Registering as an Optician

Congratulations on successfully passing the national examinations. If you are currently registered as an intern optician in Ontario, you may apply to become a Registered Optician.

If you successfully completed both eyeglass and contact lens examinations but no longer hold registration as an intern optician in Ontario, to qualify for a certificate of registration as a Registered Optician, you must have:

• Successfully completed the opticianry program or the national examinations within 18 months prior to the date of the application;
• Practised opticianry within the three years prior to the date of the application; or
• Successfully completed a refresher program or a professional competency assessment within one year prior to the date of the application.

To apply, please complete the application form below and submit the following documents:

• A passport photo taken within 6 months of the application date. The photo may be sent as a hard copy or in a high-resolution digital format.
• A Vulnerable Sector Check report conducted in Canada within 6 months of the application date.
• Evidence of successful completion of a practicum or demonstration of practical experience equivalent to the said practicum.  Graduates of approved education programs may submit a letter from their program verifying completion of the practicum. Unaccredited education applicants may submit a Verification of Dispensing Experience Form, confirming that they have acquired practical fitting and dispensing experience outlined in the Practicum Policy.
• Professional Liability Insurance certificate if you are currently employed or intend to be employed in any setting where you will be performing the controlled act of dispensing.
• Notarized copies of your employment eligibility document(s) (if the information you previously provided is no longer current).
• If applicable, a Certificate of Standing Form and letters of standing from any governing body with which you are registered in any jurisdiction.
• If applicable, proof of graduation from any post-secondary program you may have completed outside of Opticianry. 

Please note that you are not required to resubmit any documents that you previously provided to the COO as part of your intern application.

For application processing time, please refer to the Registration Timelines Policy.

Effective December 1, 2024, paper applications will no longer be accepted except when accommodation is required or for French language applicants.

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Appeals

Registration department or Committee decisions can be appealed to the College’s Registration Appeal Panel (RAP), and further to the Health Professions Review and Appeal Board (HPARB). Applicants are provided with information about the review process when they are issued a decision letter.

Applicants choosing to appeal will not be subject to any repercussions from the College.