CE and Licensing Requirements in Other States

Every state has different requirements when it comes to licensing and CEC requirements. Use this list to learn more about your state's requirements.

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: State Exam
License Renewal Period: Every 2 years
Mandatory Continuing Education: 9 hours every 2 years

Arkansas Board of Dispensing Opticians
PO Box 627
Helena, AR 72342
870-572-2847

California

Exam: ABO & NCLE
License Renewal Period: Every 3 years
Mandatory Continuing Education: 12 hours every three years if ABO, 18 hours every three years if NCLE and 21 hours every three years if ABO & NCLE

Medical Board of California
1426 Howe Ave, Suite 54
Sacramento, CA 95825
916-263-2382

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/

Delaware

No state board or licensing requirements

Florida

Exam: ABO &NCLE and State Exam
License Renewal Period: Biennial
Continuing Education Requirements: 20 hours/2 years: 13 directly related to technical practice of which 1 must be CL, 2 hours in Laws & Rules, 1 HIV/AIDS education, 2 prevention of medical errors, 2 hours electives. 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

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/

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

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

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

Louisiana

No state board or license requirements

Maine

No state board or license requirements

Maryland

No state board or license requirements

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

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

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 lenses

State of Nevada
Board of Dispensing Opticians
PO Box 19625
Reno, NV 89570
775-853-1421
http://nvbdo.state.nv.us/

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/

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

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

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

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 licenseOhio Optical Dispensers Board
77 S. High St 16 th Floor
Columbus, OH 43215-6108
http://optical.ohio.gov/

Oklahoma

No state board or license requirements

Oregon

No state board or license requirements

Pennsylvania

No state board or license requirements

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

South Carolina

Exam: NCLE
License Renewal Period: Biennial
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

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

Texas

Voluntary Registration Requirements:
1. Pass the ABO Examination to be a Registered Dispensing Optician or NCLE Examination to be a Registered Contact Lens Technician.
2. Show proof of having attended at least five hours of continuing education class room hours.
3. 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

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 home study
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/

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

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

Wyoming

No state board or license requirements

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