The Florida Opticianry Licensure Examination consists of three parts:

1. National Opticianry Competency Examination by the American Board of Opticianry (ABO)
2. Contact Lens Registry Examination by the National Contact Lens Examiners (NCLE)

Note: Proof of successful completion of the above two parts are required prior to taking the National Optician’s Practical Examination.
3. National Optician’s Practical Examination by the National Commission of State Opticianry and Regulatory Boards (NCSORB)

Prior to applying to take the NCSORB National Optician’s Practical Examination you must successfully pass the National Opticianry Competency Examination and the Contact Lens Registry Examination through the American Board of Opticianry and National Contact Lens Examiners, 10341 Democracy Lane, Fairfax, VA 22030 (703) 691-8356 or (800) 296-1379.  The ABO and NCLE examinations must be successfully completed within three years preceding application for the licensure examination.  If the ABO and NCLE examinations were successfully completed more than three years preceding application for the licensure examination, the applicant must have maintained current ABO and NCLE certificates by having completed continuing education courses.

An Application for Licensure Examination must be submitted to the Florida Board of Opticianry (Board) to be certified eligible to sit for the NCSORB examination. The application and $100 application fee may be submitted online or the application may be downloaded and mailed with the $100 application fee to the Board office. Upon completion of your application, the Board will determine if you meet the requirements to be certified eligible to sit for the NCSORB examination. An applicant certified eligible for the examination will be provided with the necessary information to register with NCSORB. Within 3-4 weeks of submitting your registration form and examination fee to NCSORB, you will receive an authorization letter from NCSORB. The authorization letter will provide you with the test administrator’s website and ID number to access the exam tutorials, candidate handbook, and scheduling information. It is imperative that you thoroughly read the entire candidate handbook.

The NCSORB National Optician's Practical Examination is given in computer testing centers on a year round basis throughout the United States in a multiple-choice and skill simulation format. The NCSORB Optician's examination is two-part, one for spectacles and one for contact lenses. An applicant must receive a passing score on both parts to obtain licensure as an Optician in Florida.