Board of Dispensing Opticians

Licenses and regulatess those qualified in Tennessee to practice opticianry.

About the Board of Dispensing Opticians

The Board of Dispensing Opticians was created in 1955 by an act of the State Legislature. Its mission is to safeguard the health, safety, and welfare of Tennesseans by requiring those who practice the profession of opticianry within this state be qualified. The Board interprets the laws, rules, and regulations to determine the appropriate standards of practice in an effort to ensure the highest degree of professional conduct. The Board is authorized to issue licenses to qualified candidates who have completed appropriate education and successfully completed required examinations. The Board is responsible for the investigation of alleged violations of the Practice Act and rules and is responsible for the discipline of licensees who are found guilty of such violations.

Opticians are licensed by examination.

The administrative staff of the Division of Health Related Boards supports the Board by issuing licenses to those who meet the requirements of the law and rules. For those licensees who have opted in for paper notification, renewal notices are mailed from Board’s administrative office approximately ninety (90) days prior to the expiration of the license to the current address on record. For those licensees who have opted in for electronic notification, an email will be sent to the email address on file approximately ninety-eight (98) days prior to the expiration date of the license.  This is the only reminder a licensee shall receive. Licensees are responsible for renewing their license on time and keeping the Board apprised of current information. Licenses can be renewed on-line approximately one hundred (100) days prior to expiration at https://apps.tn.gov/hlrs/.  Click on "renew license" and follow the prompts.  Failure to renew by the expiration date may result in a fine.

The Board is required to meet at least once per year, but typically convenes four (4) times per year. A quorum of four (4) members is required to conduct business. The meetings are open to the public.

All members of the Board are appointed by the Governor to serve four (4) year terms. The six (6) member Board consists of five (5) licensed opticians who must each have five (5) years experience and one (1) member who is a health care consumer.

Featured Links

 

Licensure Scam Alert

The Department of Health has been made aware that some licensees of a few different health licensure boards have received fraudulent communications from individuals claiming to be from those licensee’s licensing boards. The communications, often by phone, may threaten arrest or license suspension, demand personal information, or require payment of fines.  Some of them have been accompanied by fraudulent letters claiming to suspend the license. Please note: 

  • Phone calls may “spoof” or appear to be from the boards’ number;
  • If you need to verify the identity of a TN board investigator, call (615) 741-8485 or email OIV.Complaints@tn.gov.
  • The health-related board investigators will never demand that you provide personally identifying information, such as a social security number, date of birth, or bank or credit card account numbers over the phone;
  • These types of licensing scams are a problem nationwide.

 If you believe you are the recipient of a fraudulent communication claiming to be from your licensing board:

  • If you believe you are the recipient of a fraudulent communication claiming to be from your licensing board:
  • Report the communication to the Internet Crime Complaint Center Internet Crime Complaint Center at using the code "TDHHPBSCAM2026".  This will allow law enforcement to link these scams for improved investigation.
  • Complainants can alternatively call the Fusion Center Tipline (800TBIFIND) or submit a tip online at TBI but the IC3 is preferred.

·         Notify the Department of Health at (615) 741-8485 or email OIV.Complaints@tn.gov

  • The Federal Trade Commission also accepts reports about “Imposter Scams” online or at 1-877-382-4357.

Contact

Contact the Board of Dispensing Opticians

Call 615-532-5090 local or 1-800-778-4123 nationwide
or write
665 Mainstream Drive, 2nd Floor
Nashville, TN  37243

Email: Unit3HRB.Health@tn.gov

Applying for Licensure

Licensure Information

Meetings, Members, & Minutes

Meeting Schedule

Click for the [Board] Calendar of Events

Public Notices will remain online until the minutes are ratified and posted on the Meeting Minutes page.

Unless otherwise noted, all events take place at 665 Mainstream Drive, MetroCenter.

Members

Member Position Representation Term Expires
Larry Christopher Board Member Dispensing Optician 03-31-2026
Herman Charles Bowman Board Member Dispensing Optician 03-31-2025
Jonathan R. Winnegrad Board Chair Dispensing Optician 03-31-2027
Brandy D. Miller Board Secretary-Treasurer Dispensing Optician 03-31-2024
LeRhonda V. Walton-Hill Board Member Dispensing Optician 03-31-2027
VACANT Board Member Consumer 03-31-2026

Meeting Minutes

Continuing Education

Failure to comply with continuing education requirements may result in disciplinary action against the licensee or registrant. The disciplinary action will be reported on the Department of Health license verification web site.

Section 63-14-106, Tennessee Code Annotated, as amended in 1975, requires that the Tennessee Board of Dispensing Opticians approve a minimum number of hours of continuing education that must be completed during the calendar year in order to maintain your Dispensing Optician’s license.

