire (DC-001A) and a physician's report (DC-119) for your doctor.
- DWS reviews the forms and decides whether your case needs the Medical Advisory Board.
- The MVA decides. It may let you keep driving, add restrictions, or suspend or refuse your privilege. You may request an administrative hearing if you disagree.
Medical records used by the MVA and the MAB are confidential and are used only to decide your driving status unless a court orders otherwise. In the MVA's words, the goal "is not to take drivers off the road" but to keep people driving as long as they can do so safely. Law enforcement, courts, doctors and private citizens may also refer a driver for review.
Exam Traps to Avoid
- 20/40 versus 20/70. The 20/40 figure is the unrestricted standard. The 20/70 and 110-degree figures are the reporting threshold for eye problems and the edge of the restricted-license range.
- "Any diabetes" is not reportable. The rule covers diabetes that caused a low blood sugar episode needing someone else's help in the past 6 months.
- Reporting is not automatic suspension. Disclosure starts a review that is decided case by case.
- Glasses are a legal requirement, not a suggestion, once your license carries the corrective-lens restriction.
Practical Tips Before Your Screening
Bring your glasses or contacts to the MVA even if you rarely wear them, and tell the agent if you use them to drive. If your eyes have changed since your last exam, see an eye doctor before the appointment. A failed screening delays the knowledge test, and a doctor's report submitted in advance can save a second trip.
Which vision result meets Maryland's standard for an unrestricted noncommercial driver's license?
20/70 in the better eye with a 110-degree field
20/40 in each eye, binocular vision and a 140-degree continuous field
20/100 in each eye with corrective lenses
20/50 in one eye only with a 90-degree field
A permit applicant was diagnosed with sleep apnea last year. What does Maryland require?
Nothing, because sleep apnea affects only commercial drivers
Report it only if a police officer asks
Report it to the MVA
Wait one year after diagnosis before applying
Which diabetes-related situation is a reportable medical condition under Maryland's list?
Any diagnosis of type 2 diabetes, even when it is well controlled by diet
Taking oral diabetes medication
A family history of diabetes
A low blood sugar episode needing someone's help in the past 6 months
Sections you finish are checked off in the contents.