Macular Degeneration and Driving in Indiana: Restricted Licenses

Indiana requires 20/40 visual acuity or better in at least one eye with corrective lenses for a standard unrestricted license. You must also demonstrate a continuous visual field of at least 120 degrees horizontally and 20 degrees vertically in one eye. Macular degeneration affects central vision first, which is what standard acuity tests measure. If your peripheral vision remains intact but your central acuity has dropped to 20/50 or 20/60 in both eyes, you no longer meet the unrestricted standard — even if you feel comfortable driving familiar routes during daylight. The BMV does not accept self-assessment. You must submit a Vision Specialist Report form completed by an ophthalmologist or optometrist. The form requires measurement of corrected acuity in each eye, visual field mapping, and a specialist opinion on whether you can operate a vehicle safely with or without restrictions.

Indiana offers three restriction categories that allow continued driving when you no longer meet unrestricted standards: daylight-only operation, geographic radius limits, and speed-restricted routes. The BMV assigns these based on specialist recommendation and often combines them. A daylight-only restriction is the most common accommodation for macular degeneration because reduced contrast sensitivity at dusk makes navigation significantly harder with central vision loss. Your license will carry a printed restriction code limiting operation to one hour after sunrise through one hour before sunset. This restriction allows grocery runs, medical appointments, and daytime errands while addressing the legitimate safety concern that wet macular degeneration and advanced dry AMD create in low-light conditions. Geographic restrictions limit you to a radius around your home address — typically 10, 25, or 50 miles depending on your specialist's assessment and whether you live in a rural area requiring longer trips for essential services. Speed restrictions prohibit interstate or highway driving, keeping you on local roads with lower speed limits and less merging demand. Your ophthalmologist submits the recommended restrictions on the Vision Specialist Report. The BMV reviews the form and issues a new license card with restriction codes printed on the face. Violating a printed restriction — such as driving after sunset on a daylight-only license — is a Class C infraction and grounds for immediate suspension.

You are not legally required to notify your auto insurer when you receive a macular degeneration diagnosis. Indiana does not mandate disclosure of medical conditions to carriers. You are required to notify your insurer if the BMV restricts your license or if your driving privileges are suspended — because that changes the risk classification your policy was written under. Most carriers ask on renewal applications whether your license status has changed. If you now hold a daylight-only or radius-restricted license, answer truthfully. Failing to disclose a restriction that later becomes relevant in a claim — such as an accident that occurred after sunset on a daylight-only license — gives your carrier grounds to deny the claim and potentially rescind the policy for material misrepresentation. If your vision has declined but you have not yet been restricted by the BMV, disclosure is optional. Some drivers inform their agent proactively, particularly if they are voluntarily reducing mileage or limiting driving to daytime. This can qualify you for low-mileage discounts or usage-based programs. Other drivers wait until a formal restriction is issued to avoid triggering an underwriting review before it is required. The failure mode most older drivers miss: if you receive a BMV notice requiring vision testing and you ignore it, your license suspends automatically after 45 days. Driving on a suspended license voids your insurance coverage entirely, even if the underlying cause was a missed form rather than unsafe driving. If you receive a vision review notice, respond within the window even if you plan to stop driving — a voluntary surrender is better than an administrative suspension on your record.

Adding a daylight-only or radius restriction to your license does not automatically increase your premium. In some cases it reduces cost because restricted licenses correlate with lower annual mileage and reduced exposure during high-risk hours. Carriers treat restriction codes as risk-reduction factors, not penalty surcharges. What does increase your rate is the age and medical history band you move into once the restriction appears in underwriting records. Drivers over 75 with any form of license restriction are coded into a higher-scrutiny tier. Some carriers non-renew policies at this stage rather than re-rate them, particularly if you also carry a recent at-fault accident or prior suspension. If your insurer non-renews after you add a restriction, you have options. Several non-standard carriers write policies specifically for older drivers with restrictions, including Dairyland, Bristol West, and The General. Rates are higher than standard market pricing — expect $110–$180/mo for state minimum liability in Indiana with a restricted license — but coverage remains available. Indiana also operates an assigned risk plan through the Indiana Automobile Insurance Plan (IAIP). If you are unable to obtain coverage in the voluntary market after receiving a restriction, any licensed agent can place you in the assigned risk pool. Rates in IAIP are higher than voluntary market rates, but the program guarantees availability of minimum liability coverage as long as you hold a valid license.

Indiana mandates that all admitted auto insurers offer a mature driver course discount to policyholders aged 55 and older who complete an approved defensive driving program. The discount applies for three years from course completion and typically reduces premiums by 5–10 percent depending on carrier. Holding a restricted license does not disqualify you from the mature driver discount. The statute requires the discount for course completion regardless of restriction status. AARP Smart Driver and AAA Roadwise Driver both offer Indiana-approved courses available online or in-person, and both programs accommodate drivers with vision restrictions. What matters for discount eligibility is that you hold a valid Indiana license — restricted or unrestricted — and that you complete the course through an approved provider. If your carrier attempts to remove the mature driver discount after adding a restriction to your license, request a supervisor review and cite Indiana Code 27-1-24-5, which does not exclude restricted license holders from mandated discount programs. The discount applies to the liability, collision, and comprehensive portions of your premium. If you have dropped collision and comprehensive coverage because your vehicle is paid off and worth less than $5,000, the mature driver discount still applies to your liability premium.

Most drivers over 75 own their vehicles outright, making collision and comprehensive coverage optional rather than lender-required. The decision depends on vehicle value and replacement cost at your income level — not your vision status. If your vehicle is worth less than $4,000 and you carry a $500 or $1,000 collision deductible, you are insuring a maximum payout of $3,000–$3,500. Collision and comprehensive coverage on a low-value vehicle for a driver in the 75-and-older bracket typically costs $60–$95/mo in Indiana. Over three years you will pay $2,160–$3,420 in premiums to insure a depreciating asset worth less than the total premium outlay. If you cannot replace your vehicle out-of-pocket and you depend on it for medical appointments and grocery access, keep full coverage regardless of cost-efficiency math. Mobility is worth more than actuarial optimization when you live in a car-dependent area. One option many drivers in this situation miss: if you reduce your coverage to liability-only and later need to file a claim for a deer strike or hail damage, you have no coverage. But if you keep comprehensive coverage and drop collision, you remain covered for non-accident losses — theft, weather, vandalism, animal strikes — at roughly half the cost of a full-coverage policy. Comprehensive-only coverage makes sense if you are limiting yourself to low-speed local routes where collision risk is reduced but environmental hazards remain.