A widely read story in July said that the U.S. Department of Transportation would make people aged 70 and up get eye exams, road tests, and even yearly cognitive screenings in order to keep their driver’s license. Stories said that seniors aged 70 to 80 would have to update their licenses every four years, seniors aged 81 to 86 would have to do so every two years, and seniors aged 87 and up would have to do so every year and take a driving test.
In the first versions of the story, the “law” was said to start on July 1. Newer versions say it starts on August 1.
This is not true at all. It was revealed earlier this year that there is no national law that requires stricter driver license rules for seniors. Snopes, a website that debunks myths, also said the story was not true.
“In fact, no trustworthy news source had reported such an announcement,” Snopes said. (Snopes) Also, they put both stories through artificial intelligence content analyzers, which proved that they were probably both made by AI software.
“To put it simply, the claim seemed to be made up to get more clicks or views online,” it said.
State regulations do vary
States do have the power to make rules, and some do require seniors to get an eye exam before they can renew their IDs.
Every time you renew your license in Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming, you have to get your eyes checked.
In some places, drivers only have to get vision tests at certain ages or on a set schedule. Some of those are:
- Alaska – Vision test for people age 69 and older
- California – Vision test required for ever renewal for ages 70 and older
- Florida – Vision test required at every renewal for people age 80 and older
- Illinois – Vision test required at every renewal for those 75 and older
- Indiana – Vision test required at every renewal for those age 75 and older
- Iowa – Vision test required at every renewal for those age 70 and older
- Louisiana – Vision test required at every renewal for those age 70 and older
- Maine – Vision test required at every renewal for those 62 and older
- Maryland – Vision test required at every renewal for those age 40 and older
- Massachusetts – Vision test required at every renewal age 75 and older
- Nebraska – Vision test required at every renewal for age 72 and older
- Nevada – Vision test required at every renewal age 71 and older
- New Jersey – Vision test required every 10 years
- New Mexico – Vision test required at every renewal age 75 and older
- Ohio – Vision test required at every renewal age 65 and older
- Oregon – Vision test required at every renewal in person age 50 and older
- South Dakota – Vision test required at every renewal age 65 and older
- Texas – Vision test required at every renewal 79 and older
- Utah – Vision test required at every renewal 65 and older
- Virginia – Vision test required at every renewal age 75 and older
