§ 37:1056 — Annual renewal of license to practice

§1056. Annual renewal of license to practice
All licensed optometrists shall annually:
(1) Pay to the board the annual renewal fee provided in R.S. 37:1058 on or before
the first day of March of each year.
(2)(a) Except as provided in Subparagraph (b) of this Paragraph, accompany the
payment of the annual renewal fee with evidence satisfactory to the board of attendance and
completion of twelve hours of continuing education.
(b) If the licensee is authorized to diagnose and treat pathology and to use and
prescribe therapeutic pharmaceutical agents, accompany the payment of the annual renewal
fee with evidence satisfactory to the board of attendance and completion of sixteen hours of
continuing education.
(c) Half of the required hours of continuing education shall pertain to ocular and
systemic pharmacology and current diagnosis and treatment of ocular disease and shall be
obtained through an in-person classroom setting.
(d) No licensee shall obtain more than six hours from online education sources.
(e) The continuing education required by this Paragraph shall be obtained, whether
in person or online, through any continuing education program that is one of the following:
(i) Offered by a nationally recognized optometric association.
(ii) Offered by a state affiliate of a nationally recognized optometric association or
a regional council composed of state affiliates of a nationally recognized optometric
association.
(iii) Offered by a school or college of optometry accredited by the American
Optometric Association Accreditation Council on Optometric Education.
(iv) Accredited by a nationally recognized organization.
(f) All licensed optometrists who have attained the age of sixty years as of March 1,
1969, shall be exempt from this continuing education requirement.

Legislative History

Acts 1969, No. 116, §1; Acts 2018, No. 206, §3; Acts 2023, No. 194, §1.