Frequently Asked Questions

Elected Council members are expected to attend all Council meetings. These are held four times a year in March, June, September, and December. They may be in person at the College office in Toronto or attended virtually, when in person is not possible. Additional teleconferences may be called between Council meetings as needed.

As a Council member, you will also be appointed to one or more committees. They hold meetings and teleconferences throughout the year. Depending on the committee, members can expect to do 7-14 days of committee work a year.

To fulfill your role, you are expected to:

• Demonstrate accountability through decision-making in the public interest
• Understand the division of roles among council members, committee members, and staff
• Identify and address conflict of interest situations
• Recognize and respect confidential information as required by law
• Maintain good relations with stakeholders such as healthcare organizations and educational groups.

To be an informed decision maker, you are expected to:

• Understand Council and committee policies and procedures, relevant legislation, College values, and strategic direction
• Know the issues facing Council and the committees on which you serve
• Identify issues to add to the Council or committee’s agenda in a timely manner
• Review all material in advance of Council and committee meetings
• Seek out information to enhance Council and committee discussions and decision-making
• Be able to communicate Council or committee decisions and their rationale to individuals and groups as requested by the College.

To effectively participate in decision-making, you are expected to:

• Arrange your personal schedule to allow attendance at meetings
• Contribute constructively to council and committee discussions and decision-making
• Maintain positive working relationships with councillors, committee members, and college staff
• communicate concerns to council or the committees on which you participate
• tell the chair if you have relevant expertise or contacts
• Respect the specialized knowledge and expertise of other council members, committee members and staff.

Optometrists must submit a self-nomination form no later than 30 days before the election.

To be eligible to run, you must

• live in or practice optometry in the district in which you are seeking election
• be a member in good standing with the College.

The full eligibility criteria are outlined in section 6.04 and 6.05 of the College by-laws.

Elections are generally called in the fall, no later than the end of November each year.

The College makes a call for self-nominations at least 60 days before the election date.

Elections take place in different districts in different years. Only members who are eligible to run in a particular election will be invited to submit nominations.

No. Nominees cannot send out information about their self-nomination directly to other optometrists. The College will ask you for a short biography that outlines your academic, practice, and volunteer experience (250-word maximum).

The College will also ask each nominee to provide a statement (100 words or less) that sets out how they propose to serve the public interest if elected. You statement should reflect your understanding of the College’s public-interest mandate. It should not be an effort at advocacy or self-promotion.

You statement should not suggest that as a Council member you will represent optometrists in your district. If elected, you represent the interests of members of the public in your district.

The College will review your statement and may ask you to revise it if it is inappropriate.

Both the biographies and the statements will be publicly available on the College website in advance of voting.

Yes! You may be interested in serving on a committee. You can apply as a non-Council committee member rather than running for a seat on Council.

Learn more about volunteering for a committee.

The Inquiries, Complaints and Reports Committee (ICRC) tries to dispose of a complaint within 150 days of its receipt by the College.

The College strives to resolve all complaints within the 150-day period. However, certain cases brought before the ICRC are more complicated than others and may require a longer period of time to thoroughly investigate the concerns raised and resolve it in a manner that best protects the public interest.

The ICRC panel may be able to come to a decision at its first meeting or may need further information from the complainant or from the optometrist. More than one ICRC panel meeting may be needed to reach a decision.

The complainant and the optometrist involved will be notified of any delay, the reasons for the delay and the expected date of the panel’s decision.

Should that delay exceed 210 days, the College is required to provide the parties to the complaint and the Health Professions Appeal and Review Board (HPARB) with notice of the delay and the reasons for it. HPARB can then: (i) direct the panel of the ICRC to continue to investigate the complaint; (ii) make recommendations to the ICRC or (iii) initiate its own investigation into the matter.

The complainant and the optometrist are not charged for the costs associated with processing and disposing of the complaint. Similarly, the College does not reimburse the complainant or the optometrist for costs they incur while responding to the complaint.

No. As part of our public protection mandate, the College is committed to enhancing transparency.

The objective of transparency is to ensure that Ontarians have access to relevant, timely, useful, and accurate information about their health care providers, which will enhance their ability to make informed decisions about their health care. Therefore, more information about optometrists is now available to the public. This includes the outcomes of the investigations that the ICRC assesses as moderate to high risk to the public (such as cautions, specified continuing education and remedial programs, and undertakings) for all complaints received by the College on or after January 1, 2017.

