License Without Examination (NBEO Part III)
Eligibility Requirements for Licensure without Examination
To be eligible and qualify, an applicant who has not taken Part III of the National Board of Examiners in Optometry must:
- currently be licensed as a therapeutic optometrist in good standing in another state, the District of Columbia, or territory of the United States;
- have passed an examination that is equivalent or superior to the examination required in Texas at the time of licensure;
- have, for at least five of the seven years preceding the application date, been actively engaged in the practice of therapeutic optometry; or engaged in full-time teaching at an accredited college of optometry or medicine;
- have no pending disciplinary actions in the state, district, or territory in which the applicant is licensed;
- have never had their license suspended or revoked.
Resource: Board Rule 271.5.
Application Deadline
30 Days Before Next Board Meeting: All License Without Exam applications must be approved by the Board at a regularly scheduled Board Meeting. The completed application with all supporting documents must be in the Board’s office at least 30 days prior to the Board Meeting (Board Meeting Calendar). If approved, the applicant can continue the initial licensing process.
Application
Apply using a paper application (Application & Instructions) or use the Online Application process and choose “LWOE Acceptance Application” for Step 3.
A completed application consists of (requirements contained in application instructions):
- application, with every item completed, including affidavits;
- license verifications from each state of license (see license verifications below);
- transcript from each junior college, college or university attended (copy acceptable);
- proof of residency (copy of US birth certificate, Permanent Resident card, Real ID Drivers License, Employment Authorization card);
- certified optometry school final transcript;
- Unopened self-query ordered from the National Practitioner’s Databank (NPDB);
- Copy of document changing name (if applicable);
- Military discharge (if applicable); and
- $305 application fee (money order or cashier’s check)
Fingerprints may be submitted after the application is submitted, but must be submitted before a license can be issued.
License Verification
The state(s) you are licensed (or were previously licensed) in must provide information to the Board regarding your initial license and therapeutic license, so that the Texas Optometry Board can determine whether that licensing process was equivalent or superior to the Texas licensing process at that time (see eligibility requirements, above). Applicants should send the Texas verification form to the licensing board in each state of license and request that the form be filled out completely (there may be a fee charged). The state will send the completed form to the Texas Optometry Board.
License Issued
Applicants will be issued a license to practice therapeutic optometry after:
- approval of application by Board,
- passing of the Jurisprudence Exam (study materials), and
- payment of initial licensing fee.
Optometric Glaucoma Specialist: Once licensed, doctors may complete the requirements for an optometric glaucoma specialist license.
