Good Question: Problems with eye exams and the DMV

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WHEC) — News10NBC’s Brennan Somers has heard from a couple of viewers recently having trouble with getting some important documents processed through the state Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).

They want to know if this is part of a bigger problem.

There’s one email: I renewed my driver’s license and had my vision test form sent into New York State DMV. I keep getting an email saying they have not received it. I called my vision place and they did supply it to DMV. I hope they can answer why I keep getting the email.

Another viewer with a similar problem says he’s gotten three messages from the DMV about missing vision records saying: can you help me with this issue? Is this a common issue with DMV?

Remember, you have to pass the eye exam to get a license or to renew. If you take the test at the DMV you’re right there in the system. But you also have the option to get your eyes checked through a provider in the DMV’s vision registry.

If your doctor’s office isn’t in that pool, they give you the eye exam report form and you send it off yourself online or through the mail. That’s where these issues Somers is hearing about come from. It seems like there’s either something getting lost in the system or a lag in everything catching up.

The state DMV told Somers there are instances in which the DMV will send you a reminder to submit your vision test results around the same time or before your test makes it to the DMV and gets recorded.

If that’s you and you think you’ve done everything right you can just ignore the notices.

State DMV officials say they are happy to look into specific problems case by case and you can pass along your contact info and concern.

There’s something else to remember that is pandemic-related. If you had a license that expired at some point during COVID up until August 31, 2021, you had the chance to renew online by self-certifying that your eyesight is ok.

If you have not gotten a new vision test and sent that in yet, you have to do that within one year of your renewal.