Repeals Professional Designation Requirements for Optometrists
Summary
The Virginia Board of Optometry repealed 18VAC105-20-50, Professional Designations, effective October 29, 2020. Optometrists in Virginia are no longer required to register or renew professional designations. The Board also confirmed no changes to continuing education requirements for the current licensure period of April 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021.
What changed
The Virginia Board of Optometry has repealed Section 18VAC105-20-50 of its regulations, eliminating the Professional Designations requirement. This regulatory change removes the obligation for Virginia-licensed optometrists to register or renew professional designations.
Affected parties (Virginia optometrists) benefit from reduced administrative burden as designation registration and renewal are no longer required. The Board maintained continuing education requirements despite the COVID-19 health emergency, noting that online CE opportunities remain available where licensees and lecturers can communicate as required by regulations.
Archived snapshot
Apr 18, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
Updates Repeal of Professional Designations
Effective October 29, 2020, 18VAC105-20-50. Professional Designations of the Regulations Virginia Board of Optometry of the Virginia Board of Optometry is repealed. The regulatory action is available for review
on the Virginia Regulatory Town Hall. An optometrist is no longer required to register or renew a professional designation.
Continuing Education
The Board has made no changes to the continuing education requirements due to the health emergency during the current licensure period of April 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021. The minutes from the July 17, 2020 and October 16, 2020 board meetings are available for review and state the following: July 17, 2020
[Board office] received numerous inquiries about whether the Board will change any of its current CE requirements because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The consensus of the Board is that it is too early in the licensure period to make changes and there are opportunities for licenses to attend online courses where the licensee and the lecturer may communicate with one another as required by the regulations.
October 16, 2020
The Board again discussed that no action would be taken because there are numerous opportunities for licensees to attend online courses where the licensee and the lecturer may communicate with one another as required by regulations.
Questions may be directed to optbd@dhp.virginia.gov Board of Optometry
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