Published board fees for a new optometry license range from Pennsylvania's $25 application fee to North Carolina's $1,000 exam fee, with most between about $150 and $600. Renewals run from Wisconsin's $75 every two years to Maine's $600 a year. Certifications, NBEO, fingerprint and NPDB charges come on top.
An optometrist budgeting for a second or third license usually looks up the application fee and stops there. That number is real, but it is only part of the cost. Some fees include the first license period and some do not. Some states split the fee into stages, charge separately for each therapeutic certification, or add a data bank query. And the renewal fee, paid every year or two for as long as you hold the license, often matters more than the application. The table below lists the fees each board publishes, from the verified state facts behind our state pages.
What do boards charge to apply and to renew?
Fees as published by each board in its current materials; confirm with the board before paying, since fees change.
| State | Application or initial fee | Renewal |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $500 examination fee | $160 a year, plus $100 for therapeutic licensure and $10 for the drug database |
| California | $275 Part 1 plus $4 NPDB, then $25 to $134 Part 2 | $500 every 2 years |
| Connecticut | $565 | Not published |
| Delaware | $362 | Not published |
| District of Columbia | $288 ($85 application plus $203 license) | Not published |
| Florida | $305 by MOBILE endorsement; $555 by examination | $305 every 2 years |
| Hawaii | $242 if issued in an even year; $107 in an odd year | $270 every 2 years |
| Idaho | $200 | $75 a year or $150 every 2 years |
| Illinois | $500 | Not published |
| Indiana | $200, plus $20 for the legend drug certificate | $134 every 2 years |
| Iowa | $300 | Not published |
| Kentucky | $700 by endorsement or $500 standard, plus a $25 data bank query | $300 a year |
| Louisiana | $500 licensing exam | $300 a year |
| Maine | $300 application and exam fee | $600 a year |
| Massachusetts | $455 ($285 vendor fee plus $170) | $100 a year |
| Michigan | $237.10, including a 2-year license | $209.60 every 2 years |
| Minnesota | $282, including a $32 background check | Not published |
| Mississippi | $300 nonresident exam fee, plus a $400 initial license fee in January or $200 in July, plus $32 for fingerprints | Not published |
| Missouri | $225 | Not published |
| Montana | $175, plus $75 for the optional TPA certificate | $175 a year |
| Nebraska | $166 including diagnostic and therapeutic certification, prorated in some periods; $75 fingerprint fee | $146 every 2 years |
| Nevada | $540 by endorsement, including a 2-year license at one location | $900 every 2 years, plus $200 per added location |
| New Hampshire | $328, plus $25 for TPA or TPA/G certification | $328 every 2 years |
| New Jersey | $125 application plus $250 initial license ($125 in the second year of the period) | $250 every 2 years, plus $250 for TPA certification |
| New Mexico | $775 | $300 a year |
| New York | $377, plus $60 for DPA certification | Not published |
| North Carolina | $1,000 exam application fee | Not published |
| North Dakota | $200 | $200 a year |
| Ohio | $350 | $350 every 2 years |
| Pennsylvania | $25, plus $25 each for therapeutic and glaucoma certification | $135 every 2 years |
| South Carolina | $525 endorsement application and exam fee | $230 every 2 years |
| South Dakota | $175, plus $200 for all five advanced procedures or $100 each | $300 a year |
| Tennessee | $150 | $275 every 2 years plus a $10 state regulatory fee |
| Texas | $205 Acceptance Application; $305 License without Examination | Not published |
| Vermont | $395 | $325 every 2 years |
| Virginia | $250 with TPA, $350 with TPA and laser certification | $200 a year with TPA, $250 with laser certification |
| Washington | $130 plus a $16 HEAL-WA fee | $150 plus $16 HEAL-WA |
| West Virginia | $300 application, then $600 initial license and $100 certificate after approval | $500 a year |
| Wisconsin | $60 credential fee plus $75 law exam fee | $75 every 2 years |
| Wyoming | $800 by endorsement or CELMO endorsement | Not published |
States missing from the table had not published a fee we could confirm. Each state page carries the latest figures we have verified.
Why do the numbers vary so much?
Because they measure different things. Michigan's $237.10 includes a two-year license, and Nevada's $540 includes a two-year license at one location, while Pennsylvania's $25 is an application fee alone. West Virginia charges in stages: $300 to apply, then $600 for the initial license and $100 for the certificate after approval. Hawaii charges less for a license issued in an odd year because it runs only to that Dec. 31, and New Jersey halves the initial fee in the second year of its two-year period. Exam states such as North Carolina, Alabama and Louisiana charge for the exam itself.
What costs sit outside the board fee?
- Certifications. California charges $25 for TPA and $50 each for TPL, TPG or TLG in Part 2. Michigan's DPA and TPA certifications are $82.60 each or $143.20 together, and its controlled substance license is $176.40. Indiana's legend drug certificate is $20.
- NBEO. Score reports beyond the five free ones are purchased. For exams from August 2026, NBEO charges $45 for a remote Online State Law Exam.
- Background checks. Missouri's electronic fingerprinting is $41.75 and Nebraska's State Patrol fee is $75. Florida charges $43.25 at renewal to keep your prints on file.
- The NPDB. A certified self-query comes with a $3 annual subscription as of mid-2026, and sealed paper copies are $13 each.
- Verifications. Other boards may charge to verify your license; Connecticut warns applicants that some states do.
- Late fees. Nevada's late renewal penalty is $500, Maine's $300 within 90 days, West Virginia's $300.
Which fee matters most over five years?
Usually the renewal. Maine's $600 a year adds up to $3,000 over five years; Wisconsin's $75 every two years to well under $300. Nevada's $900 every two years, plus $200 for each added practice location, matters to an optometrist working in several offices. Annual-renewal states, including Kentucky, Louisiana, New Mexico, South Dakota and West Virginia at $300 to $500 a year, cost more than many biennial states charge for two years. Budget renewals for every state you plan to keep, and drop the ones you no longer use before they renew.
How do board fees compare with what we charge?
Often our fee is the larger number, and we say so. A license on NBEO scores or by endorsement is $699 per state; an application in a state that gives its own exam or interview is $799. What that buys is time and a complete file: fewer deficiency letters, no missed exam windows, no lapsed applications. Annual Renewal and CE Tracking is $299 per license, per year; we remind, prepare and track, and you renew. Board, NBEO, fingerprint and NPDB fees are always paid by you directly. See pricing and the mistakes that cost weeks.
Common questions
- Which state has the most expensive optometry license renewal?
- Among the fees boards publish, Maine's $600 a year and Nevada's $900 every two years, plus $200 per added location, are among the highest. West Virginia charges $500 a year.
- Does the application fee include the license?
- In some states. Michigan's $237.10 and Nevada's $540 include a two-year license, while West Virginia charges $600 for the initial license after approval on top of its $300 application fee.
- What extra fees come with an optometry license application?
- Commonly certification fees, NBEO score reports and law exam fees, fingerprinting, an NPDB self-query, and fees other boards charge to verify your license.
- Is the board fee the main cost of a new optometry license?
- Often not. Renewals over several years, certifications, background checks and, where you use one, a preparation service usually cost more than the application fee itself.
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