The ICRC is required to consider all available prior complaint and report decisions involving the optometrist who receives a new complaint or report. The optometrist is given an opportunity to comment on these prior decisions (if there are any). Information about prior decisions is not disclosed to the complainant.

The ICRC does not initiate a complaints investigation in cases where the complainant is anonymous. However, if the Registrar becomes aware of information involving an optometrist that gives the Registrar reasonable and probable grounds to believe that the optometrist has committed professional misconduct or is incompetent, the Registrar may initiate an investigation, with the ICRC’s approval.

No. In accordance with Section 36(3) of the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991, no report or decision of a proceeding under that act or any other health professions act or the Drug and Pharmacies Regulations Act is admissible in a civil proceeding.

If a complainant or the optometrist believes that the ICRC panel’s investigation was inadequate or the decision was unreasonable, they may request a review by the Health Professions Appeal and Review Board (HPARB), an independent government agency. Appeals are available except in cases where the ICRC panel referred the matter to the Discipline Committee or Fitness to Practice Committee.

The current CE cycle runs from January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2026. The College does not approve/accredit individual CE courses; instead, registrants are responsible for ensuring that their CE activities fall into the appropriate categories. A link to the current CE policy can be found here.

The Council on Optometric Practitioner Education (COPE) was created by the Association of Regulatory Boards of Optometry (ARBO) to accredit continuing education on behalf of optometric licensing boards. For more information, visit the COPE website here.

After extensive review of the COPE accreditation process, the College is confident that COPE accredited CE would ensure Ontario optometrists are participating in high-quality and meaningful CE:

• COPE is a recognized accreditation program for optometric CE courses;
• CE providers are required to meet COPE accreditation criteria, which include:
  • incorporating into CE activities the educational needs (knowledge, competence, or performance) that underlie the professional practice gaps of their learners;
  • generating activities/educational interventions that are designed to change competence, performance, or patient outcomes as described in its mission statement; and
  • analyzing changes in learners (competence, performance, or patient outcomes) achieved as a result of the overall program’s activities/educational interventions;
• COPE Standards for Commercial Support ensure independence in CE activities; and
• COPE has been deemed substantially equivalent to the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME®), which accredits organizations that provide continuing medical education (CME) for physicians. COPE has adopted the ACCME accreditation criteria.

A COPE-accredited course must have both:

1. a valid COPE Course ID number; AND
2. a valid COPE Activity/Event ID number.

To confirm whether a CE course is COPE-accredited:

1. Visit the ARBO website here
2. Enter the Course Title or COPE ID #
3. Click Search
4. If the CE course does not appear in the search results, then it is not COPE-accredited
5. If the CE course appears in the search results, you must ensure that it meets the following requirements:
   1. It has a COPE Course ID number (red circle in this example)
   2. It has the “COPE Events approved to present this course” statement and the COPE Event ID number (purple circle in example below)
   3. The COPE Course ID number and the COPE Event ID number match those associated with the CE course you would like to take
6. Contact ARBO directly for more information. 

To search for COPE-accredited CE:

1. Visit the ARBO website here.
2. You may search by any field. For example:
   • You may search by a particular subject, or leave as “Any Subject” and all subjects will appear in the search results
   • There are two different online formats:
     • “online_enduring” is defined as: webcast, podcast, video, journal, website, written or other format that provides one-way content to the audience without immediate interaction with the instructor.  There is not just one time on one day to participate in the activity, rather, the participant determines when he/she participates.
     • “online_inter” is defined as:  webinar, video conference, teleconference, or other format that allows for immediate interaction and feedback between the audience and the instructor.  Once the event has taken place, learners may no longer participate in that activity.
3. Ensure the course has a COPE Course ID number AND a COPE Event ID number.

Other learning opportunities give optometrists a wider range of options and the opportunity to make flexible selections that suit their learning needs and practice. Accepted learning opportunities and their CE credit hour calculations are listed on pages 2-3 of the CE policy.

A participation verification certificate must be issued for COPE-accredited CE activities. Some CE providers send attendance information directly to OE TRACKER. Otherwise, you must submit your own CE certificates (PDF or JPG format) to OE TRACKER. For more information on how to submit to OE TRACKER, visit the College website here.

After completing each learning opportunity, you must complete the Other Learning Opportunities Form and submit it to OE TRACKER. A participation verification certificate is NOT required for other learning opportunities, only this form would suffice. For more information on how to submit to OE TRACKER, visit the College website here.

No more than 20 hours per CE cycle may be obtained through other learning opportunities.

