Can I get an FAA medical certificate if I am colorblind?

View the full FAQ here.

Applicants for medical certification must be able to see the colors they need to perform airman duties safely.  Aviation Medical Examiners (AMEs) check color vision by using special color plates. If you can’t pass the initial color vision test but otherwise meet medical standards, we may issue you a medical certificate with the limit “NOT VALID FOR NIGHT FLIGHT OR BY COLOR SIGNAL CONTROL.”

If you have a medical certificate bearing a color vision limitation, you may request reevaluation by writing to:

Aerospace Medical Certification Division, AAM-300
Federal Aviation Administration
Civil Aerospace Medical Institute
P.O. Box 25082
Oklahoma City, OK 73125

The AME will ask you to demonstrate your ability to perform tasks that require color vision by giving you a signal light test. The Aerospace Medical Certification Division will consider the results of the test in reevaluating you.