Verified October 10, 2026 against the practice act, board rules and sources cited below. The board decides every application. All states
What optometrists miss in Delaware
- Applicants send copies of the optometry law and rules of each jurisdiction where they practiced five years, so the board can compare standards.
- Practice verification letters must come from someone who knows the practice history, such as an employer, colleague or accountant.
- A DELPROS application started but not submitted within six months must be restarted.
How does an optometrist licensed elsewhere get a Delaware license?
Reciprocity requires a current license and at least five years of practice in one jurisdiction whose basic and therapeutic standards the board finds substantially similar. Anyone who falls short serves a six-month internship before licensure.
- By endorsement
- Practice required: At least 5 years in any single jurisdiction where a current license is held
- Board: Delaware Board of Examiners in Optometry
Citation: 24 Del. C. §§ 2107, 2109
Which NBEO exams does Delaware require?
Reciprocity applicants who passed NBEO before 2007 have NBEO send Parts I to III and TMOD scores.
Does Delaware give its own exam or interview?
No state exam; the alternative to reciprocity is a six-month board-approved internship.
What scope does a Delaware license carry?
Delaware issues only Therapeutic Optometrist licenses, so the board compares both basic and therapeutic standards of the home jurisdiction.
- Tiers: Therapeutic only
- Applicants from other states: Therapeutic standards substantially similar to Delaware
Citation: 24 Del. C. § 2101; board new license page
Can optometrists perform laser procedures in Delaware?
The practice act prohibits ophthalmic lasers and surgery.
- Laser procedures not authorized
Citation: 24 Del. C. § 2101(a)(2)
Does Delaware require a controlled substance license?
A Delaware controlled substance registration comes before the Delaware DEA registration, plus PMP registration. Prescribing is limited to hydrocodone products in Schedule II and Schedules III to V, each up to a 72-hour supply.
- State license required on top of DEA
What does Delaware say about telehealth eye care?
Delaware offers an Optometry Interstate Telehealth Registration ($50) that requires license verification from every jurisdiction ever held.
- Telehealth registration available
Citation: Board telehealth registration page
What does a Delaware optometry license cost?
- Application: $362 (as of Oct 2026)
- Fingerprints required
- NPDB self-query required
Citation: Board fee schedule
How often does a Delaware license renew?
Renewal requires proof of continuing education; the late fee is 50% of the renewal fee.
- Renews every two years
Licensing in Delaware?
We prepare every supporting document and a question-by-question guide, order your verifications and NBEO scores, and track the file to a decision; you answer, sign, pay the board and sit every exam. A license is $699 per state, or $799 where the state gives its own exam or interview.