Yes. The FAA's vision standards are written around corrected acuity, and every class of medical certificate says the same three words: with or without corrective lenses. A third class medical requires 20/40 or better in each eye separately under 14 CFR 67.303; first and second class require 20/20 or better under 14 CFR 67.103 and 67.203. If you read the chart through your glasses, you meet the standard.
Wearing correction produces a limitation printed on your certificate, not a refusal. A very large share of professional pilots fly with glasses or contact lenses every day. This page covers what the standard actually requires, what the limitation means in practice, and how surgery, contacts and age-related near vision fit in. For the wider picture, see our guide to FAA medical certificate classes.
The Actual Vision Standard, By Class
| Vision Item | First Class (67.103) | Second Class (67.203) | Third Class (67.303) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Distant vision, each eye separately | 20/20 or better, with or without corrective lenses | 20/20 or better, with or without corrective lenses | 20/40 or better, with or without corrective lenses |
| Near vision at 16 inches, each eye separately | 20/40 or better, Snellen equivalent | 20/40 or better, Snellen equivalent | 20/40 or better, Snellen equivalent |
| Intermediate vision at 32 inches, each eye separately | 20/40 or better, from age 50 | 20/40 or better, from age 50 | Not required |
| Color vision | Ability to perceive those colors necessary for the safe performance of airman duties | Same | Same |
| Fields of vision | Normal fields of vision | Normal fields of vision | No separate requirement stated |
Read the distant vision row carefully, because it is where the myth lives. The rule does not say "20/20 uncorrected". It says 20/20 or better with or without corrective lenses. Uncorrected acuity is not a standard at any class. What you can read without your glasses is recorded by the examiner as a finding; it is not what you are measured against.
What The Limitation On Your Certificate Means
If you needed correction to meet the standard, the examiner prints a limitation on the certificate. The exact wording depends on what the examination found — typically a requirement to wear corrective lenses, or to have glasses available for near vision, or both.
In practice this is an operational requirement like any other on your certificate. You wear the correction, or you have it with you, when you exercise the privileges. Most pilots who need glasses carry a spare pair in the aircraft as a matter of course, which is good airmanship irrespective of what the certificate says. The limitation does not restrict where you fly, what you fly, when you fly, or what certificates and ratings you can go on to earn.
It Does Not Close The Airline Route
The vision standard for a first class medical is 20/20 corrected. A pilot who reads 20/20 through spectacles meets it in exactly the same way as a pilot who reads 20/20 without them. Glasses are not an obstacle to an airline career, and never have been under the current rule. If an airline seat is the goal, our first class medical certificate guide explains what the examination adds beyond vision.
Contact Lenses
Contact lenses are accepted on the same terms as spectacles: what matters is the corrected result. Bring them to the examination, wear them for the test, and tell the examiner what prescription you are in.
One case needs raising in advance rather than discovering in the chair. Monovision correction — one eye corrected for distance and the other for near — is treated differently from ordinary correction in the FAA's guidance to examiners, because it works by suppressing one eye's image rather than correcting both. If you use monovision contacts or have had monovision surgery, discuss it with an Aviation Medical Examiner before your appointment so you know what the pathway looks like.
Refractive Surgery
LASIK, PRK and similar procedures are compatible with flying. The examiner's concern is not the surgery itself but its stability: they want the eye healed, the refraction settled, and no residual complications such as significant glare, halos or night vision disturbance.
Practically, that means you should not schedule surgery and a medical examination in the same fortnight. Allow the recovery period your surgeon specifies, get a report from the treating eye specialist confirming healing and stable refraction, and take it to the appointment. If you already hold a medical certificate and then have surgery, tell your examiner at the next examination and bring the report. This is a well-trodden path and examiners handle it constantly.
Near And Intermediate Vision, And What Happens At 50
Every class requires 20/40 or better near vision at 16 inches in each eye separately. That distance is chosen deliberately: it is roughly where a chart, an approach plate or a tablet sits in a cockpit.
