Colour Vision Requirements by Profession: Pilots, Drivers, Military, Rail and More

Last updated: July 2026. This is a plain-language guide, not legal or medical advice. Colour vision standards change and vary by country, so always confirm the current rule with the relevant authority or employer.

Why some jobs test your colour vision

In many safety-critical jobs you have to tell colours apart quickly and correctly: a red signal from a green one, a live wire from an earth wire, a navigation light on a ship. For these roles, normal colour vision is a genuine job requirement, not discrimination. Around 1 in 12 men and 1 in 200 women have some form of colour vision deficiency (CVD), usually red-green, so it comes up often in hiring and training.

Two things are worth understanding up front:

  • A screening test tells you whether you likely have a deficiency. A certification or fitness decision is made by an approved test under controlled conditions, usually by a professional. They are not the same thing.
  • A free online test like ours is a screening tool, not a diagnosis and not an official job test. It is a useful first check so you are not surprised later, but no online, printed, or downloaded test counts for an official medical. You can check your own colour vision here in a couple of minutes, then get properly tested if it flags anything.

Aviation and pilots

Aviation has the strictest colour vision rules, and this is the one area where the traditional Ishihara plate test is being retired at the top end.

  • United States (FAA), pilots: As of 1 January 2025, new pilot applicants must pass an approved computerised colour vision test taken in person: the CAD test, the Rabin Cone Contrast Test, or the Waggoner Computerized Color Vision Test. The FAA no longer accepts Ishihara plates for new unrestricted certification, and it does not accept online, printed, or downloaded tests. Pilots already certificated under the old rules are generally grandfathered.
  • US air traffic control specialists (ATCS): Interestingly, controllers are treated differently. The FAA still accepts traditional plate tests for ATCS, including Ishihara, Richmond-HRR, Dvorine, Titmus and OPTEC, alongside the computerised options.
  • Europe (EASA), UK (CAA), and ICAO countries: Most of the world still uses the Ishihara plate test as the first-line screen, with the CAD test as the definitive follow-up if you do not pass the plates. Canada and Australia follow a similar screen-then-confirm model.

Bottom line for pilots: colour vision deficiency does not automatically end an aviation career, but the exact path depends heavily on your country and the severity of your deficiency. A free screen is a sensible first step before you book an aeromedical exam.

Commercial driving (CDL, HGV) and standard licences

  • United States (CDL): Federal rules require a commercial driver to recognise and distinguish among traffic signals and devices showing standard red, green, and amber. The medical examiner checks this functional ability. It is about being able to read signals safely, not about passing a specific branded plate test.
  • United Kingdom and European Union: There is generally no colour vision requirement for an ordinary or a standard commercial driving licence. The emphasis is on visual acuity and field of vision.

Bottom line for drivers: for most everyday and commercial driving, colour vision deficiency is not a barrier, as long as you can reliably tell traffic signals apart.

Rail

Rail is one of the clearest cases, because signalling depends on reading coloured aspects (red, yellow, green).

  • United Kingdom: Safety-critical rail roles require good colour vision. The Ishihara plate test is the first-line screen, and a computerised test such as CAD is increasingly used as a second-tier check for people who do not pass the plates, so borderline candidates get a fairer assessment.
  • European Union: Train driver medical standards name the Ishihara test for the initial colour vision check.
  • United States: Federal rail rules require adequate colour vision for signal-dependent duties, with plate testing plus, in some cases, a practical field test of the signals themselves.

Bottom line for rail: colour vision matters a lot, but a modern second-tier test can requalify some people who fail the plates.

Maritime

Mariners and deck officers have to identify navigation lights, buoys and signal flags, so international rules require colour vision for these roles.

  • Under the international STCW standard, colour vision is assessed using recognised methods, with the Ishihara test as the common first-line screen. Where someone does not pass, a lantern test (such as the Holmes-Wright) or a modern computerised test may be used to confirm fitness.

