Can You Wear Sunglasses on Your Driving Test? Yes, With Limits

#Can you wear sunglasses on a driving test?

Yes. If the sun is genuinely bright, you can wear sunglasses on your UK driving test, and there is no DVSA rule and no Highway Code rule that bans them. Examiners drive in the same weather you do, and squinting into low sun is more dangerous than a sensible tinted lens. The job of the test is to show safe, controlled driving in the conditions on the day, and using sunglasses to handle glare is part of that.

The limits are about common sense rather than red tape. Take the sunglasses off for the eyesight check at the start, do not use the very darkest lenses sold for fashion or skiing, and be ready to switch back to clear vision the instant the light drops. Get those three things right and a bright, sunny test is no harder to pass than any other.

#The eyesight check comes first, so take them off

Before you even get in the car, the examiner asks you to read a number plate at a distance. Under Rule 92 of the Highway Code you must be able to read a number plate, in good daylight, from 20 metres, wearing glasses or contact lenses if you need them. This is the first thing that happens, and failing it ends the test before it has started.

It is sensible to take your sunglasses off for this check. You want the clearest possible view of the plate, and a tint between you and the letters only makes a borderline read harder. If you wear prescription glasses for driving, you must meet the standard wearing them, so do the eyesight check in your normal clear specs, not in prescription sunglasses you are less sure of. If you can read the plate cleanly, you can put the sunglasses back on for the drive.

#Lens darkness matters: avoid category 4

Not all sunglasses are made for driving. Tinted lenses are graded by how much light they let through, from category 0 (very light) up to category 4 (very dark). The darkest, category 4 lenses are labelled as not suitable for driving, because they block too much light for safe use behind the wheel. They are meant for very bright environments like high mountains, not a British road.

Ordinary high-street sunglasses, the category 2 to 3 lenses most people own, are fine for driving in bright sun. If you are not sure what you have, check the label or the arm of the frame for the category number, or simply put them on indoors: if you can barely see, they are too dark for the road. For the test, a normal pair that still lets you read the dashboard and see into shadows is exactly what you want.

#Take them off when the light drops

Sunglasses are a tool for bright sun, not a permanent fixture. Tinted lenses in poor light reduce what you can see, so the moment conditions change you should take them off. Going into shade from a line of trees, a bank of cloud rolling over, driving into a tunnel or an underpass, or the light fading towards dusk all mean less light reaching your eyes, and a tint on top of that hides hazards you need to spot.

On a test route this matters because the examiner is watching how you respond to the conditions. A driver who keeps dark lenses on through a shaded, tree-lined lane is seeing less of the road, the kerb and any pedestrians, and that is the opposite of the awareness the test rewards. Practise the on and off movement before test day so it is smooth: glance down, slip them off, drop them in the door pocket or on your lap, and keep your eyes on the road throughout.

#If the sun dazzles you anyway: Rule 237

Sunglasses do not solve everything. Low sun sitting right on the horizon can dazzle you even through a good tint, and that is a moment the examiner is watching closely. The Highway Code is direct here: Rule 237 says that if you are dazzled by bright sunlight you should slow down and, if necessary, stop. Driving on blind because you do not want to interrupt the test is the wrong call, and a serious one.

Use the sun visor and pull it down before you set off rather than fumbling for it at speed. Keep the windscreen clean inside and out, because glare is far worse on dirty glass: a film of dust or smear catches the light and turns a manageable bright morning into a wall of white. A quick wipe of the inside of the screen the night before makes a real difference. If the sun genuinely dazzles you on the day, slow down, tell the examiner the sun is blinding you, and let your speed and following distance reflect that you cannot see as far ahead.

#A simple plan for a sunny test

Pack an ordinary pair of sunglasses you can see clearly through, plus your normal clear glasses if you wear specs. Do the eyesight check with clear vision, position the visor and wipe the screen before you move, then wear the sunglasses through bright stretches and take them off for shade, tunnels and dusk. If the sun ever blinds you, slow down and say so. None of this is a special skill, it is just driving sensibly in the weather you have been given, which is exactly what the examiner wants to see.

#Sources and further reading

The figures, fees, and procedures referenced in this article are verifiable on the official gov.uk pages below. PassRates.uk is built on the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s open data, published under the Open Government Licence.

• Driving test (gov.uk)
• If you fail your driving test (gov.uk)
• Change or cancel your driving test (gov.uk)
• The Highway Code (gov.uk)
• Driving eyesight rules (gov.uk)
• Open Government Licence v3.0 (nationalarchives.gov.uk)