Driver's license in PA - legally blind in one eye (Philadelphia: DMV, live) - Pennsylvania - City-Data Forum

pezalicious · 08-03-2010, 01:18 PM

My husband has a partially dislocated (displaced?) retina and is legally blind in one eye. He's been calling the DMV to find out if he can get a license in Philadelphia, but they don't seem to answer their phones. I was hoping someone here would know if he can get a driver's license in PA? As I understand it, the laws vary from state to state.

JasmineFlower · 08-03-2010, 02:20 PM

How is the other eye? Is he cleared to drive by his doctor? The short answer is yes. There might be restrictions, like day driving, but if the one eye is good enough or can be corrected enough with lenses to an acceptable, then he would more than likely be able to get a driver's license and not be all that restricted. Sight is usually measured by the good eye. If visual acuity is within an acceptable range, he should be able to get a license.

Does he have a license where he currently lives or is the legal blindness new?

If you are having problems getting through, you can always just go into one of the locations. Some aren't all that busy and could answer your questions. Don't expect service with a smile, it is the DMV after all.

pezalicious · 08-03-2010, 02:32 PM

Thanks for the info. He got hit in the eye with a tennis ball when he was 17, so it's not new at all, but since then, he's always used public transportation. So he's never been licensed. He has perfect vision in the other eye, so that's not a problem. He's trying to get his permit on Thursday, but he was surprised he has to have a doctor's exam. Maybe I'll have him ask the doctor to make a notation about his bum eye. Here in California, he had to have an optometrist fill our a form before he could get a permit, but I couldn't find out anything on the PA DMV site.

Thanks for the help. Hopefully he'll get through. Going there isn't an option until Thursday because he can't get there from where he's staying and has to get help from his family.

JasmineFlower · 08-03-2010, 03:22 PM

I may have needed something from my doctor for just my glasses if I remember right (it was awhile ago so I'm a little fuzzy on that!), so I don't know that its that out of the ordinary. I believe a doctor's exam in your husband's case would be determine the range of eyesight using one eye (i.e. seeing 180 degrees around you) and visual acuity in that eye. For someone like me who just needed glasses to drive, it was just to determine visual acuity.

Your husband sounds like he will be okay because his other eye is fine. Some slight restrictions or requirements possibly depending on the range of eyesight in the good eye, but I'd guess that's probably about it.

andreaspercheron · 08-04-2010, 06:23 AM

If you want questions directly answered your best bet is to call PennDot directly, they have a website and you may even find your answer on there. I would think your hubby would need to be medically cleared by a doctor here in PA for him to be able to get a license.

BarryK123 · 08-04-2010, 07:36 AM

As a physician who has filled out many of the DMV forms, I have the answer you're looking for.

If he goes to DMV, he will fail their eye test as they require 20/40 or better in each eye. However, that doesn't mean anything. They will tell him to see a physician for an eye test (an ophthalmologist would be best - he should be seeing one yearly, anyway, with only one good eye) and get form DL-102 filled out. As long as he has 20/40 or better vision in his good eye, and a full field of vision, the other eye doesn't matter and there will be no restrictions on his license.

You can save time by bringing out the form from DMV's web site and having it already filled out when you apply for a license.

sureshbabuparathi · 03-09-2016, 07:56 PM

Hello All,
Any information on below, much appreciated.

I am about to move PA from Cal. I recently found out that one of my Eye vision got little blurred (this is due to hard hit by ball) unfortunately there is no treatment for this said by Retina expert doctor. Here blurred means only a little portion of my vision is blurred ( let say if i want to see any letters on any board i cant see letters but i can see the board. ) . i have no problems with another eye.

Do PA, DMV will issue License ?

toobusytoday · 03-10-2016, 11:37 AM

Please note that the above poster popped up a six year old thread, so if you reply, please reply to the poster in post #7 and not the OP

gdc123 · 03-17-2016, 03:35 AM

hi sureshbabuparathi, check out post 6. he is correct. period. i moved from n.j. to pa and did exactly that.

VinodReddy · 07-09-2019, 01:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sureshbabuparathi

Hello All,
Any information on below, much appreciated.

I am about to move PA from Cal. I recently found out that one of my Eye vision got little blurred (this is due to hard hit by ball) unfortunately there is no treatment for this said by Retina expert doctor. Here blurred means only a little portion of my vision is blurred ( let say if i want to see any letters on any board i cant see letters but i can see the board. ) . i have no problems with another eye.

Do PA, DMV will issue License ?

Hi Suresh,

As I am facing same problem as one of my eye vision got blurred due to hard hit by ball and other eye has good vision. And I am also moving from cal to PA. Did you get PA driver's licence with out any restriction with one eye vision? And also my doctors said there is no treatment for this. Please let me know if you find any treatment for this. Thanks!