How Often Do You Need to Repeat the Eye Test?
How often do you need to repeat the eye test? It is a question that comes up at every stage of a driving life, from the first licence application to the renewal of a lorry licence at 55, and the answer is not the same for everyone. For most car drivers, the eye test is a one-off, something you do once, when you apply for your first licence, and never again, unless your certificate expires before you hand in your application, or you add a new licence class. For professional drivers, the eye test is a regular event, repeated every five years, every time the licence is renewed. This guide explains how often you need to repeat the eye test, for each licence class, in each situation, so that you know exactly when to book your next one.
The reason the rules are different for different drivers is the same reason the eye test itself is different for different drivers: the risk is different. A car driver drives a relatively light vehicle, for relatively few hours, and the law gives a car licence for a long period, 15 years in Germany for the card itself, without a new eye test. A lorry or bus driver drives a heavy vehicle, for many hours, and often carries passengers, and the law gives a professional licence for only five years at a time, with a new eye test and a new medical examination at each renewal. That difference is not a punishment. It is a safety measure, and it means that the people who are most at risk of their vision deteriorating are the people whose vision is checked most often.
There is another reason to know the rules, and it is a practical one. If your eye test certificate has expired, and you hand in your licence application, the licensing office will send it back, and you will have to start again. If you are a professional driver and you forget to renew your licence on time, you will not be allowed to drive, and you may lose work. If you add a new licence class, and you do not realise that you need a new eye test, you can be delayed for weeks. Knowing when the eye test is needed, and when it is not, saves time, money and stress, and this article gives you the rules, with the dates and the exceptions.
The two-year validity of the certificate
Let us start with the rule that affects everyone: the eye test certificate is valid for two years from the date of the test. That means that, from the day you take the eye test, you have two years to hand in your licence application, and if you hand it in within that period, the certificate is accepted, and you do not need a new one. If the two years run out before you hand in your application, the certificate expires, and you have to take the eye test again, even if nothing has changed about your vision. That is the most common reason that people have to repeat the eye test, and it is the easiest one to avoid, by handing in your application promptly, or by taking the eye test late in the process rather than early.
The two-year rule applies to the certificate itself, not to the licence. Once your licence has been issued, the certificate has done its job, and you do not need another one, for that licence. That is worth knowing, because it means that the eye test you take for your first licence is enough for the whole life of that licence, unless you add a class or renew a professional licence, as explained below. It also means that it is worth timing the eye test well. If you take it on the first day of your driving course, and the course takes more than two years, which is rare but possible, your certificate could expire before you apply, and you would have to take the test again. That is a waste of a few euros and a few minutes, but it is still worth avoiding, by taking the eye test when your instructor says you are ready for the practical test, rather than at the start of the course.
There is one exception to the two-year rule, and it is worth knowing about. If you have a medical condition that affects your eyes, and the ophthalmologist’s report says that your vision needs to be checked more often, the licensing office may set a shorter validity for the certificate, or it may ask you to have a new eye test after a certain period, even before the two years are up. That is decided on a case-by-case basis, and it will be written on the report, so you will know what is expected of you. For the details, read our guide to how long the eye test is valid, and our article on what to do if your eye test certificate is lost or expired.
Car licences: usually once, and that is it
For a car licence, class B, the eye test is normally a one-off. You take the test, you get the certificate, you hand in your application, you get your licence, and you never need another eye test for that licence. The licence card itself is valid for 15 years, and when you renew the card after 15 years, you do not need a new eye test, because the card renewal is about the photo and the security features, not about your health. That surprises many people, but it is the law, and it means that a car driver who passes their test at 18 will not have another eye test until they add a class, or until they need a medical examination for another reason.
That is the rule for most car drivers, but there are two situations in which a car driver does need a new eye test. The first is if your certificate expired before you handed in your application, as described above. The second is if you add a new licence class, such as a motorbike licence or a lorry licence, because each new class needs its own eye test, unless the new class has the same requirements as the one you already hold. In practice, adding a motorbike licence, class A, to a car licence, class B, usually does not need a new eye test, because both classes have the same requirement, a binocular visus of 0.7, but the licensing office may still ask for a new certificate if your old one is out of date, so it is worth checking with them.
The third situation, which is less common, is if you have a medical condition that affects your eyes. If you develop diabetes, cataracts, glaucoma, or another condition, you should tell the licensing office, and the office may ask for a new eye test and an ophthalmologist’s report, to check whether you are still fit to drive. That is not a routine repeat, but a response to a change in your health, and it is the right thing to do, because your safety, and the safety of other road users, depends on your vision. For what happens when the certificate runs out, read our article on driving licence renewal when your eye test expires.
Lorry and bus licences: every five years
For professional drivers, the rules are very different. A lorry licence, class C, and a bus licence, class D, are issued for five years at a time, and every time you renew, you need a new eye test, a new medical examination, and, from the age of 50, a more detailed medical check. That means that a professional driver has an eye test every five years, throughout their working life, and that the licensing office has a regular record of their vision. If your vision has got worse since the last renewal, the new eye test will show it, and the renewal may be refused, or it may be granted with a restriction, or it may be delayed while you get new glasses or treatment. That is the point of the five-year cycle: to catch a deterioration early, before it becomes a safety problem.
