There is no optometry compact, so every added state is a full license. States take one of three routes for an optometrist licensed elsewhere: a license on NBEO scores, a license by endorsement after years of practice, or a state exam with no exam-free route. Most add a law exam, and scope tiers decide what you may treat. Every fact here links to its source; anything we could not confirm is marked as not verified rather than guessed.
Choosing a route? The three routes, CELMO and why there is no compact.
Verified October 10, 2026. Each board decides its own applications; confirm with it before you rely on a detail.
Compare every state
| State | Route for licensed ODs | Practice required | Law exam | Laser by statute or rule |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | State exam required | Not verified | Board law exam | Not verified |
| Alaska | By endorsement | 3,120 hours of active clinical practice in the 36 months before applying | Board law exam | Yes |
| Arizona | By endorsement | 4 of the last 5 years | Law exam (OSLE) | Not verified |
| Arkansas | By endorsement | 3 of the last 4 years | Board law exam | Yes |
| California | On NBEO scores | Not verified | Board law exam | Not verified |
| Colorado | By endorsement | 1 year of licensure | Not verified | Not verified |
| Connecticut | On NBEO scores | Not verified | Not verified | No |
| Delaware | By endorsement | At least 5 years in any single jurisdiction where a current license is held | Not verified | No |
| District of Columbia | On NBEO scores | Not verified | Not verified | Not verified |
| Florida | By endorsement | 2 of the last 4 years | Law exam (OSLE) | Not verified |
| Georgia | By endorsement | 5 of the last 7 years | Board law exam | Not verified |
| Hawaii | On NBEO scores | Not verified | Not verified | Not verified |
| Idaho | By endorsement | Not verified | Not verified | No |
| Illinois | On NBEO scores | Not verified | Not verified | Not verified |
| Indiana | On NBEO scores | Not verified | Board law exam | Not verified |
| Iowa | On NBEO scores | Not verified | Not verified | Not verified |
| Kansas | By endorsement | 3 years immediately preceding the application | Board law exam | Not verified |
| Kentucky | By endorsement | 5 years of active practice immediately preceding | Board law exam | Not verified |
| Louisiana | By endorsement | Not verified | Not verified | Yes |
| Maine | By endorsement | Not verified | Board law exam | No |
| Maryland | By endorsement | 3 years of active practice immediately preceding | Law exam (OSLE) | Not verified |
| Massachusetts | By endorsement | 3 years of continuous practice immediately preceding | Not verified | Not verified |
| Michigan | By endorsement | Not verified | Board law exam | Not verified |
| Minnesota | On NBEO scores | Not verified | Law exam (OSLE) | Not verified |
| Mississippi | By endorsement | Not verified | Board law exam | Yes |
| Missouri | On NBEO scores | Not verified | Law exam (OSLE) | Not verified |
| Montana | By endorsement | Not verified | No | Yes |
| Nebraska | By endorsement | 2 of the 3 years before applying | Board law exam | No |
| Nevada | By endorsement | 5 years of continuous active practice | Law exam (OSLE) | No |
| New Hampshire | On NBEO scores | Not verified | Board law exam | No |
| New Jersey | On NBEO scores | Not verified | Not verified | Not verified |
| New Mexico | State exam required | Not verified | Board law exam | Not verified |
| New York | On NBEO scores | Not verified | No | Not verified |
| North Carolina | State exam required | Not verified | Not verified | Not verified |
| North Dakota | By endorsement | 4 years under N.D.C.C. 43-13-18 (the board page says 5+) | Law exam (OSLE) | No |
| Ohio | By endorsement | 3 years immediately before applying, including therapeutics | Board law exam | Not verified |
| Oklahoma | State exam required | Not verified | Not verified | Yes |
| Oregon | On NBEO scores | Not verified | Law exam (OSLE) | No |
| Pennsylvania | On NBEO scores | Not verified | No | Not verified |
| Rhode Island | By endorsement | Not verified | Not verified | Not verified |
| South Carolina | By endorsement | Therapeutic practice in the preceding 12 months, or 24 of the last 36 | Board law exam | No |
| South Dakota | On NBEO scores | Not verified | Not verified | Yes |
| Tennessee | On NBEO scores | Not verified | Board law exam | Not verified |
| Texas | On NBEO scores | Not verified | Law exam (OSLE) | Not verified |
| Utah | By endorsement | 1 year holding a license from a state DOPL deems equivalent | Not verified | Not verified |
| Vermont | By endorsement | Not verified | No | Yes |
| Virginia | By endorsement | Not verified | No | Yes |
| Washington | By endorsement | Not verified | No | No |
| West Virginia | By endorsement | 5 of the last 7 years | Law exam (OSLE) | Yes |
| Wisconsin | On NBEO scores | Not verified | Board law exam | No |
| Wyoming | By endorsement | Not verified | Board law exam | Not verified |
Want us to prepare it?
A license on NBEO scores or by endorsement is $699 per state; a state with its own exam or interview is $799. Board, NBEO and ARBO fees are paid by you directly. See every price.