The 20-metre number plate check
At the start of the car driving test, the examiner asks you to read a stationary vehicle’s registration. The distance is 20 metres for a modern plate or 20.5 metres for an old-style plate.
Calibrated plate practice
Measure your distance from the screen and size the letters against a bank card.
Start practice →Approaching car game
Watch the car approach, then read its plate after it stops at the simulated 20-metre view.
Play challenge →Do the real check outdoors
- Choose a stationary vehicle with a modern UK rear plate in good daylight.
- Measure 20 metres from its plate.
- With both eyes open and any glasses or contacts needed for driving, read the complete registration.
- If you struggle or are uncertain, arrange an optician appointment before test day.
The online activities are approximate and cannot confirm that you meet the separate acuity or field-of-vision standards.
The UK eyesight rules for drivers
The number plate check is the part everyone remembers, but it is only one of three things the law asks of your eyesight. For a car or motorcycle licence you must:
- Read a number plate from 20 metres. This means a plate on a car registered from 1 September 2001, read in good daylight, wearing your glasses or contact lenses if you need them.
- Meet the visual acuity standard. That is at least decimal 0.5 (6/12) on the Snellen scale, using both eyes together, or your one eye if you only have sight in one. An optician can measure this.
- Have an adequate field of vision. This is how far you can see to the sides while looking straight ahead. An optician can check it too.
If you need glasses or contact lenses to meet these standards, you must wear them every time you drive, not just on test day.
What happens at the start of your practical test
Before you get into the car, the examiner points to a parked vehicle and asks you to read its number plate. For a modern plate you read it from 20 metres. If you can’t read it correctly, you fail and the test goes no further, so it’s worth checking a real plate well before test day.
It doesn’t stop after the test
The police can ask any driver to read a number plate at the roadside. If you can’t, your licence can be revoked. You must also tell the DVLA about any eyesight condition that affects both of your eyes, or your remaining eye if you only have one. You don’t need to report being short-sighted, long-sighted or colour blind.
Lorry and bus drivers
The standard is higher for lorries and buses: at least decimal 0.8 (6/7.5) in your better eye and at least 0.1 (6/60) in the other, with glasses or contact lenses if needed, plus a wider field of vision.
Get your eyes tested regularly
Eyesight can change slowly without you noticing. The NHS advises most adults to have an eye test at least every two years. Book one before your driving test if it’s been a while, or if the plate practice above felt hard.
Sources: GOV.UK: Driving eyesight rules · GOV.UK: What happens during the driving test · NHS: How often should I have an eye test? · Last checked 29 September 2026.