STATE LICENSE AND EXAMINATION REQUIREMENTS
To view a state's licensing and examination requirements, use the drop-down menu to select a state:
Alabama
No state board or license requirements
Alaska
Exam: ABO & NCLE
License Renewal Period: Biennial
Mandatory Continuing Education: 10 hours
- State of Alaska
Department of Commerce, Community, & Economic Development
Division of Occupational Licensing
PO Box 110806
Juneau, AK 99811
(907) 465-5470
http://www.dced.state.ak.us/occ/pdop.htm
Arizona
Exam: ABO & NCLE and state practical exam
License Renewal Period: Annual
Mandatory Continuing Education: 12 hours over 3 years; at least 4 hours in spectacles,
3 hours in CL, 1 hour in state or national opticianry standards
- Arizona State Board of Dispensing Opticians
1400 W. Washington Ave, Room 230
Phoenix, AZ 85007
602-542-3095
http://www.do.az.gov
Arkansas
Exam:
License Renewal Period:
Mandatory Continuing Education:
- Arkansas Board of Dispensing Opticians
PO Box 627
Helena, AR 72342
870-572-2847
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California
Exam: ABO & NCLE
License Renewal Period:
Mandatory Continuing Education:
- Medical Board of California
1426 Howe Ave, Suite 54
Sacramento, CA 95825
916-263-2382
http://www.medbd.ca.gov/RDO_Program.htm
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Colorado
No state board or licensing requirements
Connecticut
Exam: ABO & NCLE, and State Practical Exam
License Renewal Period: Annual
Mandatory Continuing Education: 7 hours
- Connecticut Department of Health
Optician Licensure
410 Capital Ave, MS #12APP
PO Box 340308
Hartford, CT 06134
860-509-7603
http://www.dph.state.ct.us/
http://www.ct-clic.com/trantype.asp?code=829
Delaware
No state board or licensing requirements
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Continuing Education Requirements: 20 hours/2 years: 11 directly related to technical practice, 2 hours in Laws & Rules, 2 prevention of medical errors, 5 hours electives, 1 HIV/AIDS education first year only. Max 5 hours from courses without classroom instruction.
- Florida Department of Health
Board of Opticianry
4052 Bald Cypress Way Bin #C-08
Tallahassee, FL 32399-3258
850-245-4474
http://www.doh.state.fl.us/mqa/opticianry
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Georgia
Exam: ABO, NCLE and State Practical Exam
License Renwal Period: Biennial
Continuing Education Requirements: 10 hours/2 years
- Georgia State Board of Dispensing Opticians
237 Coliseum Drive
Macon, GA 31217
478-207-2440
http://www.sos.state.ga.us/plb/opticians/
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Hawaii
Exam: ABO & NCLE
License Renewal Period: Biennial
Continuing Education Requirements: None
- Department of Commerce & Consumer Affairs
Dispensing Optician Program
PO Box 3469
Honolulu, HI 96801
808-586-2704
http://www.hawaii.gov/dcca/areas/pvl/programs/dispensingoptician/
Idaho
No state board or license requirements
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Illinois
No state board or license requirements
Indiana
No state board or license requirements
Iowa
No state board or license requirements
Kansas
No state board or license requirements
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Kentucky
Exam: ABO & NCLE and State Practical Exam
License Renewal Period: Annual
Continuing Education Requirements: 6 hours/year
- Kentucky Board of Ophthalmic Dispensers
PO Box 1360
Frankfort, KY 40602
502-564-3296
http://finance.ky.gov/ourcabinet/caboff/OAS/op/ophdis/
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Louisiana
No state board or license requirements
Maine
No state board or license requirements
Maryland
No state board or license requirements
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Massachusetts
Exam: ABO and state practical exam, effective 7/1/2007 NCLE
License Renewal Period: Biennial
Continuing Education Requirements: Total 12 every 2 years: 6 in spectacles or 5 ABO coursework and 1 in state and federal laws and regulations; 6 hours in contact lenses or 5 NCLE and 1 CPR
- Massachusetts Board of Registration for Dispensing Opticians
239 Causeway St, Suite 500
Boston, MA 02114
617-627-5339
http://www.mass.gov/dpl/boards/do/index.htm
Michigan
No state board or license requirements
Minnesota
No state board or license requirements
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Mississippi
No state board or license requirements
Missouri
No state board or license requirements
Montana
No state board or license requirements
Nebraska
No state board or license requirements
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Nevada
Exam: ABO & NCLE, and State Exam
License Renewal Period: Annual
Continuing Education Requirements: 12 hours if limited license; 14 hours if dispensing license, 7 in contact enses
- State of Nevada
Board of Dispensing Opticians
PO Box 19625
Reno, NV 89570
775-853-1421
http://nvbdo.state.nv.us/
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New Hampshire
State Requirement: Registration
Registration Renewal Period: Biennial
Continuing Education Requirements: 8 hours/2 years
- State of New Hampshire Dept of Health
129 Pleasant St
Concord, NH 0331
603-271-5127
http://www.state.nh.us/
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New Jersey
Exam: State exam
License Renewal Period: Biennial
Continuing Education Requirements: 12 hours/2 years, 3 must be CL
- New Jersey Board of Examiners of Ophthalmic Dispensers and Technicians
PO Box 45011
Newark, NJ 07101
973-504-6435
http://www.state.nj.us/lps/ca/medical/ophthalmic.htm
New Mexico
No state board or license requirements
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New York
Exam: ABO & NCLE and state practical exam
License Renewal Period: Triennial
Continuing Education Requirements: 18 hours/3 years with 3 hours in CL; if lic for CL 20 hours/3 years with 10 hours in CL.
