× ABOUT OCCUPATIONAL LICENSING OCCUPATIONS STATE PROFILES STORIES ABOUT IJ

Optician Occupational Licensing

License required in 22 states

11th most burdensome licensing requirements among moderate-income occupations

Average Fee for License:$627

What They Do

Opticians, also known as dispensing opticians, design, measure, fit and adapt lenses and frames for clients according to written optical prescriptions or specifications; assist clients with selecting frames; and measure customers for size of eyeglasses and coordinate frames with facial and eye measurements and optical prescription. They also prepare work orders for optical laboratories containing instructions for grinding and mounting lenses in frames; verify the exactness of finished lens spectacles; adjust frame and lens position to fit clients; and may shape or reshape frames.

Optician Licensing Overview

Twenty-two states require a licence to work as an Optician. On average, these laws require $627 in fees, 728 days of education and about 3 exam. Optician Licenses have the 11th most burdensome requirements of the 102 occupations studied. Fees for a license exceed $1000 in Nevada, New York.

Where is an Optician the most regulated?

Out of the 22 states that require an occupational license, an occupational license for a Optician has the highest burden in Nevada. Nevada requires $1250 in fees, 7 exams, 1 years & 100 clock hours experience, and 2 years education.

Where is an Optician the least regulated?

Out of the 22 states that require an occupational license, an occupational license for a Optician has the lowest burden in New Hampshire. New Hampshire requires $110 in fees, no exams, no experience, and no education.

Where is an Optician license the most expensive?

An occupational license for a Optician costs the most in Nevada. Nevada requires $1250 in fees, 7 exams, 1 years & 100 clock hours experience, and 2 years education.

Where is an Optician license the least expensive?

An occupational license for a Optician costs the least in New Hampshire. New Hampshire requires $110 in fees, no exams, no experience, and no education.

Where does it take the longest to obtain an Optician license?

An occupational license for a Optician takes the longest to obtain in Nevada. It takes 1118 days (3 years and 23 days). Nevada requires $1250 in fees, 7 exams, 1 years & 100 clock hours experience, and 2 years education.

Where is it fastest to obtain an Optician license?

An occupational license for a Optician takes the least time to obtain in California, New Hampshire (0 days).

What states require exams for an Optician license?

To obtain an occupational license for an Optician there is at least one exam required in: Nevada, Arizona, Arkansas, Rhode Island, North Carolina, New Jersey, Connecticut, Florida, New York, Tennessee, Massachusetts, Washington, Kentucky, Alaska, Hawaii, South Carolina, Virginia, Vermont, Ohio, Georgia, California. Nevada requires 7 exams.

Twenty two states require a license to work as an optician. On average, these laws force aspiring opticians to pay $449 in fees, demonstrate nearly two years (714 days) of education and experience, and pass around two exams—the 11th most burdensome requirements of the 102 occupations studied. However, because less than half of states license opticians, the occupation ranks as the 63rd most widely and onerously licensed.

While almost every state requires a minimum age of 18 years and at least a high school diploma, other license requirements vary greatly. (Duties also vary by state—see Appendix B for details.) Education and experience requirements vary from none in California and New Hampshire to more than three years (about 1,118 days) in Nevada. Similarly, exam requirements vary from none in New Hampshire to four in Connecticut, and fees range from $110 in New Hampshire to $943 in Florida.

States Ranked by Average Licensing Burden for 102 Lower-Income Occupations

More Burdensome Less Burdensome
Based on data released in November 2022

State Licensing Requirements

Select a chart to view:
Burden Rank State Occupations Licensed Fees Estimated Calendar Days Lost Education Experience Exams Minimum Grade Minimum Age
1 Nevada 75 $1,250 1118 2 years 1 years & 100 clock hours 7 12 18
2 Arizona 68 $500 1095 None 3 years 3 12 18
3 Arkansas 72 $310 1095 None 3 years 2 12 21
4 Rhode Island 70 $330 1095 2 years 1 years 2 12 18
5 North Carolina 66 $560 912 2 years 6 months 4 12 18
6 New Jersey 54 $899 851 2 years 4 months 5 12 17
7 Connecticut 65 $800 730 2 years None 5 12 18
8 Florida 55 $943 731 2 years & 4 clock hours None 3 12 18
9 New York 41 $1,033 730 2 years None 2 12 18
10 Tennessee 69 $755 730 2 years None 3 12 18
11 Massachusetts 50 $739 730 2 years None 3 12 18
12 Washington 76 $550 730 2 years None 4 12 18
13 Kentucky 38 $500 730 2 years None 3 12 18
14 Alaska 64 $850 730 2 years None 1 12 18
15 Hawaii 64 $548 730 2 years None 2 12 18
16 South Carolina 60 $420 730 None 2 years 2 12 18
17 Virginia 72 $400 730 2 years None 2 12 18
18 Vermont 31 $325 730 2 years None 1 12 18
19 Ohio 40 $279 730 None 2 years 1 12 18
20 Georgia 41 $715 365 1 years None 4 12 18
21 California 75 $974 0 None None 1 12 18
22 New Hampshire 37 $110 0 None None 0 0 0

License to Work

The data and information here come from IJ’s License to Work report, released in November 2022.

View Report