 Polynomial restriction to a line

For a line $\ell =\{\mathbf{a}+t\mathbf{v}:t\in \mathbb{R}\}$ with $\mathbf{v}\ne 0$, restricting a degree-at-most-$d$ multivariate polynomial gives a univariate polynomial in $t$ of degree at most $d$. Its $d+1$ coefficients are linear functionals of the original coefficient vector. Vanishing on the whole line is therefore equivalent to at most $d+1$ homogeneous linear conditions. Alternatively, $d+1$ distinct roots force the restriction to be identically zero.