Driver's licence renewal (glasses)

winwinwin

I have a query regarding renewing drivers licence. In my original licence I didn't wear glasses but now I do for distance - though not all the time- I would be very comfortable without glasses as my eyesight is ok - do I NAVE TO say that I wear them? I don't wear them at any other time. It's just that sometimes I forget them and don't want to have something on my licence that says I HAVE to have them on.

Beasty

I'm a bit confused. If your eyesight is OK, why do you need glasses? Would have thought if you do need them for distance you should also be wearing them for driving

Miike

winwinwin wrote: »

I have a query regarding renewing drivers licence. In my original licence I didn't wear glasses but now I do for distance - though not all the time- I would be very comfortable without glasses as my eyesight is ok - do I NAVE TO say that I wear them? I don't wear them at any other time. It's just that sometimes I forget them and don't want to have something on my licence that says I HAVE to have them on.

Unless you've been told you need glasses for driving then it won't say on your license that you need to wear glasses.

mikeecho

If you need to wear them... wear them.

Currently you don't need a eyesight test for licence renewal.

Legal yes.. ethical.. .. . .

Daxve

I've been wearing glasses for over 20 years and would never drive without them but I have always met the minimum standard on the eye test and I mean absolute minimum, so I don't legally require them. When I was applying a few years ago I ticked the box for wears glasses as I always wear them anyway. I was asked for an eyesight report showing I needed to wear glasses, told them I met the legal minimum but always wore them anyway so I had no problem having it on the licence. They wouldn't accept this I would have to go and actually fail the test to be allowed to have it on the licence. In the end I scribbled out the needs glasses and they issued a licence without the requirement to wear glasses I wasn't even asked to produce the eye sight report showing I passed the test.

coylemj

There is an eye test as part of the application for a learner permit. If that eye test says you don't need to wear glasses when driving then that's the end of it until you reach 70 at which point you need a medical cert. from your doctor for every licence renewal. I believe that involves a prescribed medical check-up which includes a basic eye test.

If you think that you now need glasses when driving then fine, wear them but as the previous poster has pointed out, making it official means that you will be exposing yourself to a certain amount of avoidable red tape.

winwinwin

Thanks for those replies. I generally speaking wear glasses every day driving BUT unlike friends of mine feel quite comfortable driving without them. I have friends who can't see much ahead of them without glasses! I'm not like that! My problem is that I feel that if they were listed on my license that if a garda stopped me and I'd accidently forgotten or broken my glasses I'd end up with penalty points or a fine.Do you get penalty points for no glasses???? Theres also the added expense of the test, I'm really stretched at present.

Beasty

So why do you need glasses? You suggest they are for distance. Not sure what your insurers would think if they became aware you need glasses to correct your vision but can't be bothered wearing them when driving. Not something I would like to have to defend if I was ever involved in an accident.

Miike

Beasty wrote: »

So why do you need glasses? You suggest they are for distance. Not sure what your insurers would think if they became aware you need glasses to correct your vision but can't be bothered wearing them when driving. Not something I would like to have to defend if I was ever involved in an accident.

I use glasses for distance. Optometrist specifically told me not to wear them driving. Although my Rx is +.05. I only wear them when my eyes are tired, as per instructions :pac:

Doltanian

Just use contact lenses on the day of your driving licence renewal as they will do an eye chart exam on you since they privatised the driving licence renewal. Its another excuse for insurers to gouge you otherwise.

coylemj

Doltanian wrote: »

Just use contact lenses on the day of your driving licence renewal as they will do an eye chart exam on you since they privatised the driving licence renewal. Its another excuse for insurers to gouge you otherwise.

That's the first I've heard of a sight examination as part of the NDLS renewal process.

Grolschevik

^^^^
Yep, renewed mine last week. No 'exam', just a 'do you need glasses for driving' question: yes or no answer and box ticked. Of course, my old licence had the code for corrective lenses on it, but if yours doesn't, and you really don't need them for driving, just say 'no'.

OldMrBrennan83

This post has been deleted.

AllGunsBlazing

An eye exam should really be mandatory for every application/renewal. Eyesight can deteriorate drastically over the course of a ten year period. Come to think of it, a medical check up like the one required for renewal of trucks and buses wouldn't do any harm either.

Wishbone Ash

mikeecho wrote: »

....Currently you don't need a eyesight test for licence renewal..

It depends on the category.

mikeecho

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

It depends on the category.

Which category ?

I renewed my licence last month, ABCD, and I submitted a medical report, but no eyesight test.

Yoghurt87

Miike wrote: »

I use glasses for distance. Optometrist specifically told me not to wear them driving. Although my Rx is +.05. I only wear them when my eyes are tired, as per instructions :pac:

Are you sure your prescription is + and not - ?
If it's + that would indicate that you are farsighted and don't have difficulty with seeing objects in the distance; glasses may be needed for reading or other close-up work but usually not for driving.

