About
Motorists must pass a vision screening test to renew their driver license. DMV allows doctors, nurses, most eye care professionals, pharmacists, and their supervised staff to give vision screening tests to customers and provide the results electronically to DMV through an Online Vision Registry. The results are applied to the customer's record, which allows the customer to renew their license online or by mail.
The vision screening test is as simple as asking the customer to read one line from a Snellen chart mounted on a wall or screen. With internet access, any eligible business can enroll in the Registry, conduct tests and enter results. The Registry to easy to use and requires only a small amount of staff time.
Participating organizations (except for organizations deputized by DMV) can charge a fee for the service. However, many organizations currently enrolled offer the exam to their customers as an added service at no cost.
To learn more about the Vision Registry, watch our YouTube video.
Enroll
To enroll in the Online Vision Registry, complete the online enrollment form. Make sure that your business name and address are correctly displayed in online map searches (such as Bing). This will ensure that the Vision Registry properly displays your business in the search provider list.
Businesses that want to offer the vision screening service to their customers can enroll electronically. You must provide the following:
- Applicant name and business information
- Provider information to identify the individuals who conduct vision screening tests
- User information to identify the individuals who enter screening test results
- Contact information to identify two individuals who will communicate with DMV
DMV will review your application and verify all professional license numbers. If your application is accepted, DMV will notify you within 5 business days and set up User IDs and passwords for your business.
Approved applicants will receive eye test charts, Vision Guidelines, and Snellen Procedures by mail (unless the business only enrolls providers who are optometrists or ophthalmologists). The company's designated primary and secondary contacts will also receive a Quick Start Guide and Provider Log by email.
More Information
Out-of-State Providers and Customers
Out-of-state healthcare providers are not permitted to enroll in the Registry. Out-of-state users who practice in New York State can enter vision screening test results. However, they must have a valid government-issued driver license or non-driver identification document from their state of residence.
Vision Registry providers and their staff cannot conduct tests for out-of-state residents. Customers who live out of state but hold a New York State driver license can have their vision tested by a New York provider and have results entered in the Registry.
Credentials
An individual can conduct vision screening tests as a provider AND enter results as a user. At the time of enrollment, the individual should be designated as both a provider and a user.
Providers and their staff can work in multiple locations, but DMV will issue them only one User ID and password. If the user is enrolled in multiple locations, the user must select the location they are entering results for at login.
Updating Information
The primary and secondary contacts are required to update enrollment information if anything changes. Contacts can make these updates by logging in and selecting the Enrollment tab, then Update Enrollment. The contact can also update business information and add/remove providers and users from this screen. Note: DMV is required to review all requests to add/remove providers and updates to mailing and/or business addresses.
Entering Results
Users enter results and will have an opportunity to review the results before the data is submitted to DMV. Users can also retrieve the results submitted for the current day and edit the results if necessary. If an error is discovered after the current day, the primary or secondary contact must report the error by emailing [email protected].
Users cannot enter failed results. If a customer does not pass the vision screening test, is wearing telescopic lenses, or only has dark-colored corrective lenses (dark glasses), you must direct the customer to their eye test provider; you cannot enter their results in the Vision Registry.
If a user enters a result twice, an error message will display stating that the result has already been entered. Primary and secondary contacts can request a report that shows the results submitted by all users in that business for any date range of 31 days or less. Edits are not allowed to be made to the report.
DMV requires providers to enter results within 24 hours of the vision test, but entering the results immediately is ideal. If a DMV customer renews their license online, by mail, or in-person and has had their vision tested by a Vision Registry provider, DMV will search the customer's record for the vision results. If the results are not there, the customer cannot renew and will be instructed to contact you.
Contact
Vision Registry staff is available during regular New York State business hours (8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. EST, Monday-Friday, excluding State holidays).