Bottom line for maritime: deck and navigation roles need colour vision, but engine-room and some other roles have different requirements, so check the specific standard for the job.

Military and law enforcement

  • US military: The Ishihara plate test is still the primary recruitment screen across the branches. Computerised cone contrast tests (the Rabin Cone Contrast Test, CAD, and the Waggoner test) are used as a secondary or grading test, especially for aircrew, and they are replacing the older Farnsworth Lantern (FALANT), which is being phased out. Colour vision deficiency rarely blocks enlistment outright, but it can limit which military occupational specialisms you can hold.
  • UK and other militaries: A similar model applies, with an Ishihara screen and a lantern or CAD test as the definitive check for colour-critical roles.
  • Police and public safety: Many agencies set colour vision standards for officers, often screened with plate tests as part of a broader pre-employment battery.

Bottom line for military and law enforcement: a deficiency usually narrows your options rather than closing the door completely, and how your result is recorded can matter, so it is worth knowing where you stand before you apply.

Electrical and skilled trades

Electricians and many skilled trades rely on colour-coded wiring (for example live, neutral and earth) and colour-coded components. Getting these wrong is a genuine safety risk. Colour vision is not always a formal pass-or-fail test in these trades, but it is a real competency and safety consideration, and some apprenticeship programmes screen for it early so any issue is known before someone is working on site.

Other fields

Colour vision can also matter for electronics assembly, some laboratory and medical roles, printing and design, and emergency services. The requirement is usually specific to the task rather than a blanket rule, so if colour is central to the work, expect it to be assessed.

What to do if you think you might be colour blind

  1. Screen yourself first. Take a free colour vision test under good, natural lighting on a decent screen. It will not diagnose you, but it will tell you whether it is worth looking into.
  2. Learn the type. If it flags something, our guide to the types of colour vision deficiency explains protan, deutan and tritan in plain language.
  3. Get properly tested. For any job decision, book a proper test with an eye-care professional or the employer's approved provider, under controlled conditions. Results can vary with lighting, screen quality and whether you wear correction, which is exactly why an official test is done in person.

Remember: a screening result is a starting point, not a verdict. Many people with a mild deficiency still qualify for roles they assumed were closed to them.

Frequently asked questions

Can you be a pilot if you are colour blind? Often yes, depending on severity and country. In the US, new pilots must pass an approved computerised test as of January 2025; elsewhere an Ishihara screen with a CAD follow-up is common.

Can you get a CDL if you are colour blind? In the US, you must be able to distinguish red, green and amber traffic signals. Many people with mild deficiency meet this.

Can you join the military if you are colour blind? Usually yes, but it can limit which specialisms you can hold. The Ishihara test is still the standard recruitment screen.

Does colour blindness show up on a normal eye test? Not always. A standard acuity test does not check colour vision, so you can have 20/20 vision and still be colour blind.

Can colour blindness be cured or corrected? Inherited colour vision deficiency cannot be cured. Some tinted lenses can improve contrast for certain people, but they do not restore normal colour vision and are generally not accepted for official colour vision tests.

Sources

  • FAA colour vision testing for pilots (Item 52): https://www.faa.gov/ame_guide/app_process/exam_tech/item52/et
  • FAA acceptable colour vision tests for ATCS: https://www.faa.gov/ame_guide/media/Acceptable_ATCS_Tests.pdf
  • UK CAA colour vision guidance: https://www.caa.co.uk/aeromedical-examiners/medical-standards/pilots/medical-conditions/visual/colour-vision-guidance-material-gm/
  • US FMCSA driver vision requirements: https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/regulations/medical/visual-requirements-and-commercial-drivers
  • STCW medical fitness and eyesight standards: https://www.edumaritime.net/stcw-code/stcw-i-9-medical-fitness-eyesight-standards
  • US military colour vision review, Military Medicine (2022): https://academic.oup.com/milmed/article/188/1-2/49/6555872

This guide is for general information. It is a screening resource, not a diagnosis, and it is not an official occupational or aeromedical test.

Types of colour blindness