DOT physical vision and hearing requirements

Rules checked against the eCFR and FMCSA guidance on November 11, 2026 · Not medical advice

You need 20/40 vision in each eye and both eyes together (glasses or contacts allowed), a 70-degree field of vision in each eye, the ability to tell red, green and amber, and you must hear a forced whisper at 5 feet (hearing aids allowed).

Vision standard

Under 49 CFR 391.41(b)(10), a driver needs:^[1]

Distant visual acuity of at least 20/40 (Snellen) in each eye, with or without corrective lenses.
Distant acuity of at least 20/40 with both eyes together, with or without corrective lenses.
A field of vision of at least 70 degrees in the horizontal meridian in each eye.
The ability to recognize the colors of traffic signals: standard red, green and amber.

If you need glasses or contacts to pass, your certificate will say so, and you must wear them while driving. An ophthalmologist or optometrist can perform the vision part of the exam.^[2]

If one eye doesn't meet the standard

Since 2022, an alternative vision standard lets drivers qualify when their worse eye doesn't meet the acuity or field standard:^[3]

An ophthalmologist or optometrist completes the Vision Evaluation Report, Form MCSA-5871.
The DOT exam must begin within 45 days after the eye doctor signs it, and is repeated at least yearly.
The better eye must still have 20/40 acuity and a 70-degree horizontal field, color recognition is still required, and the condition must be stable, with enough time passed to adapt.
Drivers qualifying this way for the first time generally need a road test from the motor carrier, with some exceptions (such as 3 years of prior commercial driving with the condition).

Hearing standard

Under 49 CFR 391.41(b)(11), you must either:^[1]

First hear a forced whispered voice in your better ear at 5 feet or more, with or without a hearing aid; or
On an audiometric test, have an average hearing loss in your better ear of no more than 40 decibels at 500, 1,000 and 2,000 Hz, with or without a hearing aid.

If you pass using a hearing aid, your certificate will note it and you must wear it while driving. Drivers who can't meet the hearing standard can apply to FMCSA's hearing exemption program for interstate driving.^[4]

Bring your glasses, contacts and hearing aids to the exam. Full checklist.

Sources

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This guide summarizes federal rules for interstate commercial drivers. It isn't medical or legal advice, and your medical examiner makes the final decision. Disclaimer.