- NY State Education Department
Office of the Professions
Division of Professional Licensing Services
Ophthalmic Dispensing Unit
89 Washington Avenue
Albany, NY 12234-1000
Phone: 518-474-3817, ext 250
Fax: 518-402-5354
E-mail: opunit3@mail.nysed.gov
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North Carolina
Exam: State
License Renewal Period: Annually
Continuing Education Requirements: 8 hours per year; 4 spectacle and 4 contact lenses
- North Carolina State Board of Opticians
PO Box 25336
Raleigh, NC 27611
919-733-9321
North Dakota
No state board or license requirements
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Ohio
Exam: Passing of NOCE and or NCLE
2 years of apprenticeship of minimum of 2000 hours, or,
2 years formal opticianry program
18 years of age, high school graduate or equivalent
License Renewal Period:
Continuing Education Requirements: 4 hours/year spectacle w/ spec license, 8 hours/year CL w/CL license
- Ohio Optical Dispensers Board
77 S. High St 16 th Floor
Columbus, OH 43215-6108
http://optical.ohio.gov/
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Oklahoma
No state board or license requirements
Oregon
No state board or license requirements
Pennsylvania
No state board or license requirements
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Rhode Island
Exam: ABO and state practical exam
License Renewal Period: Biennial
Continuing Education Requirements: 12 hours/2 years
- State Dept of Health, Office of Health Professionals Regulation
Advisory Committee of Opticianry
3 Capitol Hill
Providence, RI 02908-5097
http://www.health.ri.gov/hsr/professions/optic.php
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South Carolina
Exam: NCLE
License Renewal Period: Bieennail
Continuing Education Requirements: 8 hours/2 years and 2 hours in CL if licensed for CL; 2 hours of the 8 may be in practice management
- South Carolina Board of Examiners in Opticianry
PO Box 11329
Columbia, SC 29211-1329
(803) 896-4681
http://www.llr.state.sc.us/POL/Opticians/
South Dakota
No state board or license requirements
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Tennessee
Exam: ABO, NCLE, and State
License Renewal Period: Biennial
Continuing Education Requirements: 8 hours/1 year: 4 hours in spectacles, 2 hours in CL, 2 hours optional
- Tennessee Board of Dispensing Opticians
227 French Landing, Suite 300
Heritage Place Metro Center
Nashville, TN 37243
(888) 310-4650
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Texas
Voluntary Registration Requirements:
- Pass the ABO Examination to be a Registered Dispensing Optician or NCLE Examination to be a Registered Contact Lens Technician.
- Show proof of having attended at least five hours of continuing education class room hours.
- A person may qualify and be registered as a spectacle dispenser, contact lens dispenser, or both.
- Optician’s Registry
Texas Department of State Health Services MC-1982
1100 West 49 th Street
Austin, TX 78756-3183
(512) 834-6661
http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/optician/default.shtm
Utah
No state board or licensing requirements
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Vermont
Exam: ABO
License Renewal Period: Biennial
Continuing Education Requirements: 10 hours/2 years; no more than 3 hours in CL, no more than 2 hours homestudy
- Secretary of State, Office of Professional Regulations
Board of Opticians
26 Terrace St
Montpelier, VT 05609-1106
(802) 828-2191
http://vtprofessionals.org/opr1/opticians/
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Virginia
Exam: ABO, NCLE and state practical exam
License Renewal Period: Biennial
Continuing Education Requirements: None
- Virginia State Board for Opticians
3600 West Broad Street
Richmond, VA 23230-4917
(804) 367-8500
http://www.state.va.us/dpor/opt_main.htm [Back to Top]
Washington
Exam: State written and practical exams
License Renewal Period: Annual
Continuing Education Requirements: 30 Hours/3 years; 15 of those hours in CL
- Washington Dispensing Opticians Exam Committee
PO Box 47870
Olympia, WA 98504-7870
(360) 236-4947
https://fortress.wa.gov/doh/hpqa1/hps4/Dispensing_Optician/default.htm
West Virginia
No state board or license requirements [Back to Top]