The Tennessee Board of Dispensing Opticians implemented a new rule effective December 10, 2015, putting permanent continuing education requirements in place.  These are as listed below:

Four (4) hours Spectacles 
Two (2) hours Contacts (not to exceed four (4) hours) 
Two (2) hours Optional 
One (1) hour of Ethics and Jurisprudence

The one hour Ethics and Jurisprudence may be satisfied by completing the Board's Ethics and Jurisprudence exam (see below) or attending one (1) morning session of a regularly scheduled meeting of the Board.  Licensees who attend one morning session of a meeting of the Board must record their name, license number, the time the licensee arrived at and departed from the Board meeting in order to receive the jurisprudence credit.  The morning session must be at least 50 minutes in length.

  • 2025 JURISPRUDENCE EXAM LINK  
    • PLEASE NOTE: The Jurisprudence Exams for CE Credit are only valid through December 31st of the calendar year for which the exam is dated, and must be submitted by email to the Board Administrative Office at Unit3HRB.Health@tn.gov or submitted by mail and postmarked no later than 11:59pm CST on December 31st of that calendar year, as well as receive a passing score, to receive the CE credit. Any Jurisprudence Exam that is submitted late, and/or does not receive a passing score, is not eligible for CE Credit.  Exams submitted after the stated deadline will not be accepted.  Licensees are encouraged to keep a receipt or confirmation of shipping/sending/delivery with a copy of their completed exam with their own personal CE records.    

Pursuant to rule 0480-01-.12(1)(b):  Each licensee must retain proof of attendance and completion of all continuing education requirements. This documentation must be retained for a period of four (4) years from the end of the calendar year in which the continuing education was required. This documentation must be produced for inspection and verification, if requested in writing by the Board during its continuing education verification process. The Board will not maintain continuing education files. (c) The licensee must, within thirty (30) days of a request from the board, provide evidence of continuing education activities. Certificates verifying the licensee’s attendance or original letters from course providers are such evidence.

No allowance will be made for prior or subsequent year’s accumulation. The Board may, at its sole discretion, waive the annual education requirement in cases of certified illness, disability or other undue hardships (T.C.A.§ 63-14-106 (a) (2)). All requests for a waiver of the education requirements must be submitted in writing and must include supporting documentation such as certified doctor’s statement, etc.

Courses offered by professional organizations of state level, in state or out of state, may be approved. PRIOR APPROVAL BY THE BOARD MUST BE SECURED. A record of approved courses is maintained in the Board’s administrative office. However, if you plan to attend courses other than those already approved by the Board, you must request a course approval packet from the Board office, complete the appropriate forms and attach complete course information. The packet must be submitted to the Board office for approval forty-five (45) days prior to attendance. Each individual must request this approval for themselves. No courses will be approved after the fact.

If any organization offers a course that does not meet the Board’s criteria, it will not be approved. It is your responsibility to determine if the courses you attend have the Tennessee Board of Dispensing Optician’s final approval.

The following are NOT acceptable: duplicate courses (same subject, same speaker, same year), in-house training courses and correspondence courses.

Out of state attendance rosters must be signed if you attend a seminar outside the Tennessee limits. Staff in charge of the continuing education courses you attend must complete proof of attendance forms. The original attendance forms should be returned to you. You must retain documentation verifying attendance at any courses.

Educational Programs

An applicant for licensure must either be the graduate of a two (2) year Board approved opticianry school or complete the three (3) year Tennessee Apprenticeship Training Program.

Applicants must be ABO (American Board of Opticianry) and NCLE (National Contact Lens Examiners) certified.  For more information regarding the ABO/NCLE examinations, please visit their website at https://www.abo-ncle.org/. In addition to the ABO/NCLE examinations, all applicants must take the practical examination.    Before applicants are eligible to sit for the practical examination, the Board of Dispensing Opticians must approve their licensure application.

The American Board of Opticianry and National Contact Lens Examiners (ABO-NCLE)
6506 Loisdale Road, Suite 330
Springfield, VA 22150

Ph: (703) 719-5800

website: www.abo-ncle.org

Examination fees: $75 for initial candidates - $75 for re-take candidates

TN APPRENTICESHIP SEMI-ANNIAL EVALUATION REPORTS

Rule 0480-01-.14(5):

(c) The filing of semi-annual evaluation reports for each apprentice under the direct supervision of a licensed eye care professional is mandatory. The appropriate form will be supplied by the Board and shall be notarized before
submission. Semi-annual evaluation periods begin 6 months from initial registration and each 6 months thereafter until licensure as a dispensing optician has been achieved.

1. The semi-annual evaluation report must be received in the Board’s administrative office no later than thirty (30) days after the six (6) month training period has ended or the training period shall be disallowed and not considered as time toward fulfilling the five thousand, two hundred and fifty (5,250) hour requirement.

2. If two (2) semi-annual evaluation reports are not received by the Board’s administrative office within thirty (30) days after the applicable training periods have ended, the Board will rescind its approval of the apprenticeship training program. The apprentice will not receive credit for the two (2) training periods for which the semi-annual
evaluation reports were not submitted or were received by the Board’s administrative office later than thirty (30) days after the applicable training period. In order to continue the apprenticeship training program, a new application for an apprenticeship training program must be submitted.