Refer to Section B “Ocular Disease” and Section C “Related Systemic Disease” of the COPE Course Categories for examples of topics that would qualify as reasonably related to ocular disease and management or related systemic disease.

For the current CE cycle, all CE credits may be obtained online.

Yes, they would qualify as other learning opportunities; specifically, organized events. You may claim hour-for hour. For example, if you completed a one-hour (60 mins) course, then you may claim one CE credit hour.

To qualify as other learning opportunities, the lectures must be prepared and given to regulated health professionals for their primary continuing education or regulated health professionals in training education at a Canadian or American accredited school.

Lectures presented outside of these schools would not qualify as CE.

If a faculty member prepares and gives lectures to regulated health professionals as part of their appointment, they may claim CE credit hours either for their faculty appointment or lectures prepared and given to regulated health professionals, but not both.

Each lecture may be counted one time only.

A refereed journal has a formal peer review process where articles are reviewed by several other experts in the field (“peers”) before they are published in the journal. A refereed journal is also called a peer-reviewed journal. You can find this information on the journal’s website. For example, the Canadian Journal of Ophthalmology (CJO) would qualify as a refereed journal as it publishes original, peer-reviewed ophthalmology and vision science articles.

Contact ARBO to receive your OE TRACKER number and to set up your online account. Be sure to confirm with ARBO that you are a registrant of the College of Optometrists of Ontario.

Yes, you must submit all of your CE credit hours (both COPE-accredited and other learning opportunities) to OE TRACKER. Please do not send your CE certificates to the College as the College will not be keeping records of registrants’ CE certificates.

When submitting your documents to OE TRACKER, you must indicate the number of CE credit hours and whether the CE credits qualify as COPE-accredited or other learning opportunity. For more information on how to submit to OE TRACKER, visit the College website here.

All of the CE credits that you are using to meet your mandatory CE requirements must be marked as COPE or Other Learning in OE TRACKER. Submit your request to change or update the COPE and Other Learning categories directly to OE TRACKER at arbo@arbo.org. It will take 2 weeks before the changes are reflected in the account.

The College will not review individual optometrist’s CE credits to confirm whether they have met their CE requirements. Instead, it is the optometrist’s responsibility to claim only credit hours that qualify as CE as per the College’s CE Policy. You must ensure that your CE hours are up to date in your OE TRACKER profile by the end of the current CE cycle.

The College will perform a deficiency audit at the conclusion of this three-year reporting cycle. The deficiency audit identifies those who fail to meet the CE hour requirement.

For the current CE cycle (January 1, 2024–December 31, 2026), the College will be paying the OE TRACKER subscription fees for all optometrists. Payments made by optometrists for OE TRACKER may not be refundable.

You may claim only CE credit hours that have been completed following your initial registration with the College. Accordingly, any CE credits that you have obtained prior to being registered with the College cannot be used to meet the requirements for the current CE cycle.

Newly registered optometrists during the current cycle will be required to complete a prorated number of hours based on their registration year as follows:

*Number of COPE accredited hours that must be in topics reasonably related to ocular disease and management or related systemic disease

Both practicing and non-practicing optometrists in Ontario must meet the CE requirements as per the College’s CE Policy.

No, there is no carrying over of CE credits to the next CE cycle.

No, you are not required to report your CE hours during annual renewal. OE TRACKER is completely independent of the annual renewal process. If your OE TRACKER hours are not up to date, this will not affect your ability to renew your membership. However, you must ensure that your hours are up to date in your OE TRACKER profile by the end of the current CE cycle.

Optometrists can complete each module once per CE cycle and will receive one other learning opportunity CE credit hour.

The College will send the CE credit hours information directly to OE TRACKER quarterly. For example, optometrists who completed the elearning module between January 1 and March 30, 2024 will see their CE credit hour uploaded to their OE TRACKER accounts in April 2024. Optometrists who completed the elearning module between April 1 and June 30, 2024 will see their CE credit hour uploaded to their OE TRACKER accounts in July 2024.

No, you will not be able to claim CE credit hours for completing the elearning module.

The College does not accredit/approve individual CE activities and providers. Instead, it is the optometrist’s responsibility to claim only credit hours that qualify as CE as per the College’s CE Policy.

If you are a CE provider wishing to get COPE accreditation, click here for information on how to get a course COPE-qualified and how to get an activity/event COPE-accredited. A COPE-qualified course presented at a COPE-accredited activity/event would qualify as COPE-accredited CE. Contact ARBO directly for more information.

No. As of September 1, 2025, you do not need to complete CE hours while you are inactive.

