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Optometry License Requirements for Oregon
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To receive a license to practice optometry in Oregon, applicants must provide evidence that they have never been sanctioned by an optometry body anywhere in the country, and they must pass the National Board of Examiners in Optometry exam. They must also submit official transcripts and their Social Security number and meet the educational requirements set out by the state.
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Sanctions & Exams
To apply for an optometry license in the state of Oregon, you must provide written confirmation that you have never been sanctioned for violating any laws, rules, or ethics standards in any jurisdiction where you have ever studied or practiced optometry. If you have been sanctioned by another optometry licensing jurisdiction, the National Board of Examiners will review your case and consider your application in light of the sanctions.
You will have to submit documentation of continuing education hours.
You will also have to pass an exam conducted by the National Board of Examiners in Optometry (by a score of 80 or better) that is related to optometry laws and administrative rules within 12 months before the date of your expected licensure to practice optometry in Oregon.
Transcripts & Pharmacology
There is no waiting period to retake this exam if you need to improve your score.
You will be asked to submit a copy of the official final transcript from an accredited college of optometry that shows you have received a degree certifying you as a doctor of optometry.
Similarly, you will have to submit a copy of a record that shows you have completed a course in pharmacology relevant to the practice of optometry from an institution approved by the Oregon Revised Statutes.
You’ll also need documentation of your current CPR certification and proof of meeting the requirements for pharmaceutical agents in order to obtain licensure for both topical and non-topical certifications with injections.
There will be the usual background check for a criminal history.
Naturally, any applicant who is found to have cheated or subverted the evaluation process will likely be discharged from the examination and denied licensing to practice optometry in Oregon. This will likely hinder attempts to seek licensure in other states.
Educational Requirements & SSN
Applicants have to fulfill educational qualifications and follow the requirements of the Oregon Revised Statutes before they will be allowed to sit for exams and be certified for licensure.
As part of your application to receive an optometry license in Oregon, you will have to mandatorily give your Social Security number or your federal Tax Identification Number (TIN) to the state’s office. If you do not provide either, you might not be allowed to continue in the process and you may not receive your Oregon licensure.
The only reason the Oregon Board of Optometry keeps these identifiers is for tax administration and child support enforcement purposes. You will have the choice to authorize these identifiers for other uses. Your Social Security number and/or your TIN will remain on file with the state’s office.
Transferring From Outside Oregon
If you are licensed to practice optometry in another state and you want to move (and move your practice) to Oregon, you will have to disclose this out-of-state licensure as well as any disciplinary actions or sanctions related to that practice. You will have to submit documentation to show that you have been continuously practicing optometry for more than two years immediately preceding your application to the Oregon board.
You will also have to fulfill educational requirements that will be equivalent to what the Oregon board sets out for the practice of optometry in Oregon. This includes passing the National Board of Examiners in Optometry exam or another similar exam.
The board establishes the requirements for the Therapeutic Pharmaceutical Agent certification, which the applicant will have to meet. There will be a written examination, published by the Oregon board, on local optometric law and administrative rules. You will also have to submit proof of your continuing optometric education hours as well as all applicable application fees.
References
- Chapter 683 — Optometrists; Opticians. (2019). Oregon Revised Statutes.
- Applicants for Examination and Licensure. Oregon Board of Optometry.
- Licensing of Applicant Holding License in Another State. OregonLaws.org.
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