The short version
- Code 1 or Code 2 (leads to A1, A, B, EB)
- 6/12 in each eye, Snellen ratingRegulation 102(1)(a)
- Code 3 (leads to C1, C, EC1, EC)
- 6/9 in each eye — stricterRegulation 102(1)(b)
- Measured with correction?
- Yes — with or without glasses or contact lenses
- Field of vision
- At least 70° temporal in each eyeWider allowance if one eye is impaired or blind
- Where it's done
- At the testing centre, as part of your application
- If you don't meet the standard there
- A private optometrist or ophthalmologist test, at your own expenseRegulation 102(2)(a)
What is actually being measured
Two separate things, and the regulation names both. The first is visual acuity — how sharply you see — recorded on the Snellen rating, which is the fraction on an eye chart. A rating of 6/12 means that at 6 metres you can make out what someone with ordinary vision reads at 12 metres. The lower the second number, the sharper the vision the standard demands.
The second is your field of vision: how wide an arc you can see without turning your head, measured in degrees. Regulation 102 requires a minimum visual field of 70 degrees temporal — outward, toward your ear — in each eye.
Both are checked with your correction on if you normally use one. The standard applies "with or without refractive correction", so wearing your glasses or contact lenses for the test is expected, not a workaround.
Two standards, and which one applies to you
Regulation 102(1) does not set one number for everybody. It sets two, tied to which driving licence codes your learner's licence code leads to — the same code system explained on our licence codes page.
If you are applying for a Code 1 (motorcycle) or Code 2 (car, bakkie, most ordinary vehicles) learner's licence, the standard is a minimum of 6/12 in each eye. Where one eye reads below 6/12, or is blind, the other eye must reach the stricter 6/9 on its own.
If you are applying for a Code 3 learner's licence — the heavy-vehicle code, leading to C1, C, EC1 or EC — the standard is 6/9 in each eye, with no relaxed allowance stated for one eye if the other falls short. Driving a bus or a truck carries a stricter bar.
If you don't meet the standard at the centre
The regulation gives you a second attempt, and it is not another sitting at the same machine. Regulation 102(2)(a) lets a disqualified applicant approach a registered optometrist or ophthalmologist, at their own expense, and have their eyes tested against the same standard.
If that result properly reflects your visual acuity on the Snellen rating and your field of vision in degrees, the testing centre must accept it. This is very often the outcome for someone who simply did not have their glasses on, or whose prescription has drifted.
If the private result confirms the disqualification, regulation 102(2)(b) is direct about the consequence: the centre may not issue you a learner's or driving licence for that code.
The mistake
Leaving your glasses or contact lenses at home because the eye test "doesn't count" like the theory questions do. The standard is measured with correction on, so if you wear glasses for driving, wear them to the test.
The other is assuming any weakness in one eye disqualifies you outright. It does not — regulation 102(1)(a) specifically provides for a weaker or blind eye, provided the other eye reaches the higher bar on its own.
The eye test is one hurdle — the theory is the real work
Once the eye test is out of the way, the three areas that decide the rest of the day are rules, signs and vehicle controls. The free readiness test scores each one separately.
Take the free readiness testCommon questions
What eyesight do you need for a learner's licence?
It depends on the code. A Code 1 or Code 2 learner's licence needs 6/12 vision in each eye on the Snellen rating; Code 3, the heavy-vehicle code, needs the stricter 6/9. Both also require a minimum 70-degree temporal field of vision in each eye.
Can I wear glasses or contact lenses for the eye test?
Yes. Regulation 102 measures your acuity "with or without refractive correction", so the test is done with your normal correction in place if you use one.
What happens if I fail the eye test at the centre?
You may pay for a test by a registered optometrist or ophthalmologist. If that result properly reflects the required standard, the testing centre must accept it in place of its own.
Does one weak eye disqualify me?
Not automatically, for a Code 1 or Code 2 application. If one eye reads below 6/12 or is blind, the standard shifts to requiring 6/9 in the other eye alone. Code 3 does not carry that same relaxed provision.
Is the eye test standard the same for a car and a truck licence?
No. A Code 3 learner's licence, which leads to the truck and bus codes C1, C, EC1 and EC, requires the stricter 6/9 standard. A Code 1 or Code 2 licence needs 6/12.
Sources
- National Road Traffic Regulations, 2000 — regulation 102(1)(a)For an application relating to code A1, A, B or EB: a minimum visual acuity, with or without refractive correction, of 6/12 (20/40) for each eye — or, where one eye is below 6/12 or blind, a minimum of 6/9 (20/30) for the other eye — and a minimum visual field of 70 degrees temporal in each eye, or a minimum total horizontal field of 115 degrees where one eye is impaired or blind.
- National Road Traffic Regulations, 2000 — regulation 102(1)(b)For an application relating to code C1, C, EC1 or EC: a minimum visual acuity, with or without refractive correction, of 6/9 (20/30) for each eye, and a minimum visual field of 70 degrees temporal in respect of each eye.
- National Road Traffic Regulations, 2000 — regulation 102(2)(a) A disqualified person may, at their own expense, have their eyes tested by a registered optometrist or ophthalmologist against the regulation 102(1) standards, and the driving licence testing centre must accept the result if it properly reflects the person's Snellen acuity and field of vision. (b) If that result confirms the disqualification, the centre shall not issue a learner's or driving licence with that code.
Last updated 2026-09-23.