Ohio Administrative Code|Rule 4725-3-01 | Application for licensure.

                                                
(A) Each person who wishes to be
		  considered for a certificate of licensure to practice must complete a formal
		  application for such consideration by the board.
(B) Each completed optometrist
		  application must be accompanied by one clear passport type photograph of the
		  applicant, and a credit card payment, in the amount of the current licensure
		  fee.
(C) Each optometrist applicant must cause
		  the official final transcript and any partial credits from any accredited
		  optometry school to be forwarded directly to the board from the schools
		  attended.
(D) The licensing examination for
		  optometrists shall contain these required parts:
(1) Part I of the
			 licensing examination shall consist of basic science, human biology, ocular and
			 visual biology, theoretical ophthalmic, and physiological optics and
			 psychology.
(2) Part II of the
			 licensing examination shall consist of clinical science, systemic conditions,
			 the treatment and management of ocular disease, refractive, oculomotor, sensory
			 integrative conditions, perceptual conditions, public health, and the legal
			 issues regarding the clinical practice of optometry.
(3) Part III of the
			 licensing examination shall consist of tests in patient care and management,
			 clinical skills, and the visual recognition and interpretation of clinical
			 signs.
(4) All optometry
			 candidates for licensure by examination must provide verification of passing
			 all parts of the examinations with passing scores as determined by the national
			 board of examiners in optometry and the state vision professionals board. The
			 board may accept the examinations given by the national board of examiners in
			 optometry or any equivalent examinations as determined by the
			 board.
(E) Any person seeking licensure as an
		  optician from the state vision professionals board after having successfully
		  passed the required examinations, shall make application in a manner prescribed
		  by the board for such licensure within three years of the date of the exam that
		  was taken and passed. 
(1) Optician applications
			 shall be: 
(a) Accompanied by the non-refundable fee in a form
				established by the board and as prescribed in division (B) of section 4725.48
				of the Revised Code; and, 
(b) Accompanied by such evidence, statements, or documents
				as specified on the application form. 
(2) An applicant for initial licensure as
			 a dispensing optician shall;
(a) Be at least eighteen years of age; 
(b) Be honest and trustworthy;
(c) Be a graduate of a secondary school recognized by the
				state department of education in this state, or similar educational agency in
				another state or has attained an educational equivalent such as proof of having
				successfully passed the general educational development (GED) examination or a
				GED certificate of high school equivalency diploma. 
(3) Has successfully completed either of
			 the following: 
(a) A two-year college level program in optical dispensing
				accredited by a regional accreditation organization that is recognized or
				approved by the United States department of education, but is not limited to,
				courses of study in: 
(i) Mathematics;
(ii) Science;
(iii) English;
(iv) Anatomy and
				  physiology of the eye; 
(v) Applied
				  optics;
(vi) Ophthalmic optics;
				  
(vii) Measurement and
				  inspection of lenses, lens grinding and edging; 
(viii) Ophthalmic lens
				  design;
(ix) Keratometry;
				  and
(x) Fitting and adjusting
				  of spectacle lenses, frames and contact lenses, including methods of fitting
				  contact lenses and post-fitting care.
(b) Two years of supervised experience of at least one
				thousand hours per year in optical dispensing as a registered apprentice under
				the direct supervision of the licensed optician registered with the board as
				the direct supervisor.
(c) Two years of supervised experience as an employee and
				under the direct supervision of an optometrist or physician engaged in the
				practice of ophthalmology. Not more than one year of such experience may be
				continuous, supervised optical laboratory experience of not less than thirty
				hours per week.
(d) The board may grant a license with consideration of
				years of experience from an unlicensed state, employer recommendation letter(s)
				and other relevant documentation based on the successful completion of either
				the national qualifying exam or completion of the american board of opticianry
				practical or the national contact lens examiners practical exam.
(e) Under section 4725.48 of the Revised Code, the board
				may grant an individual a conditional license that lasts for one year. After
				the one-year period has expired, the license is no longer considered
				conditional, and the individual shall be considered fully
				licensed.
(F) The applicant has successfully
		  completed the state board national qualifying examination for either the
		  spectacle dispensing license, the contact lens dispensing license or a
		  combination of both examinations for a spectacle-contact lens dispensing
		  license. 
(G) In addition to the requirements of
		  this rule, all applicants for licensure as a dispensing optician shall submit
		  to a criminal records check completed by the bureau of criminal identification
		  and investigation in accordance with section 4725.501 of the Revised Code. The
		  results of the criminal records check shall be received by the board prior to
		  the issuance of a license to practice as a dispensing optician. The board will
		  only accept the results of a criminal records check that is submitted to the
		  board directly by the bureau of criminal identification and investigation In
		  accordance with this rule, the applicant requesting the criminal records check
		  shall: 
(1) Provide the bureau of
			 criminal identification and investigation with the applicant's name and
			 address and with the name and address for the state vision professionals board;
			 and, 
(2) Request that the
			 bureau of criminal identification and investigation obtain from the federal
			 bureau of investigation any information it has pertaining to the
			 applicant.
(3) If an application for
			 licensure submitted to the board remains incomplete for one year, the
			 application shall be considered void. 
(4) The board will only
			 accept the results of a criminal records check that is submitted to the board
			 directly by the bureau of criminal identification and investigation.
			 