As of September 1, 2025, your requirements are adjusted based on how long you were inactive, following the current CE Policy (2024-2026).

Yes.

Yes. Even though you have a choice as to which therapist or counsellor you would like to see, there are some restrictions. The therapist or counsellor cannot have any family relationship with you and cannot have been found guilty of professional misconduct of a sexual nature or been found liable in Court for an act of a similar nature. You can select a therapist or counsellor who is not a regulated health professional; however, you will be asked to confirm that you understand that in such a case, there is no avenue for professional discipline.

You are eligible to apply for funding if:

• An allegation has been made, in a formal complaint or report, that you were sexually abused and
• The alleged abuse was by a current or former registrant of the College of Optometrists and
• The alleged abuse occurred while you were a patient, or up to a year after receiving optometry care and
• The date of the alleged abuse was on or after January 1, 1994.

Applications for funding are considered by the Patient Relations Committee. The committee is made up of four optometrists and four members of the public. The committee reviews each application and decides:

• Whether the applicant meets the eligibility criteria and
• The amount of funding that is to be awarded for therapy and counselling.

No. Recent changes to the Regulated Health Professions Act allow funding to be available before any finding of guilt is made. These changes are in effect as of May 1, 2018.

A decision by the Patient Relations Committee that you are eligible for funding is not a finding of professional misconduct against the optometrist. It will not be considered by any other committee of the College dealing with the matter.

The funding for therapy and counselling is meant to help you deal with the effects of the alleged sexual abuse. You are free to find the type of therapy or counselling that works best for you. Here are some things to consider:

• Do they have training or experience in treating the effects of sexual abuse?
• Are they a member of a regulated health profession? If not, you have no way of knowing whether they are qualified to practice. You may also not have a governing body to contact if you have concerns about their conduct or skills.
• How many sessions will you need to attend and at what cost? You will have to pay any amount over the maximum amount approved for you.

Yes.

The College may help to pay for past therapy under some conditions:  

• Past therapy must not have already been paid by any provider (OHIP or private insurance).
• The therapy must have taken place after the reported abuse.
• The applicant or therapist must provide invoices or receipts with therapy costs and dates.

The therapist must agree to reimburse the applicant for past therapy fees. This is because the College is required by law to pay the therapist directly.

You need to complete an Application for Funding for Therapy and Counselling. This form gives the Patient Relations Committee the information they need to assess your eligibility. You will also have to complete an Attestation of Applicant form. On this form you must state that:

• You have no family ties to the therapist or counsellor you chose and
• The services are not eligible for payment by any other provider, such as OHIP or private insurance.

You can start the application process before you have chosen a therapist or counsellor. Once you have chosen them, they will have to complete a form before funding can begin. If your therapist or counsellor is a regulated health professional, they must complete an Attestation of Counsellor (Regulated). If they are unregulated, they must complete an Attestation of Counsellor (Non-Regulated).

Contact the College for any help you need with the application or for more information:

Tel:               416-479-9295
Fax:              647-417-6862
Toll Free:       1-833-402-4819
Email:           complaints@collegeoptom.on.ca

College staff will confirm receipt of your application. They will tell you whether any more information is required. Staff will also keep you informed of the timelines for the Patient Relations Committee’s review of your application.

No. The committee will make its decision based on the documents you send.

No.

Yes. You, your therapist or counsellor, and the College must keep all information obtained through the application process confidential. This includes the fact that funding has been granted.

The funding is available for a five-year period. The starting date is the earlier of these two dates:

• The date that you first received therapy related to the alleged sexual abuse or
• The date of your complaint or report alleging you were sexually abused by the optometrist.

To receive the full benefit of the funding, you should apply as early as possible.

The maximum amount is about $16,000, but it can vary based on the circumstances. The amount is based on a formula provided in the regulation. Once your application is processed, the College will notify you of your amount. If the services being used are partially covered by OHIP or a private insurer, the College pays only the amount not covered.

Yes. The funding must be used only to pay for therapy or counselling. There may be funding for other purposes in the future, but it is not currently approved or available.

You will not receive the money. The College must pay your therapist or counsellor directly, after receiving their invoice.

The College will send you reports to keep you informed of how much money is left for the costs of your therapy or counselling. You can contact us if you need extra information.

Applications for registration are open for a maximum of two years from the date they are received by the College. Most applicants are able to complete the application process and become registered with the College in less than one year.

