Laws Now Require Physical Exams For Driver’s License?

A story rooted in Nevada has been unfolding recently that has left senior citizens questioning what exactly they have to do in order to renew their driver’s license. Nevada isn’t alone, though, when it comes to questions that older folks have about getting their license.

As it turns out, in many states, there are constantly developing hoops that one might have to jump through in order to maintain their driver’s license after a certain age.

After receiving a notice in the mail, one Nevada resident was made aware that they would need to go through a physical exam and be seen by an optometrist in order to renew their driver’s license. What this person didn’t realize, though, was that this option was simply for those who wished to renew their license by mail.

Otherwise, heading into the DMV would be the best route to help avoid these otherwise unnecessary doctor’s appointments. When inside the DMV, license applicants are given an eye test, and DMV employees are able to determine if their driving status needs to be brought into question.

While this might be a case of a simple misunderstanding that happened due to a confusing document in the mail, there are still some things for elderly drivers to pay attention to. For example, in some states, the renewal times for older drivers have been dropped, requiring people over a certain age to renew their licenses more frequently than younger individuals.

Below, our host, Steve Lehto, dives into the idea, trying to get to the bottom of what this means for elderly drivers. Fortunately, in contrast to what this so-called letter might have said, there aren’t going to be that many more hoops for older drivers to jump through if they’re able to go to a physical DMV location. However, there are still a couple of things that they should have in the back of their mind when it comes time to renew their driver’s licenses.