(5) The appropriate
			 license and wall certificate shall be issued electronically by the board after
			 approval. 
(H) Initial applications for licensure as
		  an ocularist shall be submitted to the board in a form designated by the board.
		  
(1) Ocularist
			 applications shall be: 
(2) Accompanied by the
			 non-refundable fee in a form established by the board and as prescribed in
			 division (B) of section 4725.48 of the Revised Code; and, 
(3) Accompanied by such
			 evidence, statements, or documents as specified on the application form.
			 
(I) An applicant for initial licensure as
		  an ocularist shall: 
(1) Be at least eighteen
			 years of age; 
(2) Be honest and
			 trustworthy; 
(3) Be a graduate of a
			 secondary school recognized by the state department of education in this state,
			 or similar educational agency in another state or has attained an education
			 equivalent such as proof of having successfully passed the general educational
			 development (GED) examination or a GED certificate of high school equivalency
			 diploma. 
(J) An applicant for initial licensure as
		  an ocularist shall have successfully completed; 
(1) A five-year
			 apprenticeship under the direct supervision of a licensed ocularist as
			 registered with the board or under the employment and direct supervision of an
			 optometrist or physician engaged in the practice of ocularistry; 
(2) A credentialing or a
			 certification exam offered by a board approved by a national recognized
			 certifying body. Said application for licensure shall be made within
			 seventy-two months from the date of the examination that the applicant
			 successfully completed. 
(K) In addition to the requirements of
		  this rule, all applicants for licensure as an ocularist shall submit to
		  criminal records check completed by the bureau of criminal identification and
		  investigation in accordance with section 4725.501 of the Revised Code. The
		  results of the criminal records check shall be received by the board prior to
		  the issuance of a license to practice as an ocularist. The board will only
		  accept the results of a criminal records check that is submitted to the board
		  directly by the bureau of criminal identification and investigation. In
		  accordance with this rule, the applicant requesting the criminal records check
		  shall: 
(1) Provide the bureau of
			 criminal identification and investigation with the applicant's name and
			 address and with the name and address for the state vision professionals board;
			 and, 
(2) Request that the
			 bureau of criminal identification and investigation obtain from the federal
			 bureau of investigation any information it has pertaining to the applicant.
			 
(L) If an application for licensure
		  submitted to the board remains incomplete for one year, the application shall
		  be considered void. 
(M) The appropriate license and wall
		  certificate shall be issued by the board no later than sixty days after
		  approval by the board. 
(N) For purposes of Chapters 4725-1 to
		  4725-20 of the Administrative Code, and except as otherwise provided, the
		  following definitions shall apply:
(1) "Active
			 license" means the license held by a dispensing optician or ocularist who
			 has fulfilled all requirements of the board for initial licensure or for
			 licensure renewal. 
(2) "Active
			 registration" means the registration held by an apprentice who has
			 fulfilled all requirements of the board for initial registration or for
			 registration renewal. 
(3) "Board"
			 means the state vision professionals board. 
(4) "Spectacle
			 apprenticeship" means a minimum of two thousand hours obtained within not
			 less than two calendar years of supervised, structured learning experience of
			 the registered spectacle apprentice while under the direct supervision of the
			 licensed dispensing spectacle optician or under the supervision of the licensed
			 dispensing spectacle/contact lens optician indicated on the registration form
			 filed with the board. Registration with the board is not required when the
			 learning experience is gained under the direct supervision and employment of a
			 licensed optometrist or physician engaged in the practice of ophthalmology. All
			 learning experiences shall include, but is not limited to: 
(a) A minimum of two thousand hours obtained within not
				less than two calendar years of direct supervision by the licensed spectacle or
				licensed spectacle/contact lens optician registered with the board as the
				direct supervisor of the registered apprentice including, but not limited to:
				