Opticianry Schools in Tennessee:

Roane State Community College
276 Patton Lane
Harriman, TN 37748

Phone: (865) 354-3000
Phone: (800) 343-9104

Tennessee Apprenticeship Training Program: 
A minimum of three (3) years and a total of five thousand, two hundred and fifty (5,250) hours of full-time or part-time education and training under qualified supervision.

Opticianry Schools Outside Tennessee:

Georgia Piedmont Technical College     http://www.gptc.edu/
495 North Indian Creek Drive
Clarkston, GA 30021
Phone: (404) 297-9522

Hillsborough Community College
4001 W. Tampa Blvd.
Tampa, FL 33614-7820
Phone: (813) 253-7000

J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College
P.O. Box 85622
Richmond, VA 23285-5622
Phone: (804) 371-3000

Erie Community College
121 Ellicott St.
Buffalo, NY 14203
(716) 851-1322
https://www.ecc.edu/

Apprentice Educational Training Programs (AETP)

Board Policy Statement - AETP

National Academy of Opticianry - Ophthalmic Career Progression Program (OCPP)

National Academy of Opticianry
Opthalmic Career Progression Program
8401 Corporate Drive, Suite 605
Landover, Maryland 20785
1-800-577-4848
brian.iciek@nao.org
www.nao.org

The Ophthalmic Career Progression Program (OCPP) is an Apprenticeship Educational Training Program for Opticians that is accepted by the Tennessee Board of Dispensing Opticians as of 01/31/2018.  Successful completion of the OCPP is worth 1,750 hours (one year) of the 5,250 hours (three years) of apprenticeship training required by the Tennessee Board of Dispensing Opticians for licensing.  Participation in the OCPP may run concurrently with the other two years of board-approved required apprentice training.

Optical Training Institute - Optician Development Program (ODP)

Optical Training Institute
Optician Development Program
715 Peachtree Dr, Ste 200
Atlanta, GA 30308

949-551-5455

contact@opticaltraining.com

www.opticaltraining.com

The Optician Development Program (ODP) is an Apprenticeship Educational Training Program for Opticians that is accepted by the Tennessee Board of Dispensing Opticians as of 04/19/2023.  Successful completion of the ODP is worth 1,750 hours (one year) of the 5,250 hours (three years) of apprenticeship training required by the Tennessee Board of Dispensing Opticians for licensing.  Participation in the ODP may run concurrently with the other two years of board-approved required apprentice training.

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions

Please return to the Licensure homepage, select Criminal Background Checks, and follow the directions that are applicable to you. If you are an out of state applicant, we will mail you the fingerprint card upon receipt of your application. Your OCA # is: 1313

You can update your address/name online at https://lars.tn.gov. If you don’t have an account already, you’ll make an account, onboard your license and then you may update your information. The next time you renew your license, you will receive certificates with your updated name. If you want an updated certificate before then, you can order a replacement copy of your license online at https://lars.tn.gov for $25.
-The Wall Certificate is the large manila certificate that has the state seal on it.
-The Renewal Certificate is the medium sized blue/green

The Board’s Rules provide a list of course types the Board defines as "Multi-Media" which includes such course delivery methods as Internet, Teleconferencing, and Videoconferencing, among others; therefore, since a webinar is a video conference and is conducted over the internet, it is not a the same thing as a live course.

All requests, applications, notices, complaints, other communications and correspondence shall be directed to the Administrative Office of the Board no less than 30 days prior to a regularly scheduled meeting of the Board or the item will be set over to the next regularly scheduled meeting thereafter.

The annual Jurisprudence Exam may be completed and submitted to Unit3HRB.Health@tn.gov and must be passed before December 31st; OR a licensee may attend one morning session of a regularly scheduled meeting of the Board. To receive credit for attending a Board meeting, a licensee must sign in on the attendance registry and note they are present for Jurisprudence credit and remain present in the meeting for the entirety of the morning session.

The first license issued will be valid for at least 12 months but may be active for more than 12 months as a new licensee enters the licensure renewal cycle. Every license issued after the first renewal date will expire every 24 months. The expiration date is printed on all license certificates. While the Board Administrative Office will send one courtesy renewal notice, the license will expire whether the notice has been received or not. It is the responsibility of the licensee to know when their license expires and to renew accordingly.

Policies, Rules, & Statutes

Policies

Rules

Click here for Rules and Regulations pertaining to the Tennessee Board of Dispensing Opticians

Statutes

Statutes are proposed and made law by the Tennessee State General Assembly (Legislature). The Board, following specific notice requirements and hearings, adopts rules. Both have the force of law and may be used in the regulation of a profession. The statutes pertaining to this Board are found at
T.C.A. 63-1 (Division of Health Related Boards) and T.C.A. 63-14 (Dispensing Opticians).

Click here to review the Tennessee Code Annotated. (This link will take you to a website that is not maintained by the Tennessee Department of Health).

This Page Last Updated: March 30, 2026 at 10:33 AM