Applications for registration are valid for a maximum of two years (24 months) from the date the application is received by the College. The two-year application period automatically ends when you have successfully completed the requirements for registration. The two-year timeline is provided only to give applicants adequate time to complete the registration requirements, not to allow successful applicants to delay the date they register. It is important to note that, regardless of the two-year application period, the Ontario Optometric Jurisprudence Examination must be successfully completed within 12 months of applying for registration.

A notarized copy of a document or photograph is one that has been reviewed by a Notary Public who has stamped the copy or photograph with his/her seal and then signed and dated it. A notarized copy is a legal copy of your original document.

Applicants who are registered to practise in another Canadian jurisdiction must submit a Certificate of Standing/Letter of Good Standing. It may be submitted at any time during the application process, unless the applicant is applying under labour mobility provisions, in which case it must be submitted either with the application or shortly thereafter. However, it must be dated within six months of the applicant becoming registered. If you take more than six months to become registered after submitting a Certificate of Standing/Letter of Good Standing, an updated Certificate of Standing/Letter of Good Standing will be required to complete your application.

No. A Certificate of Standing/Letter of Good Standing must be sent to the College directly from the issuing body (the regulator) and must be dated no more than six months before your Certificate of Registration is issued and activated

You may apply for your billing number after your Certificate of Registration is issued and activated.

The College only accepts accredited programs accredited by the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education (ACOE).  The onus is on applicants for registration to check directly with ACOE about whether an ACOE program is accredited.

If the Registration Committee implements a new policy that affects applicants for registration, an individual who has already submitted an application for registration will be informed of the change and would generally be permitted to complete their application under the policies that were in effect at the time their application was submitted, or under the new policies, whichever is least onerous. However, if there is a change to the Registration Regulation that affects applicants for registration, it will apply to all applicants regardless when they submitted their application form.

No. After completing the registration requirements, you will need to complete various administrative tasks before you can start working as an optometrist in Ontario. For example, the College will need to receive confirmation of your professional liability insurance directly from your insurer if you are intending to practise as an optometrist in Ontario.

An applicant for registration is referred for a practice assessment or practice evaluation if it has been more than three years since they successfully completed the entry-to-practice examination. In some cases, an applicant may have to undergo both processes to ensure they are competent to practise optometry in Ontario in accordance with the standards of practice.

The Registration Committee is often unable to determine an applicant’s competence using the results of a practice assessment alone. Therefore, to avoid having an applicant incur the costs and additional time associated with two processes, it is recommended that the applicant undergo a practice evaluation at the onset.

If the applicant is found to have deficiencies, the Registration Committee may make recommendations for the applicant to meet the standards of practice set in Ontario.

Effective January 1, 2023, the following language proficiency tests are acceptable for internationally educated graduates: Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP) General; International English Language Testing System (IELTS) General; Test d’évaluation de français pour le Canada (TEF Canada); and Test de connaissance du français pour le Canada (TCF Canada).  On January 30, 2024, the Pearson Test of English (PTE) was also added as an acceptable language proficiency test for internationally educated graduates.  Please refer to the following updated language test equivalency charts from the federal government:

Language test equivalency charts - Canada.ca

The overall pass of the Part III PEPS exam is acceptable to pass the Part III PEPS exam without having to pass the Patient Encounters or Performance Skills parts separately.

No. As of September 1, 2025, you don't need to meet practice hour requirements while you are in the Inactive class.

As of September 1, 2025, your requirements are adjusted based on how long you were inactive, following the QA Policy - Direct Optometric Care Hours Requirements.

No. As of September 1, 2025, you do not need to complete CE hours while you are inactive.

As of September 1, 2025, your requirements are adjusted based on how long you were inactive, following the current CE Policy (2024-2026).

Yes.

Applicants are eligible to apply to the Inactive Class at any time once they become registrants by emailing info@collegeoptom.on.ca, paying an administrative fee, and completing the Acknowledgment and Undertaking. 

There is no need to provide proof of professional liability insurance if you are planning to enter the Inactive class immediately after registering with the College. 

Your application remains open for two years from the day it is received by the College. It is your choice whether to delay your application or apply to the Inactive Class. For example, if you delay your application, you need to consider how many years it will be since you successfully challenged the approved entry-to-practice exam. Once you are registered with the College, you will need to plan for annual renewal fee payment.

The QA Policy – Direct Optometric Care Hours Requirements affects registrants who have been classified as Inactive for any portion of a rolling three-year period. Registrants in the Inactive class are exempt from the CE hour requirements while they remain inactive.  The amended Continuing Education (CE) Policy applies to all registrants. 