(i) Use and function of lensometer; 
(ii) Use and function of pupilometer; 
(iii) Use and function of lens clock, determination of curve
				  and warpage; 
(iv) Determination and purpose of pupillary distance;
				  
(v) Determination and purpose of lens decentration;
				  
(vi) Determination and purpose of vertex distance;
				  
(vii) Determination of prism; 
(viii) Determination of frame size to patient; 
(ix) Determination of frame measurements; 
(x) Determination of lens measurements; 
(xi) Adjusting frames; 
(xii) Anatomy and physiology of the eye; 
(xiii) Interpretation, without altering, of a spectacle
				  prescription; 
(xiv) Ethical and professional conduct including
				  confidentiality of patient information; 
(xv) Appropriate documentation of the care provided to the
				  patient; 
(xvi) Optical terminology; 
(xvii) Principles of patient education; and, 
(xviii) Verification of finished product to the current
				  prescription. 
(b) Not more than one thousand hours of the required two
				thousand hours of learning experience may be laboratory experience under the
				direct supervision of a licensed spectacle or a licensed spectacle/contact lens
				dispensing optician. 
(5) "Contact lens
			 apprenticeship" means either: 
(a) A minimum of two thousand hours obtained within not less than
				two calendar years of structured, supervised learning experience of the
				registered apprentice under the direct supervision of the licensed dispensing
				spectacle/contact lens optician or a licensed contact lens optician indicated
				on the registration form filed with the board. Registration with the board is
				not required when the individual is engaged in the learning experience under
				the direct supervision and employment of a licensed optometrist or physician
				engaged in the practice of ophthalmology. All learning experiences shall
				include, but are not limited to: 
(i) Anatomy and physiology of the eye; 
(ii) Interpretation, without altering, of a contact lens
				  prescription; 
(iii) Ethical and professional conduct including
				  confidentiality of patient information; 
(iv) Appropriate documentation of the care provided;
				  
(v) Use and function of the keratometer; 
(vi) Use and function of the slit lamp; 
(vii) Principles of proper lens selection; 
(viii) Optical terminology 
(ix) Use and function of the radiuscope; 
(x) Use and function of the lensometer; 
(xi) Selection of lens material and design based on patient
				  assessment; 
(xii) Diagnostic fit and evaluation; 
(xiii) Principles of patient education; 
(xiv) Verification of finished product to the current
				  prescription; or, 
(b) The one year of supervised structured learning
				experience of the registered apprentice who is also currently licensed as a
				spectacle dispensing optician and consists of a minimum of one thousand hours
				of not less than one calendar year of direct supervision by a licensed
				dispensing contact lens or licensed dispensing spectacle/contact lens optician.
				Registration with the board is not required when the individual is engaged in
				the learning experience under the direct supervision and employment of a
				licensed optometrist or physician engaged in the practice of ophthalmology. All
				learning experiences shall include, but not limited to: 
(i) Anatomy and physiology of the eye; 
(ii) Interpretation, but not altering, of a contact lens
				  prescription; 
(iii) Ethical and professional conduct including
				  confidentiality of patient information
(iv) Use and function of the keratometer; 
(v) Use and function of the slit lamp; 
(vi) Optical terminology; 
(vii) Principles of proper lens selection; 
(viii) Use and function of the radiuscope; 
(ix) Use and function of the lensometer; 
(x) Selection of lens material and design based on patient
				  assessment; 
(xi) Diagnostic fit and evaluation; 
(xii) Principles of patient education; 
(xiii) Verification of finished product to current
				  prescription. 
(6) "Ocularist apprenticeship"
			 means the ten thousand hours of supervised structured learning experience of
			 the registered ocularist apprentice consisting of not less than five calendar
			 years of direct supervision by an ocularist who is licensed by any state; or,
			 the equivalent work experience as determined by the board, completed in a state
			 not requiring licensure of an ocularist. Such learning experience includes but
			 is not limited to: 
(a) Fitting theory; 
(b) Materials; 
(c) Processing and fabrication techniques; 
(d) Iris and sclera tinting; 
(e) Orbital anatomy and physiology; 
(f) Infection control including blood borne pathogens;
				
(g) Ethical and professional conduct, including confidentiality
				of patient information; 
(h) Appropriate documentation of the care provided. 
(7) "Apprentice optician" means
			 any person registered with the board for the purpose of engaging in the
			 training and education in the practice of dispensing optical aids while under
			 the direct supervision of the licensed dispensing opticians specified on the
			 apprentice registration forms and as indicated on the current, valid
			 registration cards issued by the board to the registered apprentice.
			 
