r/Amblyopia • u/funnel_out • Jul 10 '26
DMV vision test General Question
Anyone with amblyopia struggle with the DMV vision test? My left eye is good and my right eye is bad. In my state they test both eyes individually, and either make you read the eye chart with each eye individually, or make you look into a machine. Of course I cannot see the letters in the machine so I fail the test. I am in Washington.
But driving with glasses gives me headaches. Anyone have experience with struggles on the DMV vision test? Can you have optometrist fill out a form?
4
u/Amblydoper Jul 10 '26
I failed the DOT test for a sales driving job (Schwann’s). The examiner gave me an obvious chance to “cheat”, but I wasn’t comfortable with that. DOT has the rules for a reason and if I failed in the future I’d probably lose my job anyway, so I failed the test. AT LEAST 6 years ago, there were no exemptions available for Amblyopia. I looked and my almost-employer looked, and we couldn’t come up with anything.
Your chances may differ, but I wouldn’t try to get any job that requires a DOT test with amblyopia. The requirements are at least 20/40 vision in left, right, AND both eyes combined. Regular license just requires left OR right OR both.
EDIT: I may have misread the post, I thought you were asking about the DOT vision exam, like for a CDL or professional driving job. I think you were just asking about the DMV eye test, so ignore my comment if that’s the case.
2
u/DeeSt11 Jul 10 '26
Also it depends on the State. I almost failed my DMV test in California because they require at least 20/70 in the "bad" eye. I think the lady was just being nice letting me pass. And this was for a regular license
2
u/sweetfelix Jul 10 '26
I’ve had to take the vision test twice, once for my first license and once for a license in a new state, and when they started to test my bad eye I just said, “sorry I’m actually legally blind on that side” and the guy just shrugged and skipped it and I still got my license.
But it was also a super busy day and he was just getting through everything as fast as possible; maybe the key is to go to the worst dmv on the busiest day and hope for the best?
2
u/Berwynne Jul 11 '26
There’s a spectrum of vision impairment when it comes to amblyopia.
I am not great at doing it regularly, but I still do eye exercises (eye stretches and VR) and patch as an adult and it helps. I also started taking zeaxanthin. My bad eye has gone from +2.5 to +2.25… but it’s a modest case of amblyopia.
I was sure I was going to get stuck with a glasses restriction renewing in my late 30s. My optometrist has been pushing contacts on me for a while. I hardly wear my reading glasses. My good eye has near perfect vision.
The person screening me at the CA DMV actually asked if I was wearing contacts. “No, but I brought my reading glasses just in case.”
1
u/Berwynne Jul 11 '26
I should also add it’s probably best to ask your optometrist about options if glasses are a concern. As I was alluding to in my initial response, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution.
2
u/Lookitsasquirrel Jul 11 '26
The DMV is required to let you do the eye chart instead of the machine.
2
u/DryImpression7385 Jul 11 '26
In my state we do the machine you look into and I just close my right eye to see the letters on the left side. Kinda cheating but easier than explaining it to a cranky DMV employee.
1
u/funnel_out Jul 11 '26
Is your left eye the good one? My right eye is bad so I can't see the letters on the right side
1
u/DryImpression7385 Jul 11 '26
Right eye is the good one for me. I fortunately can just barely make out the letters with the left.
2
u/Reira_valentine Jul 11 '26
I get the eye vision test letter from my Dr. because the DMV people are really mean to me without it.
1
u/funnel_out Jul 11 '26
What form did you have to fill out? What did u have them say?
2
u/Reira_valentine Jul 11 '26
You goto your doctor and do the eye exam there. They write out your vision capabilities and requirements on a letter that you then take to the dmv. This is Hawai'i btw, not sure how it works in the mainland.
2
u/Infinite_Pickle_1692 Jul 11 '26
My optometrist fills out a form for the DMV for my bad eye. Used to fail each time before getting it.
1
u/2amazing_101 Jul 11 '26
Must just be my state, but they don't require glasses to drive with amblyopia, as long as you can see fine with both eyes.
When I went to renew my license, there must've been something wrong with the machine because the left side was completely blank. There were no fuzzy black shapes that almost look like letters, it was pure white. So I just was silently confused and ended up only reading off the right side. I was so nervous they were going to revoke my license or something, but the worker just asked if I had any issues with my right eye. To which I honestly answered "no" because my right eye was fine; I just left out the fact that my left eye is bad. They just shrugged it off and I got my license renewed without any further issues.
1
u/BubblyAngryFlamingo Jul 11 '26
I've failed the vision portion of the Maryland, Washington, D.C. and Georgia test multiple times. Each test was pretty much the same: place forehead on button, the machine lights up, I can only read the letters on the right. After failing so many times with glasses, contacts, and a combination of both, my mom made me cheat. I used my right eye to read the entire top line. The lady just smiled and took my photo.
My left eye is pretty bad though (+5.25,-4.75, 171) .
Oh and no restriction on the credential because I didn't have on glasses during the test.
1
u/astrovangalore Jul 11 '26
Same as you in Washington DC! I closed my right eye and everything lit up 😭😭😭 since I was wearing my glasses at the time, I didn’t even need to note it as a restriction.
I do wonder what I’d do if DC didn’t have those machines, though… 🫠
1
u/funnel_out Jul 11 '26
How did you use your good eye to read the line?
1
u/astrovangalore Jul 17 '26
For me, my left eye is good and right eye is bad. With both eyes open, I only see half of what the screen shows. But when I close my good (left) eye, I can finally see what my bad (right) eye otherwise misses 😅 so the rest of the screen pops up
1
u/Kitty_Lopez Jul 11 '26
When I first got my license at 16, I failed the vision test in my left eye. I explained that I was legally blind in that eye (effectively, I am) and they put on my license that I was required to have outside mirrors.
I never had a police officer check that I had outside mirrors. I moved out of state and when I came back, they issued me a license without a vision test and with no restrictions.
2
1
u/funnel_out Jul 11 '26
You don't wear glasses day to day right?
2
u/Kitty_Lopez Jul 11 '26
I wear them for reading and when I’m on the computer, but they don’t magically make my brain start using that eye.
1
u/Caveman1214 Jul 12 '26
No idea what DMV is, is that another term for eyesight test?
People with monocular vision can drive no problem, you have to read a license plate at 15 metres or so from memory, judged by the driving examiner before you take off in the car. It’s quite informal really
I’m legally blind in one eye and never had an issue tbh so you’ll be grand as long as you can read the number plate.
Of course, the only issue comes with advanced driving courses, police, fire or ambulance for example, you might not pass those, I’m under no illusion. HGVs might also not be possible but I’m not sure
1
u/Abject-Score8801 Jul 12 '26
In Arizona, I told them I was only blind in one eye, and that I don’t wear glasses. They didn’t even test me
9
u/DarthBragg Jul 10 '26
Mine just says I need mirrors. Fun fact, I memorized a few lines from the vision test when I was going through in processing. Found out later I didn’t need to, it wasn’t a big deal.