National b oard e xamin ations required. To obtain licensure, an applicant must pass the following examinations certified by the National Board of Examiners in Optometry :

1. (1) Part I, Applied Basic Science;
2. (2) Part II, Patient Assessment and Management;
3. (3) Part III, Patient Encounters and Performance Skills; and

4. (4) Treatment and Management of Ocular Disease.

   The application must indicate when the applicant took the examinations. The applicant must have passed the examinations no more than five years before the date of application, unless the applicant is licensed in another United States jurisdiction and is seeking licensure by endorsement.

Source: SL 1975, ch 16, § 1; 6 SDR 66, effective January 8, 1980; 12 SDR 78, effective November 10, 1985; 12 SDR 151, 12 SDR 155, effective July 1, 1986; 17 SDR 199, effective June 30, 1991; 46 SDR 119, effective May 4, 2020 ; 49 SDR 12, effective August 14, 2022; 52 SDR 2, effective July 20, 2025 .

General Authority: SDCL 36-7-15 (2) .

Law Implemented: SDCL 36-7- 11 (6) , 36-7-12.1 , 36-7-15 (5) .

Prior versions effective: 2022-08-14, 2020-05-04, 1991-06-30.