(1) Licensed optometrists shall complete 36 hours of approved continuing education (CE) every two years:
- (a) Up to 12 hours of asynchronous approved CE courses may be counted toward the CE requirement.
- (b) Up to 4 hours of practice management approved CE may be counted toward the CE requirement.
- (c) The board does not limit or restrict online approved synchronous CE courses.
- (2) Licensees holding a laser surgical certificate must complete 8 hours of CE relating to lasers or surgery during each CE cycle.
- (3) Licensees holding a laser surgical certificate or a TPA certificate must complete 2 hours of CE related to pain management during each CE cycle.
(4) The following are exceptions to CE requirements:
- (a) A person who graduates from an accredited school of optometry and becomes a licensee within one year of graduation is excused from the CE requirement during the first applicable CE cycle.
- (b) A licensee who is enrolled in a residency program accredited by the ACOE is excused from the CE requirement while the licensee is in the residency program and during the first applicable CE cycle.
- (5) The department is authorized to audit CE requirements and shall determine the percentage to audit based on a statistically relevant sampling of the total number of licensees and the compliance rate of past audits. Audits will be conducted in odd-numbered years.
Authorizing statute(s): 37-1-131, 37-1-319, MCA
Implementing statute(s): 37-1-131, 37-1-141, 37-1-306, 37-1-319, 37-1-321, MCA
History: Eff. 12/31/72; AMD, Eff. 8/4/74; AMD, 1979 MAR p. 738, Eff. 7/13/79; TRANS, from Dept. of Prof. & Occup. Lic., Ch. 274, L. 1981, Eff. 7/1/81; AMD, 1982 MAR p. 1390, Eff. 7/16/82; AMD, 1986 MAR p. 1582, Eff. 9/26/86; AMD, 1990 MAR p. 2176, Eff. 12/14/90; AMD, 1997 MAR p. 305, Eff. 2/11/97; AMD, 1999 MAR p. 511, Eff. 3/26/99; AMD, 2002 MAR p. 1550, Eff. 5/31/02; TRANS, from Commerce, 2003 MAR p. 2083; AMD, 2006 MAR p. 1583, Eff. 7/1/06; AMD, 2007 MAR p. 296, Eff. 3/9/07; AMD, 2010 MAR p. 1405, Eff. 6/11/10; AMD, 2017 MAR p. 788, Eff. 6/10/17; AMD, 2020 MAR p. 901, Eff. 5/16/20; AMD, 2023 MAR p. 1621, Eff. 11/18/23; AMD, 2025 MAR, Notice No. 2025-137, Eff. 7/1/25.