(8) "Apprentice ocularist"
			 means any person registered with the board for the purpose of engaging in the
			 training and education to engage in the practice of ocularistry while under the
			 direct supervision of the licensed ocularist specified on the apprentice
			 registration form and as indicated on the current, valid registration card
			 issued by the board to the registered apprentice. 
(9) "Direct supervision" means
			 initial and ongoing direction, procedural guidance, observation and evaluation,
			 as appropriate, by a licensed optician or licensed ocularist who is registered
			 with the board as the supervisor of the apprentice; and, who is always
			 continually available in person within the optical or ocularistry area when the
			 apprentice is engaged in optical dispensing or the practice of ocularistry. The
			 registered licensed dispensing optician or ocularist shall supervise a maximum
			 of three apprentices. 
(10) "Educational equivalent"
			 means the proof of having successfully passed the general education development
			 (GED) examinations or a GED certificate of high school equivalency diploma.
			 
(11) "Free of contagious or
			 infectious disease" means demonstrating no clinically evident illness that
			 would impair the ability to provide safe opticianry care or ocularistry care.
			 
(12) "Lapsed license" means the
			 status of the license of a dispensing optician or ocularist who has failed to
			 fulfill all requirements of licensure renewal. 
(13) "Lapsed registration" means
			 the status of the registration of an apprentice who has failed to fulfill all
			 requirements of apprentice registration renewal or upon removal from
			 supervision by the registered supervisor. 
(14) "Licensed dispensing
			 optician" means a person holding a current, valid license issued by the
			 board that authorizes the person to engage in optical dispensing. 
(15) "Licensed spectacle dispensing
			 optician" means a licensed dispensing optician authorized to engage in the
			 dispensing of optical aids other than contact lenses. 
(16) "Licensed contact lens
			 dispensing optician" means a licensed dispensing optician authorized to
			 engage only in the dispensing of contact lenses. 
(17) "Licensed spectacle-contact lens
			 dispensing optician" means a licensed dispensing optician authorized to
			 engage in the dispensing of any optical aid. 
(18) "Licensed ocularist" means
			 a person holding a current, valid license issued under sections 4725.48 to
			 4725.51 of the Revised Code to engage in the practice of designing,
			 fabricating, and fitting artificial eyes or prostheses associated with the
			 appearance or function of the human eye. 
(19) "Optical aid" has the same
			 meaning as division (A) of section 4725.40 of the Revised Code. 
(20) "Optical dispensing" has
			 the same meaning as division (B) of section 4725.40 of the Revised Code.
			 
(21) "Optical or ocularistry
			 area" means the space reserved for the optical or ocularistry department
			 or the location where care is provided. This includes the lab area, fitting
			 area, dispensing area, reception area and waiting area. This does not include
			 areas of a larger company or building where the optical department or shop is
			 leased or confined to its own space. 
(22) "Prescription" means the
			 written or verbal directions or instructions as specified by a physician or
			 licensed optometrist licensed by any state for preparing an optical aid for a
			 patient. 
(23) "Endorsement" has the same
			 meaning as "reciprocity" and means the process by which a license to
			 practice as a dispensing optician is issued to an individual who is licensed in
			 another state in accordance with rules of the board and after the following has
			 occurred: 
(a) Verification of licensure in good standing received directly
				from the state of the current licensure at the time of application; and,
				
(b) Receipt of completed application and fee in the form required
				by the board, and the criminal records check by the bureau of criminal
				identification and investigation in accordance with section 4725.501 of the
				Revised Code. 
(c) "Registration" means meeting all requirements of
				the board for the authority to practice as an apprentice optician or apprentice
				ocularist under the direct supervision of a designated, licensed dispensing
				optician or ocularist. 
(24) "Registered" means:
			 
(a) Having met the requirements of the board for the authority to
				practice as an apprentice optician or ocularist under the direct supervision of
				a designated licensed optician or ocularist; or, 
(b) The equivalent of licensure in a state that does not require
				licensure to engage in the practice of opticianry or ocularistry. 
(25) "Registration card" means
			 the card issued by the board which authorizes an individual to practice as an
			 apprentice optician under the direct supervision of a designated licensed
			 optician or ocularist.


Last updated April 29, 2021 at 8:38 AM