1. (a) In order to be approved by the board, an applicant for renewal of a license must pay the appropriate renewal fee and submit documentation of completing continuing education courses, related to the practice of optometry, as specified in (b) or (c) of this section within the two-year renewal period as specified in 12 AAC 48.210.

2. (b) The following continuing education courses, if related to the practice of optometry, are accepted by the board for renewal of a license to practice optometry:

   1. (1) educational courses offered at the American Optometric Association (AOA) Convention or offered at any American Optometric Association affiliate state association convention;
   2. (2) seminars held by committees of the AOA or organized regional Optometric Extension Program Foundation seminars for educational purposes;
   3. (3) postgraduate courses offered by recognized schools or colleges of optometry;
   4. (4) remote learning, online, and correspondence courses, except that no more than 10 hours of continuing education credits may be claimed in a single licensing renewal period;
   5. (5) courses approved by the Council on Optometric Practitioner Education (COPE):
   6. (6) educational courses offered by the American Academy of Optometry (AAO).

3. (c) Other continuing education courses not listed in (b) of this section, if related to the practice of optometry under this chapter and AS 08.72, may be approved by the board upon written request of the licensee, if request is submitted not later than 30 days following course completion. The request must include the following information:

   1. (1) name and address of organization sponsoring courses;
   2. (2) course title and outline of subject matter to be covered;
   3. (3) instructor's name and credentials; and
   4. (4) location and dates of the course.
4. (d) If the applicant for renewal holds a valid federal Drug Enforcement Administration registration number, verification that the applicant has met the requirements of AS 08.72.181(d).
5. (e) A licensee who, for good cause, is unable to complete the continuing education courses for renewal of a license may request an exemption by submitting to the board a written statement explaining the good cause for the exemption. If the exemption is granted, the board will prescribe an alternative method for the licensee to complete the continuing education requirements.

6. (f) In this section, "good cause" may include

   1. (1) serious illness;
   2. (2) a family emergency; and
   3. (3) other extenuating circumstances, as found by the board.

(Eff. 4/24/71, Register 37; am 2/10/83, Register 85; am 2/16/89, Register 109; am 11/2/2002, Register 164; am 12/31/2005, Register 176; am 10/16/2011, Register 200; am 4/30/2015, Register 214; am 2/21/2019, Register 229; am 8/7/2021, Register 239; am 11/15/2023, Register 248)