The five-year rule also applies to the smaller professional classes, C1 and D1, and to the extensions CE and DE, which are the lorry and bus licences with a trailer. In each case, the licence is valid for five years, and the renewal requires a new eye test. The test itself is the professional eye test, which is more detailed than the car eye test, and which includes a visual field test and a colour vision test, as well as the visual acuity test. Our guide to the eye test for professional drivers explains the full professional test, and our article on how to renew your driving licence after 5 years as a professional driver explains the renewal process in detail.
If you are a professional driver, it is important to keep track of the renewal date, and to book your medical examination and eye test in good time, at least a few months before the licence expires. If the licence expires before you have renewed it, you are not allowed to drive, and you may lose work, or you may be fined if you drive anyway. The licensing office will send you a reminder before the licence expires, but it is your responsibility to act on it, and to allow enough time for the medical examination, the eye test, and the processing of the application, which can take several weeks. Set a reminder on your phone for six months before the expiry date, and start the process then, so that you are not caught out.
When a new class means a new eye test
Adding a new licence class is the other common reason to repeat the eye test. If you hold a car licence, and you decide to get a lorry licence, you will need the professional eye test, because the requirements for a lorry licence are stricter than the requirements for a car licence, and the simple optician test does not cover them. If you hold a car licence and you decide to get a motorbike licence, you will usually not need a new eye test, because both classes have the same requirement, a binocular visus of 0.7, but you should still check with the licensing office, because they may want a certificate that is less than two years old, and if your car certificate is older than that, you will need a new one. For more on class differences, read our guide to the eye test differences between licence classes B, C and D.
The same logic applies to the other extensions. If you add a trailer entitlement, class BE, to your car licence, you do not need a new eye test, because it is still a car class, and the requirement is still 0.7 binocular. If you add a moped licence, class AM, you do not need a new eye test either, for the same reason. But if you upgrade from a car to a lorry, from a small lorry to a big lorry, from a lorry to a bus, or from any private class to any professional class, you need a new, more detailed eye test, because the requirements are higher. That is a matter of law, not of choice, and the licensing office will not grant the new class without the right certificate.
There is one more case to mention: the driving licence extension, which is when you add a class that you did not have before, and which is different from the renewal of a licence you already hold. When you extend your licence, you need an eye test that covers the new class, and the certificate must be less than two years old. That means that, if your original certificate is still valid, and it was issued for the same requirements as the new class, you may be able to use it, but in most cases the new class has different requirements, and you will need a new test. Ask your driving school, or the licensing office, before you book the test, so that you know which test you need, and so that you do not waste money on the wrong one.
What to do when your certificate expires
If your eye test certificate expires before you hand in your application, the remedy is simple: take the eye test again. It costs the same as the first time, usually between 5 and 10 euros, and it takes the same five minutes, and the new certificate is valid for another two years. There is no penalty for an expired certificate, and the licensing office will not ask why it expired. Book an appointment at your optician, take the test with your glasses or contact lenses, and hand in your application as soon as you have the new certificate, so that it does not expire again. That is all there is to it, and it is the most common fix in this whole area of the law.
It is worth checking the date on your certificate before you hand in your application, so that you do not get a surprise. The date is printed on the certificate, usually next to the optician’s stamp, and the expiry date is two years after it. If you are not sure whether your certificate is still valid, ask your driving school, or ask the licensing office, and they will tell you. If it is close to expiring, take the test again before you hand in the application, rather than after, because the office may take a few weeks to process the application, and if the certificate expires while it is being processed, the office may ask for a new one. Taking the test again is cheaper and quicker than dealing with a returned application.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often do I need to repeat the eye test?
For a car licence, usually only once, when you apply for your first licence, unless your certificate expires, you add a new class, or your health changes. For a lorry or bus licence, you need a new eye test every five years, at each renewal.
How long is the eye test certificate valid?
Two years from the date of the test. If you do not hand in your application within two years, you will need to take the eye test again.
Do I need a new eye test to renew my car licence card?
No. The card renewal after 15 years does not need a new eye test. It is about the photo and the security features, not about your health.
Do professional drivers need an eye test more often?
Yes. Lorry and bus licences are issued for five years at a time, and each renewal needs a new eye test and a medical examination.
Does adding a new licence class need a new eye test?
Sometimes. If the new class has the same requirements as the class you already hold, you may not need one, but if it has higher requirements, such as a professional class, you will need a new, more detailed test.
Conclusion
How often you need to repeat the eye test depends on the licence you hold, and on what changes in your life. For most car drivers, the answer is once, and that is it, because the certificate is valid for two years, the licence is valid for fifteen, and the card renewal does not need a new test. For professional drivers, the answer is every five years, because that is how often the licence is renewed, and because a regular check is the best way to catch a deterioration early. And for everyone, the answer can change if your certificate expires, if you add a new class, or if your health changes.
Keep track of the dates, and book your eye test in good time. That is the whole secret: know when your certificate expires, know when your licence is due for renewal, and take the test a few months before, so that you are never rushed, and so that your licence is never delayed by a missing certificate. The eye test itself is five minutes and a few euros. The planning is what matters, and with a little planning, it will never hold you up.