Eyesight and Driving: The 20-Metre Number Plate Rule

Last checked November 2026. Offers and rules change: confirm with the provider before you rely on them.

To drive legally you must be able to read a car number plate from 20 metres away, wearing glasses or contact lenses if you need them. You must also tell DVLA about any eyesight problem that affects both eyes. At the time of writing (November 2026) there is no compulsory eye test for older drivers, although the government has consulted on introducing one.

The legal standard

The rules below are taken from the government's page on driving eyesight rules. There are three parts to the standard for car drivers.

The number-plate test. You must be able to read a number plate from 20 metres. GOV.UK describes that as about the length of 5 parked cars. You may wear your glasses or contact lenses to do it.
Visual acuity. This is the sharpness of your sight, measured by the letter chart at the optician's. You need at least 6/12 on that chart (written as decimal 0.5), using both eyes together or, if you have sight in one eye only, in that eye. Again, glasses or lenses are allowed.
Field of vision. You must also have an adequate field of vision, meaning how much you can see to the sides while looking straight ahead. Your optician can test this.

If you need glasses or contact lenses to meet the standard, you must wear them every time you drive. You can be prosecuted for driving without meeting the standards of vision.

Tip: try the number-plate test yourself. Pace out 20 metres from a parked car in daylight (roughly five car lengths) and read the plate. If you hesitate, book an eye test before you drive again.

What you must tell DVLA

You must tell DVLA if you have any problem with your eyesight that affects both of your eyes, or the remaining eye if you only have one. You do not need to report being short-sighted, long-sighted or colour blind, and you do not need to report surgery to correct short sight as long as you meet the eyesight standards afterwards.

Conditions such as cataracts, glaucoma and macular degeneration are common in later life and do not automatically mean giving up driving. What matters is whether you still meet the standard. Your optician or eye specialist will tell you whether your condition needs to be reported; GOV.UK also has an online tool for checking whether a health condition affects your driving.

The duty to tell DVLA applies to other medical conditions too, not just eyesight, and it applies as soon as you know, not at your next renewal. GOV.UK states that you can be fined up to £1,000 if you do not tell DVLA about a medical condition that affects your driving. After you report a condition, DVLA decides whether you can continue to hold a licence; in many cases the answer is yes.

Watch out: if you have an accident and it turns out you knew you could not meet the eyesight standard, you risk prosecution and your insurer may refuse to pay. This is the strongest practical reason to keep your eye tests up to date.

How often to have your eyes tested

NHS sight tests are free for everyone aged 60 and over in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and NHS eye examinations are free for all UK residents in Scotland. Your optician will tell you how often you should come back. Go sooner if you notice glare from headlights, difficulty reading road signs, or trouble judging distances. Our page on free prescriptions and eye tests explains what is covered, and optician discounts for over-60s looks at the cost of glasses.

Will eye tests become compulsory for older drivers?

Possibly, but nothing has changed yet. Here is exactly where things stand, based on GOV.UK.

On 7 January 2026 the Department for Transport opened a consultation called Introducing mandatory eyesight testing for older drivers, published alongside a new road safety strategy.
It asked for views on moving away from the present system, in which drivers aged 70 and over declare for themselves that they meet the eyesight standard, towards a compulsory eyesight test as part of renewing a licence.
The consultation covers Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales).
It closed on 11 May 2026. At the time of writing, GOV.UK says the government is analysing the feedback. No outcome, decision or start date has been published.

So for now the rules are unchanged: you renew at 70 by self-declaration, as described on our page about renewing your licence at 70. Be wary of headlines or social media posts claiming that a new law has already come in. If the rules do change, the consultation page on GOV.UK is where the outcome will appear, and we will note it on our what's changed page.

Northern Ireland

Driver licensing in Northern Ireland is handled by the Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA). The principle is the same: you must meet the eyesight standard and you must tell the DVA about any medical condition that may affect your driving. The nidirect website gives the number-plate distance as 20.5 metres and recommends regular eye tests. See nidirect's advice for older drivers.

Common questions

Can the police test my eyesight at the roadside?

The number-plate test is the standard check, and the police can ask a driver to take it. This is one reason it is worth trying it yourself from time to time.

I have cataracts. Do I have to stop driving?

Not necessarily. What matters is whether you still meet the eyesight standard, with glasses if needed. Ask your optician or eye clinic for advice on whether you need to tell DVLA and whether you are safe to drive in the meantime.

Has the compulsory eye test at 70 started?

No. A consultation on the idea closed in May 2026 and the government has not yet announced a decision. The self-declaration system still applies.