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ATTENTION

2012 OPTOMETRY SCHOOL GRADUATES

If you will be applying for a Kentucky optometric license, mail your application to the Board as soon as possible.  All supporting application documents should be received in the board office by June 20, 2012.

The Board will meet on July 11, 2012 to review applications for license.  The Kentucky law exam will be administered July 12, 2012 at 9:00am (Eastern time).  The location for the law exam will be the Embassy Suites Hotel on Newtown Pike in Lexington, KY.  A copy of the statutes and regulations can be downloaded from this web site.  This is your study guide for the law exam.

If the Board licenses you on July 11, 2012, you will be given your initial licensure letter that day.  The letter will indicate that a pro-rated licensure fee of $136 plus $50 for a TPA certificate and large wall certificate will be due.  This fee must be paid before a license number will be issued.  You will not be permitted to work prior to receiving your license number.  If you want to pay the $186 fee on July 12, 2012, following the law exam, only checks will be accepted.  Checks should be made payable to the KY State Treasurer.

Pursuant to 201 KAR 5:110, all new licensees are required to be credentialed in Expanded Therapeutic Procedures by the first renewal of license which in your case will be March 1, 2013.  The 32-hour required course will be offered by the KY Optometric Association beginning July 12, 2012 at Noon at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Lexington.  Call the KY Optometric Association at 502-875-3516 to register for this course.

NOTE:  If you are a 2012 graduate of SCO or UAB, the coursework to be credentialed in ETP has been completed.  However, you will need to apply for the credential by filling out the "new applicant" application that can be downloaded from this website under Expanded Therapeutic Procedures.

All continuing education taken for license renewal must be sponsored by a state, regional (multi-state like SECO) or national optometric association*, an accredited school of optometry or an accredited school of medicine.  This is pursuant to 201 KAR 5:030 Section 2.

*National optometric association would be the American Optometric Association, American Academy of Optometry, College of Vision Development and the National Optometric Association.

This means that all education certificates submitted for license renewal, must be sponsored by one of the above groups including all COPE courses, and OEP courses, internet or correspondence or audio-digest.  The only exception to this requirement is the one-hour HIV-AIDS course which must be approved by the KY Cabinet for Health & Family Services (CHFS). This course is required for newly licensed optometrists.    Click this link to go to the CHFS HIV approved class information web page: HIV-AIDS Training.

If you use the Association of Regulatory Boards of Optometry's OE Tracker database to document your continuing education, please forward the printout with your signature to our office as soon as you complete the education.  This will expedite the release of your license during renewals.