Second-Class Medical Eye Standards

FAR 67.203 Second-Class Medical Eye Standards

FAR 67.203 sets the eye standards for a second-class airman medical: 20/20 distant, 20/40 near, color vision, fields of vision, and more.

In Plain English

FAR 67.203 establishes the eye standards an applicant must meet to hold a second-class airman medical certificate — the class required for commercial pilot privileges. If you fly commercially, these are the visual requirements you'll be tested against at every medical exam.

The rule requires:

  • Distant visual acuity of 20/20 or better in each eye, with or without corrective lenses. If glasses or contacts are needed to reach 20/20, you must wear them while flying.
  • Near vision of 20/40 or better at 16 inches in each eye. If you're age 50 or older, you must also meet 20/40 at 32 inches (intermediate distance) in each eye.
  • Color vision sufficient to perform airman duties safely (think light gun signals, sectional charts, panel indicators).
  • Normal fields of vision.
  • No acute or chronic eye disease that impairs function, is expected to progress, or could be worsened by flying.
  • Bifoveal fixation and an adequate vergence-phoria relationship. Specialized testing is only required if you exceed 1 prism diopter of hyperphoria, or 6 prism diopters of eso- or exophoria.

Operationally, this matters because commercial duties demand sharper visual performance than private flying — and any limitation (like corrective lenses) becomes a binding restriction on your certificate.

Regulation Text
14 CFR § 67.203
§ 67.203 Eye. Eye standards for a second-class airman medical certificate are: (a) Distant visual acuity of 20/20 or better in each eye separately, with or without corrective lenses. If corrective lenses (spectacles or contact lenses) are necessary for 20/20 vision, the person may be eligible only on the condition that corrective lenses are worn while exercising the privileges of an airman certificate. (b) Near vision of 20/40 or better, Snellen equivalent, at 16 inches in each eye separately, with or without corrective lenses. If age 50 or older, near vision of 20/40 or better, Snellen equivalent, at both 16 inches and 32 inches in each eye separately, with or without corrective lenses. (c) Ability to perceive those colors necessary for the safe performance of airman duties. (d) Normal fields of vision. (e) No acute or chronic pathological condition of either eye or adnexa that interferes with the proper function of an eye, that may reasonably be expected to progress to that degree, or that may reasonably be expected to be aggravated by flying. (f) Bifoveal fixation and vergence-phoria relationship sufficient to prevent a break in fusion under conditions that may reasonably be expected to occur in performing airman duties. Tests for the factors named in this paragraph are not required except for persons found to have more than 1 prism diopter of hyperphoria, 6 prism diopters of esophoria, or 6 prism diopters of exophoria. If any of these values are exceeded, the Federal Air Surgeon may require the person to be examined by a qualified eye specialist to determine if there is bifoveal fixation and an adequate vergence-phoria relationship. However, if otherwise eligible, the person is issued a medical certificate pending the results of the examination.
Oral Exam Questions a DPE Might Ask
Q1What are the distant and near visual acuity requirements for a second-class medical certificate?
Per FAR 67.203, you need 20/20 or better distant vision in each eye and 20/40 or better near vision at 16 inches, with or without correction. If you're 50 or older, 20/40 at 32 inches is also required.
Q2If you need glasses to meet the second-class medical standards, what does that mean for your certificate?
Under FAR 67.203(a), if corrective lenses are required to achieve 20/20 distant vision, the medical is issued with the limitation that corrective lenses must be worn while exercising airman privileges.
Q3Does FAR 67.203 require every applicant to be tested for bifoveal fixation?
No. FAR 67.203(f) only requires specialized testing for bifoveal fixation and vergence-phoria if the applicant exceeds 1 prism diopter of hyperphoria or 6 prism diopters of esophoria or exophoria.
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FAR 67.203 — Second-Class Medical Eye Standards