{"slug": "the-no-1-reason-you-might-have-to-take-a-freeway-driving-test-in-california", "title": "The No. 1 reason you might have to take a freeway driving test in California", "summary": "Californians who fail the DMV vision test may be required to take a supplemental driving performance evaluation that includes freeway driving. The test assesses whether drivers can compensate for vision impairment, and those who decline the freeway portion receive a license restricting them from freeway driving.", "body_md": "**Getting your**\n\n[Trinity Audio](//trinityaudio.ai)player ready...Most Californians will never have to drive on the freeway during a DMV test, but there’s one factor that greatly increases the chances: failing the vision test.\n\nThe process that starts when a license applicant is given the form known as DL-62 is a winding pathway that can involve a “supplemental driving performance evaluation” with a freeway segment.\n\nHere’s what to know about the Department of Motor Vehicles’ vision testing:\n\n**Who has to take the vision test?**\n\nAll first-time applicants, as well as [renewal applicants who are 70 or older](https://www.mercurynews.com/2023/07/28/how-to-renew-a-california-drivers-license-if-youre-over-70/). In addition, the DMV says, it randomly selects some other renewal applicants to have their vision tested.\n\n**What is the minimum standard?**\n\nVision of 20/40 with both eyes together, plus one eye must be at least 20/40 and the other at least 20/70. You can wear corrective lenses for the test; your license will then designate that you need to wear them to drive.\n\n**What if I fail?**\n\nYou’ll be given a [Report of Vision Examination (DL-62)](https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/uploads/2020/04/dl62-1.pdf) that has to be filled out by an ophthalmologist or optometrist before you can continue the licensing process.\n\nIf your vision is at least 20/70 with both eyes, you can get a temporary license that allows you to keep driving for 60 days.\n\n**I have a completed DL-62. What now?**\n\nBring the form back to a DMV office and take another vision test there. Sometimes, it’s an uncomplicated sign-off: You’ve gotten new glasses, you can read the chart, your license application is approved.\n\nBut sometimes your performance on the test or your eye doctor’s assessment will leave enough doubt that the employee will require you to take a behind-the-wheel test – the supplemental driving performance evaluation or SDPE – to determine if you can compensate for the vision impairment. The driving test will almost certainly not happen that day; you’ll need to schedule it.\n\n**And the SDPE includes freeway driving?**\n\nFor people taking it because of a vision impairment, it usually does. The segment is generally short – enter the freeway, merge into traffic, make a lane change or two, exit the freeway. A driver can decline to do the freeway test, but then the license will specify no freeway driving.\n\n**The DMV employee used the term “vision driving test.” Is that the same as SDPE?**\n\nIt means the SDPE that aims to assess vision issues. A supplemental driving test can also be conducted for other issues, including cognitive – for instance, the examiner might direct the driver to a certain spot and then ask them to find their way back to the office. [DMV brochure 956](https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/uploads/2020/03/dl956.pdf) gives a rundown on what you can expect from the SDPE.\n\n**Is there a way to know if my vision is in the ballpark before I go to the DMV?**\n\nFor a rough assessment, you can print out a vision test, tape it to a wall and tell someone the smallest letters you can read. Searching for “printable Snellen eye chart” will find some options. The 20/40 standard means you can read from 20 feet away the letters that someone with what is considered normal vision can read from 40 feet.\n\n**My vision is fine and I’m a safe driver. Is there any reason I’d be asked to take a freeway driving test?**\n\nIt is not part of California’s routine licensing process for non-commercial drivers – not for renewers, and not for first-time applicants even if they’re under 18.\n\nIn 1994, the department tried out a more difficult test at 30 of its offices, and that included a freeway driving section. The fail rate was much higher – 45%, compared with 26% for the standard test – and there were also concerns about the increased time it took and what to do when a DMV office was not near a freeway. In the end, the pilot program was not adopted, and freeway driving tests are administered only when there is a specific concern about an applicant’s ability to drive safely.", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/the-no-1-reason-you-might-have-to-take-a-freeway-driving-test-in-california", "canonical_source": "https://www.mercurynews.com/2026/06/30/freeway-driving-test-california-dmv-vision/", "published_at": "2026-06-30 18:19:47+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-06-30 18:21:44.276705+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["autonomous-vehicles", "ai-policy"], "entities": ["California Department of Motor Vehicles", "DMV"], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/the-no-1-reason-you-might-have-to-take-a-freeway-driving-test-in-california", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/the-no-1-reason-you-might-have-to-take-a-freeway-driving-test-in-california.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/the-no-1-reason-you-might-have-to-take-a-freeway-driving-test-in-california.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/the-no-1-reason-you-might-have-to-take-a-freeway-driving-test-in-california.jsonld"}}