NBEO's Online State Law Exam gives the optometry law exams for Arizona, Florida, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, North Dakota, Oregon, Texas and West Virginia. All are remote and open book, and NBEO lists a $45 fee. Arizona, Maryland and North Dakota require board pre-approval, and boards such as Texas treat a passing score as valid for one year.
Most states want proof that an optometrist knows their practice act before they issue a license. Many of them have handed the test itself to NBEO. Since January 2010, NBEO's Online State Law Exam (OSLE) program has administered state optometry jurisprudence exams on boards' behalf, and as of 2026 ten boards use it: Arizona, Florida, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, North Dakota, Oregon, Texas and West Virginia. For an optometrist licensing in one of them, the law exam is something you can finish from home, usually in an afternoon, as long as you register at the right point in the application.
What do the ten OSLE exams look like?
All ten are listed by NBEO as remote and open book. The differences are in length, time limit and whether the board must approve you first.
| State | Questions | Time once logged in | Board pre-approval |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | 50 | 60 minutes | Yes |
| Florida | 25 | 90 minutes | No |
| Maryland | 50 | 14 days | Yes |
| Minnesota | 50 | 14 days | No |
| Missouri | 25 | 14 days | No |
| Nevada | 100 | 4 hours | No |
| North Dakota | 32 | 14 days | One-time |
| Oregon | 25 | 14 days | No |
| Texas | 35 | 14 days | No |
| West Virginia | 20 | Not stated | No |
NBEO's fee table lists $45 for the remote OSLE, and NBEO says OSLE fees are non-refundable. Florida, Oregon, Texas and West Virginia exams run on a different website: after registering, candidates get a link by email from Caveon. Nevada lets candidates leave and return within the four-hour window, and gives up to four retakes a year after a failure. Arizona allows one retake within the deficiency period of the application; Maryland and North Dakota set a 30-day retake period.
How long does a passing score last?
Not forever, and each board sets its own rule. Texas says a jurisprudence score "will be valid for one year," and a candidate not licensed within that year retakes it. Minnesota's results are valid for one year. Oregon requires a pass within the 12 months before licensure, with no wait to retake. Missouri wants its open-book law exam passed within one year before licensure with 75% or higher. Plan the exam close enough to the end of the file that the score is still good when the license issues.
What score do you need?
The board decides. NBEO explains that it only administers the OSLE: "State boards determine the pass/fail cut off score and release scores." Texas passes at 70, Missouri at 75%, and Nevada at 70%. Candidates see a results screen at the end, and board staff see the score immediately on a password-protected page, but the score never appears on your NBEO score report. If another board later asks for proof, it comes from the board that gave the exam.
When in the application should you take it?
That depends on the state:
- Texas lets you take the exam at any time after registering on the NBEO site, "even if an application for licensure has not been received by the Texas Optometry Board."
- Arizona and Maryland require board pre-approval, so you apply first. Maryland adds that the application fee is not refunded if you fail to register for the law exam in time.
- North Dakota gives its exam once the rest of the application is complete, with a one-time pre-approval.
- Florida requires its Laws and Rules exam of MOBILE endorsement applicants. See Florida licensing and the MOBILE route.
How do the other states test their law?
Outside the OSLE ten, boards use four approaches.
Their own exam
California requires its Laws and Regulations Exam (CLRE) through PSI before anything else is submitted; a failure can be retaken after 90 days. Michigan gives a 32-question jurisprudence exam through PSI, passing at 24 of 32. Tennessee mails an open-book exam that you return with the application, no fee, 90 percent to pass. Mississippi gives its written exam only on the second Saturday of January and July. Indiana sends its exam after the board approves the application, passing at 75. Wisconsin's statutes and rules exam costs $75 per attempt. Nebraska and Wyoming give online jurisprudence exams. New Hampshire's exam has been proctored by ProV since May 12, 2025. South Carolina opens its online exam after the application is approved. Alaska's open-book exam comes from the department and is returned within 30 days, with 90% to pass.
A board-posted exam
Ohio posts its Laws and Rules Exam; applicants complete it and email the answers to the board.
An attestation instead of an exam
Virginia asks initial applicants to sign a statement that they have read and will follow its optometry laws. Washington asks endorsement applicants to certify they have read the listed chapters, then requires new licensees to pass the board's jurisprudence exam in their first full CE period.
No law exam listed
New York, Pennsylvania and Vermont list no state law exam in their requirements.
What does law exam logistics cover?
You sit every law exam yourself; the open-book format means you will want the statutes and rules at hand. Our State Law Exam Logistics service, $249 per state, handles the rest: confirming whether the board needs to pre-approve you, timing the exam so the score is valid at licensure, putting the board's own study links in front of you, and confirming the board received the result. See pricing, or check a state's exam on the state license index.
Common questions
- Is the NBEO state law exam open book?
- Yes. NBEO lists all ten current OSLE state exams as remote and open book, though time limits range from 60 minutes in Arizona to 14 days in several states.
- Can I take the Texas jurisprudence exam before I apply?
- Yes. Texas says the exam may be taken at any time after registering on the NBEO site, even before the board receives an application. The score is valid for one year.
- Does my OSLE score appear on my NBEO score report?
- No. The state board sets the passing score and releases the result, so proof of an OSLE pass comes from that board.
- Which states do not require a law exam for optometrists?
- New York, Pennsylvania and Vermont list none in their requirements. Virginia and Washington use a signed attestation instead, and Washington adds a jurisprudence exam during the first CE period.
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