Unless the College announces otherwise, Inactive class registrants will need to provide an OE Tracker Number and the College will continue to cover OE Tracker subscription fees.

Please refer to the QA Policy – Direct Optometric Care Practice Hours Requirements for how practice hours are calculated for registrants who have been classified as Inactive for any portion of a rolling three-year period.  Also, please refer to the amended Continuing Education (CE) Policy (2024-2026). 

The Acknowledgment and Undertaking replaces the Non-Practising Status Undertaking Form now that amendments to the Registration Regulation were brought into force as of September 1, 2025. The process to switch from a General certificate of registration to an Inactive certificate of registration is to email info@collegeoptom.on.ca, attach a completed and signed Acknowledgment and Undertaking, and pay the administrative fee.

Yes. All new registrants of the College, including those in inactive class, are required to complete the mandatory eLearning module titled “Professionalism, Ethical Decision-Making and the Prevention of Sexual Abuse of Patients.”. Registrants must complete this module within 30 days of their registration date. Failure to do so will result in a late fee of $105.00 plus HST ($13.65), totaling $118.65. Learn more here.

Candidates for registration with the College are permitted to practise under delegation before becoming registered with the College.  Please refer to section 4.3 Delegation and Assignment of the Optometric Practice Reference (OPR): Standards of Practice - College of Optometrists of Ontario

The delegating optometrist must be physically on site (i.e. in that practice location) when the candidate is practising under delegation.  They take full responsibility for the candidate providing the optometry services and must be available to intervene if necessary.

It must be clear to patients booking an appointment that the candidate is practising under delegation. Consent is required from each patient, with the delegation noted in the patient’s health record.

The candidate must not be presented as an optometrist until they are registered and able to practise independently.

Please feel free to discuss this further with a practice advisor who can be reached at practiceadvisor@collegeoptom.on.ca

Submit a completed Application for a Certificate of Registration and complete your online application payment. You will select your Jurisprudence exam date when completing your application.

Successful completion of the online seminar is required before you can be confirmed to challenge the online exam.

The exam is now being offered online only. Exam dates are listed here.

Jurisprudence results are reported within 4 weeks of each exam administration. Results are reported on a pass/fail basis.

If you fail the exam, you must arrange to take it again at another administration and pay the applicable fee. It is a requirement of registration that an applicant successfully complete the Jurisprudence examination within one year (12 months) of applying for registration. If you do not pass the exam within this timeframe you may submit a new application for registration and pay the applicable fee.

The College will accept an application before you graduate from an approved program provided you include a letter from the institution confirming your expected graduation date. Once you have graduated, you must provide the College with a notarized copy of your degree certificate.

Yes. An applicant must successfully complete the Ontario Optometric Jurisprudence exam within one year (12 months) of applying for registration.

Since January 17, 2015, the College by-laws have required optometrists to self-report and since May 1, 2018, it is now a requirement under provincial law. The information provided can alert the College to situations where an optometrist may not be practising safely. It also allows the College to take steps to protect the public and use innovative approaches to help rehabilitate the optometrist when necessary.

No. Since January 17, 2015, optometrists have been required to report such information. This obligation was part of changes made to College by-laws.

• Current registration with:
  • another optometric regulatory body outside of Ontario;
  • any other regulatory body in any jurisdiction.
• A finding of professional misconduct or incompetence from any other regulatory body in any jurisdiction.
• A finding of professional negligence or malpractice.
• Being charged with OR found guilty of any offence in any jurisdiction.
• Any bail conditions or release restrictions currently in place.

No. If you have previously reported a charge, or any of the other information required by the College, there is no need to resubmit it.

No. Optometrists are not required to report ticketable offences. A ticketable offence is any offence prosecuted under Parts I or II of the Provincial Offences Act, 1990. This includes speeding and parking tickets or failure to stop at a red light under the Highway Traffic Act, 1991, or consuming alcohol in a public place under the Liquor Licence Act, 1990.

Yes. Any charge between January 17, 2015 and May 1, 2018 must be reported. Though the legislation only introduced these self-reporting requirements as of May 1, 2018, the College by-laws have required optometrists to report this information to the College since January 17, 2015.

Yes. Optometrists are required to report all charges as well as findings of guilt.

Optometrists must report this information as soon as possible, but no longer than 30 days after the occurrence.

Failing to self-report or falsifying information is a serious matter. It could result in a referral to Discipline and a finding of professional misconduct, with a variety of penalties possible.

