Rule 4725-3-09 | Issuance of certificates, renewal procedures, records.
(A) The board shall prepare and provide to each new licensee an electronic certificate of licensure to practice optometry in the state of Ohio.
(B) After initial licensure, the licensed optometrist will receive a certificate of licensure sent electronically, in the manner prescribed by the board, bearing the name of the licensee, and the license number.
(C) Any certificate of licensure issued by the board shall remain the property of the board and shall be surrendered to the board on demand.
(D) The licensee shall not make any alteration on any type of certificate issued by the board nor shall permit any alterations to be made.
(E) Each licensed optometrist who has received a certificate of licensure to practice optometry shall renew the respective certificate of licensure on a biennial basis and pay a non-refundable fee in the amount and in the manner prescribed by the board.
(F) Certificate of licensure holders are not required to submit any continuing education credit hours for the first renewal.
(G) Each licensed optometrist must complete fifty continuing education credit hours within the biennial period. Twenty hours of credit are required in the study of pharmacology. The maximum for online credit hours is thirty.
(H) In the case of a license reinstatement one of the following applies:
(1) If the reinstatement was valid for a period of twelve months or less, the license holder must complete half of the continuing education hours required within the biennial period.
(2) If the reinstatement was valid for a period of more than twelve months, the license holder must complete the full amount of continuing education hours required within the biennial period.
(I) Accumulated continuing education credit cannot be carried over from one renewal period to another.
(J) The terms defined in paragraphs (J)(1) to (J)(8) of this rule apply to opticians, and apprentices.
(1) "Active license" means the status of the license held by an optician who has fulfilled all requirements of the board for initial licensure or for licensure renewal.
(2) "Active registration" means the status of the apprentice registration held by an apprentice optician who has fulfilled all requirements of the board for initial apprentice registration or for apprentice registration renewal.
(3) "Extension" means the time beyond the thirty-day grace period granted by the board to allow a licensee an additional specified time to meet the continuing education requirements for licensure renewal without being required to re-take the national qualifying exam. All requests to the board for an extension must be submitted in writing to the board on or before December thirty-first. Extensions will be granted by the board on a case-by-case basis. Individuals may not engage in the practice of optical dispensing until all requirements for renewal have been met and a current, valid license is on display at the place of optical dispensing.
(4) "Expired license" means the status of the license of a dispensing optician who has failed to fulfill all requirements of licensure renewal.
(5) "Expired registration" means the status of the apprentice registration of an apprentice optician who failed to fulfill all requirements of registration renewal.
(6) "Late fee" or "penalty fee" means the fee required to restore a license that was not renewed prior to the expiration of the license.
(7) "CE audit period" means the first of January through the thirty-first of December.
(8) "Waiver" means the suspension granted by the board of the requirements for continuing education and/or late fees for the renewal of a license in accordance with rules of this chapter.
(K) Each licensed optician who has received a license to practice optical dispensing shall renew the respective license on a biennial basis and pay a non-refundable fee in the amount and in the manner prescribed by the board.
(L) At least thirty days prior to the expiration of a license, the board shall send electronic notification of renewal to every licensee to whom a license was issued or renewed during the current period. Failure to receive the board's notification of renewal shall not excuse the licensee from the renewal requirements.
(M) Upon renewal, each licensee shall complete the license renewal application and supply all information necessary to process the application. .
(N) Each spectacle licensed optician shall complete two hours of study in prepackaged soft contact lens dispensing as described in section 4725.411 of the Revised Code for the first renewal. Spectacle contact lens licensees applying for their first initial renewal shall be exempt from reporting continuing education credit.
(O) Any incomplete renewal will not be processed. Renewal applications not received by the board, on or before December thirty-first of the renewal year, shall be placed on expired status.
(P) Failure to meet all requirements for renewal of a license prior to January first results in the forfeiture of the licensee's right to practice optical dispensing in the state of Ohio until all requirements for renewal are met and the current, valid license is on display at the place of optical dispensing. All requirements for licensure renewal must be completed within thirty days of the date of expiration.
(Q) Continuing education requirements for renewal of a current, valid license, except for those licensees applying for their first initial renewal, are as follows:
(1) Each licensed spectacle dispensing optician shall have completed during the biennial licensing period, eight hours of board-approved spectacle continuing education credit of which only two management hour may be used. Each spectacle licensed optician shall complete four hours of study in contact lens dispensing as described in section 4725.411 of the Revised Code.
(2) Each licensed spectacle-contact lens dispensing optician shall have completed during the biennial licensing period eight spectacle hours of board-approved continuing credit, two of which may be in management hours, and sixteen contact lens hours, four of which may be management hours.
(R) Each registered apprentice optician who has received a registration card sent electronically to engage in the practice of opticianry as an apprentice optician shall renew the respective apprenticeship on or before June thirtieth of each year and pay a non-refundable fee in a manner prescribed by the board.
(S) At least thirty days prior to the expiration of the apprenticeship, the board shall send electronic notification of renewal to every registered apprentice to whom a registration was issued or renewed during the current period. Failure to receive the board's notification of renewal shall not excuse the apprentice from the renewal requirements.
(T) Each registered apprentice shall complete the apprentice registration renewal application and supply all information necessary to process the application and the renewal processing fee. Upon receipt and acceptance of the renewal processing fee and the completed renewal application, the board shall provide a current electronic registration notice to the apprentice no later than thirty days after acceptance.
(U) Failure to renew an apprentice registration results in the forfeiture of the apprentice's right to engage in the apprenticeship training process as an apprentice optician until all requirements for renewal are met and the current, valid registration card is on display at the place of the practice of optical dispensing as an apprentice.
(V) The board shall maintain a record of all optician and apprentice applicants for, and holders of, licenses and registrations issued by the board under sections 4725.40 to 4725.99 of the Revised Code. The record shall be maintained in such format as determined by the board.
(W) A change in name of an optician shall be submitted to the board electronically within thirty days of the change and shall be accompanied by any other records as required by the board, and the current license or registration card.
(X) A change of address and/or electronic mail address for an optician or apprentice shall be submitted to the board within thirty days of the change. Notice of renewal will be sent to the last electronic mail address of record maintained at the board. Failure of the licensed optician or registered apprentice to receive a renewal notice from the board does not excuse the license holder or the registered apprentice from renewing in a timely manner.
(Y) All fee payments shall be made in the form specified by the board. Fees are non-refundable.
(Z) Documents issued by the board as evidence of licensure or registrations may be photocopied by the individual to whom the document was issued.
Last updated November 30, 2023 at 8:30 AM
Supplemental Information