From age 50, first and second class examinations add an intermediate vision requirement of 20/40 or better at 32 inches. That is roughly panel distance. The reason the requirement appears at 50 is presbyopia — the ordinary age-related loss of near focus that catches almost everyone eventually — and the practical consequence for pilots is that reading glasses which work beautifully for a book may not work for a panel. Many pilots move to a correction that handles both, and the examination is where the mismatch gets found. If you are approaching 50 and hold a first or second class, have the 32-inch distance checked before the appointment rather than at it.
Color Vision Is A Separate Question
The color vision standard is not an acuity standard and it is not solved by glasses. It requires the ability to perceive those colors necessary for the safe performance of airman duties, and failing the initial screening test does not end anything — there are further operational tests, and a Letter of Evidence that removes the limitation permanently. That subject has its own page: can you be a pilot if you are colorblind.
What To Bring To The Examination
- The correction you actually use. Glasses, contacts, or both if you switch between them.
- A spare pair if you have one, and your current prescription.
- Reports from any eye surgery, confirming healing and stable refraction.
- Reports from an ophthalmologist or optometrist for any diagnosed eye condition — glaucoma, retinal disease, an implanted lens, significant amblyopia.
- Your MedXPress confirmation number and photo identification. See our MedXPress guide for the form itself.
Related Reading
- FAA medical certificate classes — which class you need and how long it lasts.
- Can you be a pilot if you are colorblind — the color vision route in full.
- Third class medical certificate — the 20/40 standard in context.
- What disqualifies you from being a pilot — the real list.
- Finding an aviation medical examiner in Los Angeles.
- Private pilot license in Los Angeles — where the medical fits in the course.
Pilot Vision Requirements FAQ
Can You Be A Pilot If You Wear Glasses?
Yes. Every class of FAA medical certificate measures corrected acuity, with or without corrective lenses. Wearing glasses produces a limitation on the certificate requiring you to use or carry them, not a refusal.
What Eyesight Do You Need To Be A Pilot?
Distant vision of 20/40 or better in each eye separately for a third class medical, and 20/20 or better for first and second class, with or without corrective lenses. Near vision of 20/40 at 16 inches is required for all classes, and intermediate vision of 20/40 at 32 inches is added for first and second class applicants from age 50.
Is There An Uncorrected Vision Requirement For Pilots?
No. The FAA does not set a minimum uncorrected acuity for any class. Your uncorrected vision is recorded as a finding, but the standard you are measured against is the corrected result.
Can You Get A First Class Medical With Glasses?
Yes. The first class standard under 14 CFR 67.103 is 20/20 or better in each eye separately, with or without corrective lenses. Glasses do not stand between anyone and an airline career.
Can You Be A Pilot After LASIK?
Yes, once the eye has healed and the refraction is stable. Bring a report from the treating eye specialist to the examination. Do not schedule surgery immediately before a medical appointment.
Are Contact Lenses Allowed For Pilots?
Yes, on the same basis as glasses. Monovision correction, where one eye is set for distance and the other for near, is treated differently in the FAA's guidance and should be raised with an Aviation Medical Examiner before your appointment.
What Does The Corrective Lenses Limitation Mean?
It is an operational requirement to wear or carry the correction when you exercise the privileges of your certificate. It places no restriction on where, when or what you fly, and it does not limit the certificates and ratings you can go on to earn.
Come And See What You Can See
If vision has been the thing stopping you, the fastest way to settle it is to go flying and then book an examination. A discovery flight is $229 for 60 minutes from Van Nuys, you fly it from the left seat, and it needs no medical certificate at all. If you would rather talk it through first, book a free consultation and we will explain the sequence. Call (818) 330-1318 any day between 9 AM and 9 PM. We are at 7900 Balboa Blvd, Main Terminal Unit 108, Van Nuys, CA 91406, on Van Nuys Airport.