The College must post any charge for an offence under the Criminal Code or the Controlled Drug and Substances Act. For all other charges, only those that are deemed relevant to an optometrist’s suitability to practise will be posted on the College register. The College’s guidelines to determine relevance to suitability to practise can be found here.

Members can access the self-reporting form via the Member Login on the College website. The Member Login now features a main menu with options such as Membership Record, eLearning Module, and the new Self-Reporting Form.

No. As of September 1, 2025, you don't need to meet practice hour requirements while you are in the Inactive class.

As of September 1, 2025, your requirements are adjusted based on how long you were inactive, following the QA Policy - Direct Optometric Care Hours Requirements.

Applicants are eligible to apply to the Inactive Class at any time once they become registrants by emailing info@collegeoptom.on.ca, paying an administrative fee, and completing the Acknowledgment and Undertaking. 

There is no need to provide proof of professional liability insurance if you are planning to enter the Inactive class immediately after registering with the College. 

Your application remains open for two years from the day it is received by the College. It is your choice whether to delay your application or apply to the Inactive Class. For example, if you delay your application, you need to consider how many years it will be since you successfully challenged the approved entry-to-practice exam. Once you are registered with the College, you will need to plan for annual renewal fee payment.

The QA Policy – Direct Optometric Care Hours Requirements affects registrants who have been classified as Inactive for any portion of a rolling three-year period. Registrants in the Inactive class are exempt from the CE hour requirements while they remain inactive.  The amended Continuing Education (CE) Policy applies to all registrants. 

Unless the College announces otherwise, Inactive class registrants will need to provide an OE Tracker Number and the College will continue to cover OE Tracker subscription fees.

Please refer to the QA Policy – Direct Optometric Care Practice Hours Requirements for how practice hours are calculated for registrants who have been classified as Inactive for any portion of a rolling three-year period.  Also, please refer to the amended Continuing Education (CE) Policy (2024-2026). 

The Acknowledgment and Undertaking replaces the Non-Practising Status Undertaking Form now that amendments to the Registration Regulation were brought into force as of September 1, 2025. The process to switch from a General certificate of registration to an Inactive certificate of registration is to email info@collegeoptom.on.ca, attach a completed and signed Acknowledgment and Undertaking, and pay the administrative fee.

Yes. All new registrants of the College, including those in inactive class, are required to complete the mandatory eLearning module titled “Professionalism, Ethical Decision-Making and the Prevention of Sexual Abuse of Patients.”. Registrants must complete this module within 30 days of their registration date. Failure to do so will result in a late fee of $105.00 plus HST ($13.65), totaling $118.65. Learn more here.

In accordance with Section 82 of the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991:

Co-operation with Committee and assessors
82 (1) Every member shall co-operate with the Quality Assurance Committee and with any assessor it appoints and in particular every member shall,

• (a) permit the assessor to enter and inspect the premises where the member practises;
• (b) permit the assessor to inspect the member’s records of the care of patients;
• (c) give the Committee or the assessor the information in respect of the care of patients or in respect of the member’s records of the care of patients the Committee or assessor requests in the form the Committee or assessor specifies;
• (d) confer with the Committee or the assessor if requested to do so by either of them; and
• (e) participate in a program designed to evaluate the knowledge, skill and judgment of the member, if requested to do so by the Committee.

Inspection of premises
(2) Every person who controls premises where a member practises, other than a private dwelling, shall allow an assessor to enter and inspect the premises.

Inspection of records
(3) Every person who controls records relating to a member’s care of patients shall allow an assessor to inspect the records.

Exception
(4) Subsection (3) does not require a patient or his or her representative to allow an assessor to inspect records relating to the patient’s care.

In accordance with Section 27 (2) of O. Reg. 119/94: GENERAL under the Optometry Act, 1991, “An assessment shall include the inspection and assessment of the member’s records of the care of patients and other records required to be maintained under the regulations under the Act, and may include, but is not limited to, an inspection of the member’s office or offices and requiring the member to respond to a practice questionnaire.”

Regarding confidentiality, in accordance with Section 83 of the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991:

Confidentiality of information

83 (1) Except as provided in section 80.2 and in this section, the Quality Assurance Committee and any assessor appointed by it shall not disclose, to any other committee, information that,

(a) was given by the member; or

(b) relates to the member and was obtained under section 82.

Regarding electronic submission of records, the College uses a secure file sharing website to collect patient records for the purpose of assessment. Each upload link is unique to each individual optometrist and all files are deleted following the assessment.

The full patient record must be submitted to the College, including imaging/results of any diagnostic testing, intake forms, and referral letters or correspondence to and from other professionals, and details of prescriptions.

