Driver's Licence Eye Test
A quick, accurate vision screening from a registered optometrist, with the official certificate you need for your driver's licence application or renewal, usually in under 20 minutes.
Your vision, certified
Safe driving depends on more than skill. Clear, unimpaired vision is a legal requirement for every road user.
South African law requires all driver's licence applicants and renewals to undergo a vision screening by a registered optometrist, confirming your eyesight meets the minimum standards to drive safely under the National Road Traffic Act.
Our optometrists conduct thorough, efficient screenings and issue the required certificate on the same visit, typically in under 20 minutes, with no need to book a full eye test. All screenings are charged at medical aid rates, and we can combine yours with an annual eye test if you're due.
It's a small errand with a real safety dividend. Plenty of drivers discover during this screening that their vision has slipped without their noticing, and leave with a correction that makes night driving markedly easier.
What the vision screening covers
Our screening follows the requirements of the National Road Traffic Act, covering the visual functions relevant to safe driving.
Visual Acuity
We measure the sharpness of your distance vision, reading road signs and spotting hazards at a safe stopping distance, with and without correction.
Field of Vision
Peripheral vision is essential for detecting vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians outside your direct line of sight. We confirm your field meets legal requirements.
Binocular Vision
We assess how well both eyes work together, including depth perception, critical for judging distances and safe following gaps.
Vision Certificate
Once your screening is complete and your vision meets the standard, our optometrist issues your official certificate to take to the traffic department.
Vision requirements for driving in South Africa
Requirements are set under the National Road Traffic Act. Your optometrist assesses whether your vision meets these standards, with or without corrective lenses.
Binocular Vision Standard
Drivers must achieve a minimum visual acuity of 6/12 or better using both eyes together, with or without corrective lenses, equivalent to reading the 6/12 line on a standard Snellen chart. If you only reach that standard while wearing glasses or contacts, your licence is endorsed accordingly, and you're required to wear them at the wheel.
Monocular Drivers
Drivers with vision in one eye only are subject to different standards. Our optometrists assess monocular patients carefully and advise on the legal requirements and any licence restrictions that apply, including the adjustment period the law expects after sight is lost in one eye.
Tip: Bring your current glasses or contact lenses to the screening. If you wear correction while driving, bring it along. The screening should reflect your actual driving vision.
How your screening runs
Four short steps, start to finish. Most people are in and out inside twenty minutes.
Arrive & Check In
Bring your ID and your current glasses or contact lenses. Let us know if you're due an annual eye test and we'll combine the two.
The Screening
Your optometrist tests distance acuity, peripheral field and how well your eyes work together, unhurried, but efficient.
Your Result
We explain what we found. If your vision falls short of the standard, we'll tell you exactly what's needed to meet it.
Certificate Issued
Your certificate is completed and handed to you before you leave, ready to take straight to the traffic department.
Questions before you come in
Booking is safest. A screening slot takes minutes and means you won't wait behind a full eye examination. Give us a call or send a WhatsApp and we'll fit you in, often the same day.
Usually under twenty minutes, including the certificate. It's a focused screening, not a full eye examination, though we're happy to do both in one visit if you're due for a test anyway.
Your ID, and any glasses or contact lenses you currently wear, especially if you wear them while driving. The screening needs to reflect the vision you actually drive with.
It isn't a dead end. In most cases the shortfall is simply an out-of-date prescription, and the right correction brings you comfortably up to standard. We can test and prescribe on the spot. Where something more serious is behind it, we'll explain what we've found and refer you appropriately.
Yes. The screening is performed and certified by a registered optometrist in line with the National Road Traffic Act, which is exactly what the licensing authority requires.
Screenings are charged at medical aid rates and most major South African schemes are accepted. Cover for a licence screening specifically varies by plan, so we'll confirm the cost with you before we begin.
Get road-ready in one quick visit
Skip the queues. Pop in for your driver's licence vision screening and leave with your certificate the same day.