Miike

Yoghurt87 wrote: »

Are you sure your prescription is + and not - ?
If it's + that would indicate that you are farsighted and don't have difficulty with seeing objects in the distance; glasses may be needed for reading or other close-up work but usually not for driving.

Sorry I actually got the whole thing wrong. It's -0.25!

eringobragh

Just to put a spanner in the works but for what it's worth I got my eyes lasered few years ago and wasn't initially bothered about the code on licence but come renewal I got an eye test and got it removed from licence. You never know with insurance etc

winwinwin

But if stopped by garda is it a penalty point or fine or what????

coylemj

winwinwin wrote: »

But if stopped by garda is it a penalty point or fine or what????

They can't tell if you're wearing contacts or not so I'd say it's not something that will come up.

seagull

It really is a bizarre setup here. Last time I renewed my license, I ticked the box "Needs glasses", and it was returned to me with instructions to get an eye test. I actually passed the eye test comfortably, so unticked the box, and resubmitted. Seeing as I had the eye test results, I included it with the submission. I'd have expected it to be the other way - prove you don't need glasses. My personal opinion is that eye tests should be compulsory with license renewals.

finno

I am renewing my licence soon do i need a medical report?

Anjobe

It would probably be quicker to go straight to the NDLS website rather than asking on here, but here you go:

Your application must be accompanied by a medical report if you:

• Are applying for a learner permit or Driving licence in any of the categories C1, C, D1, D, CE1, CE, DE1 or DE.
• Will be 70 years of age or more on the first day of the period for which the licence or Learner Permit is being granted.
• Suffer from certain disabilities or diseases
• Have ever suffered from alcoholism or epilepsy
• Are taking, on a regular basis, drugs or medication which would be likely to make you an unsafe driver

Sam Quentin

Sorry to slightly shoulder the op a bit but.. My license is not due for renewal until 2022 and as the new improved sexy credit card type licence only came out a couple of months after my last renewal, what exact process would I need to go through to get my hands on one of those bad-boys!? Or will I just keep my old raGGedy pink paper one :-).. I don't mind really.

mikeecho

finno wrote: »

I am renewing my licence soon do i need a medical report?

no medical report needed for A , B (bike / car)

If you have a licence for a Bus, or Truck (C, D) , you'll need a medical report.
but you will not need an eyesight test, for any renewal.

ohnonotgmail

mikeecho wrote: »

no medical report needed for A , B (bike / car)

If you have a licence for a Bus, or Truck (C, D) , you'll need a medical report.
but you will not need an eyesight test, for any renewal.

you do if you are on certain medications post #25 has the correct answer.

mikeecho

ohnonotgmail wrote: »

you do if you are on certain medications post #25 has the correct answer.

i was working on the presumption that didnt need one the last time, and that there was no change in his conditions.

but yeah,, youre right.

Wanderer2010

Bump.

What if you used to wear glasses 10yrs ago but got laser eye surgery a few years later and now im renewing my license. Will i just say No to the question "do you need glasses or lenses for driving?".
Theres a line in brackets saying if i did previously tick yes that i need a recent eyesight report. Would i still need this or is it best to say No and leave it at that? I have no eyesight issues since the surgery.

ohnonotgmail

Wanderer2010 wrote: »

Bump.

What if you used to wear glasses 10yrs ago but got laser eye surgery a few years later and now im renewing my license. Will i just say No to the question "do you need glasses or lenses for driving?".
Theres a line in brackets saying if i did previously tick yes that i need a recent eyesight report. Would i still need this or is it best to say No and leave it at that? I have no eyesight issues since the surgery.

the question on the form is pretty clear. Did you require glasses the last time you renewed your licence? If you required them then and dont require them now then you need to provide a recent eyesight report.

Wanderer2010

ohnonotgmail wrote: »

the question on the form is pretty clear. Did you require glasses the last time you renewed your licence? If you required them then and dont require them now then you need to provide a recent eyesight report.

The thing is I cant remember what I would have put for that answer 10 years ago, do they have a copy of your orginal license application when you renew it? Don't think I want to waste the cost of an eyesight report when my sight is fine.

ohnonotgmail

look on your current licence. does it have the code that says that glasses are required?

Wanderer2010

I don't see any code, just an issue and expiry date. Its the pink licence.

ohnonotgmail

i had a look at the form and the question is :

If in the past you answered ‘Yes’ to this question
and are now answering ‘No’ you must provide a
current eyesight report with your application

if you are unsure phone the ndls and ask them if you ever had the 01 code on your licence.