South Carolina looks to no longer require eye health exams for driver's licenses

March 11, 2010

While it is normal that individuals receive vision exams to test their eye health before receiving a driver's license, the state of South Carolina is considering lifting the required vision screening.

The current law states that while a South Carolina driver's license is good for 10 years, residents are required to get their eyes checked every five years to ensure they're in good eye health, according to NBCAugusta.com.

While this is a law, departments of motor vehicles (DMVs) do not enforce the rule, and do not go out of their way to seek out individuals who do not follow the procedure. State officials want to drop the exam altogether as they believe individuals would get their eyes checked on their own if there was an issue.

"I know most people that have corrective lenses, they don't wait. I mean, if they have a vision issue, they go to the optometrist and they take care of their vision issue," State Representative Phil Owens told the news provider.

According to the American Optometric Association, individuals should try to get their eyes checked every other year to ensure there are no eye health problems.