When can I drive after LASIK?

General information about typical recovery, not medical advice. Every eye and every surgery is different, and your surgeon's instructions override anything on this page. Read our full disclaimer.

Short answer

Most people drive the day after surgery, once the surgeon checks vision at the first follow-up visit. You cannot drive yourself home on surgery day.

The Academy says that in most cases you can return to work, as well as drive, the day after the procedure. That lines up with the FDA's schedule of seeing your doctor within the first 24 to 48 hours after surgery, where the shield comes off and your vision is tested. The follow-up visit is the checkpoint, not the calendar.

Surgery day is a hard no. The FDA says your doctor may give you medicine to make you relax, that this medicine impairs your ability to drive, and that your vision may be blurry, so you must arrange transportation to and from surgery and to your first follow-up visit. Even if you feel fine, arrange the ride.

Night driving is a separate question from day driving. The FDA says glare, halos, and difficulty driving at night may persist during the three to six month stabilization period, and StatPearls says visual aberrations tend to stabilize three to six months after the procedure. Many people are comfortable driving in daylight long before they are comfortable on a dark highway. Go by how you actually see, and ask your surgeon if night glare is not improving.

When	Typical guidance
Surgery day	Do not drive. Someone must take you home, per FDA guidance.
Day 1, after the follow-up visit	Most people can drive in daylight once the surgeon checks vision, per the Academy.
First few weeks	Night driving may still be hard because of glare and halos.
3 to 6 months	Night vision symptoms typically stabilize, per FDA and StatPearls.

Call your surgeon now if you notice any of these

Severe eye pain, or pain that gets worse instead of better, at any point after surgery
Vision or any other symptom that is getting worse instead of better, rather than improving over the first days
Sudden decrease or sudden loss of vision in either eye
Any new or unusual symptom at any point after surgery, which the FDA says could signal a problem that may lead to loss of vision if not treated early enough
Signs the corneal flap may have moved, such as a sudden sharp foreign body or scratching sensation, sudden blurring, tearing, and light sensitivity, especially after rubbing, bumping, or being hit in the eye. The FDA warns that rubbing the eye could dislodge the flap, and StatPearls lists flap dislodgement among corneal flap complications reported in about 0.1 to 4 percent of patients
Signs of diffuse lamellar keratitis, a sterile inflammation in the layer under the flap, which StatPearls says usually appears one to two days after surgery in as many as 1 in 50 cases and shows up as blurriness and a foreign body sensation. It typically resolves with appropriate steroid treatment after about a week, but it needs the surgeon to see it and change your drops
Signs of infection, such as increasing redness, discharge, worsening light sensitivity, and dropping vision. StatPearls reports infectious keratitis in less than 0.1 percent of patients, with atypical mycobacteria typically appearing one to two weeks after surgery
Any eye injury or blunt trauma to the operated eye, at any time after LASIK, because the flap interface never regains full corneal strength
New floaters, flashes of light, or a curtain or shadow across part of your vision. StatPearls lists retinal detachment, vitreous hemorrhage, and posterior vitreous detachment among rare complications occurring in less than 0.1 percent of patients

These warning signs after LASIK can point to problems that need same-day care. Do not wait for your next scheduled visit. If you cannot reach your surgeon's office, use their on-call line, or go to an emergency room.

Sources: U.S. Food and Drug Administration; StatPearls Publishing, NCBI Bookshelf; Journal of Refractive Surgery

Sources

Laser Surgery Recovery American Academy of Ophthalmology. Accessed 2026-08-25.
What should I expect before, during, and after surgery? U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Accessed 2026-08-25.
Laser In Situ Keratomileusis (LASIK) StatPearls Publishing, NCBI Bookshelf. Accessed 2026-08-25.
LASIK Recovery Timeline: When Can You Get Back to Your Activities? American Refractive Surgery Council. Accessed 2026-08-25.

When can I drive after LASIK?

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