If you have not provided a complete oculo-visual exam to any first-time patients during the submission period, you may treat existing patients as first-time patients for the purpose of this assessment. For existing patients, please only submit the one-day record of complete oculo-visual assessment and do not submit any records from previous visits.

Yes. "First-time" refers to the first time that you have seen that patient (e.g., they may have visited your clinic in the past and seen a different optometrist).

The QA Committee understands there are certain reasons why a member may require additional time to submit their records and questionnaire for assessment. Should you require an extension, please write to QA@collegeoptom.on.ca with the reason for extension and specify the amount of additional time needed. Your request will then be reviewed by the QA Committee, and you will be provided with a response. There is no guarantee the QA Committee will grant an extension.

Below are some helpful resources to assist you with the technical aspects of your submission:

• Convert image files (JPG) to PDF: https://www.adobe.com/ca/acrobat/online/jpg-to-pdf.html

• Merge multiple PDF files into one document: https://www.adobe.com/ca/acrobat/online/merge-pdf.html

NOTE: you may be asked to create a free Adobe account to use the tools above if you do not already have one.

1. Go to the Member Login on the College website.
2. Select ‘Membership Record’ from the main menu.
3. Select the ‘Practice Location’ tab.
4. Select ‘Add New Location’ at the bottom of the page.
5. Input the practice location details; click the save button once completed.
6. Complete for each practice location being reported.

You must report any practice location to the College within 14 days of the change.

Yes. All practice locations must be reported to the College, no matter how many days you practised there. This includes filling in for one day.

When inputting the location details, specify the start and end date for that practice.

The name and address of any active practice in which you are an owner, associate, employee, or independent contractor will be published on the public register.

An active practice is one for which no “End Date” has been provided.

Yes. The practice locations must be reported to the College; however, these locations will not be posted on the public register if an end date was specified. These will simply be noted on the College’s internal database for reference.

Please choose the appropriate field under “What is your primary practice setting at this practice site?” depending on where you practised.

You must notify the College that you provide home visits. However, specific home addresses are not to be reported to the College.

Yes. All practice locations, bricks-and-mortar and virtual, must be reported to the College. You must include the appropriate website and email address associated with your virtual clinic.

The VS check is a process that verifies whether an individual has a criminal record, as well as any record suspensions (formerly pardons) for sexual offences and local police records for information relevant to the VS check. The information that can be legally disclosed is provided to the applicant.

Contact your local police department or the Royal Canadian Mounted Police regarding the process and fees involved in obtaining a VS check.

As part of the registration process, applicants must submit a Vulnerable Sector (VS) check to ensure they have not been found guilty of any criminal offence in any jurisdiction, or an offence under the Criminal Code, the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, and the Food and Drugs Act. A police record check with VS screening is required as registered optometrists may work with vulnerable person(s) such as minors or elderly patients (i.e., those who are dependent on others, or may be at greater risk than the general population of being harmed by a person in a position of authority.)

Applicants must provide a VS check from:

• their current jurisdiction
• any past jurisdiction(s) where they have practised.

Please check with your local police department or the Royal Canadian Mounted Police regarding the submission of fingerprints.

Yes. The VS check must be requested under your current name as well as any former or maiden names.

The results of the VS check must be dated no earlier than six months before the date you become registered. For example, if you complete all of the requirements for registration on September 1, the results of your VS check must be dated on or after March 1 of that same year. If you provide a VS check and then take longer than six months to complete the other requirements for registration, you will be required to submit an updated VS check to complete your application for registration.

The results of the VS check must be submitted to the College directly from the police or in an envelope provided to you by the police. Keep a scanned copy for your records and provide the original copy to the College for verification. If you obtain an electronic VSC, please contact the College for an alternative submission option.

The Toronto Police Service (TPS) advised the College that they have a new process for Vulnerable Sector Checks in place.

You will need the College’s “Agency Code/Program Number” when you apply to the TPS for a Vulnerable Sector Check.  The College’s Agency Code/Program Number is: 202310TPSON697A8

The TPS advised that as of Monday October 30, 2023, old forms for Vulnerable Sector Checks will no longer be accepted in person or by mail. You will need to go to www.tps.to/police-checks to apply. The fastest way to receive a check is by completing the process online.  There is an in-person and mail-in option.  However, there is a new form to complete.

When you receive your processed Vulnerable Sector Check from the TPS, please take a copy for your records and either mail the original or a notarized copy of the original to the College.