A dispensing optician fits and adjusts eyeglasses and, in many states, contact lenses, working from a prescription written by an optometrist or ophthalmologist. Unlike those two professions, opticianry is not licensed the same way everywhere. Roughly half the states require a state license to work as a dispensing optician, and the rest leave the occupation unregulated or regulate it only at the level of the retail establishment. That split means the background check question has two very different answers depending on where the job is. This post walks through which states license opticians, what each board’s published rules say about fingerprinting or criminal history, and what an employer should still screen for on its own, including inside medical practices and optical retail chains.
Opticianry licensing is a state by state patchwork
There is no federal optician license. Each state decides independently whether to regulate the occupation, and if it does, which agency runs the board and what the application requires. Some states license opticians through a health licensing division alongside optometrists and dentists. Others fold opticianry into a general consumer affairs or professional regulation agency. A few states do not license the occupation at all and instead rely on the employer, usually an eye care practice or optical retailer, to decide who is qualified to fit eyewear. Because the agency and the rule both vary, the fingerprint and criminal history question has to be answered state by state rather than assumed.
States that license dispensing opticians
Florida
Florida licenses opticians through its Department of Health, and the department now applies a background screening requirement across most licensed health care practitioners, including opticians, as a condition of initial licensure and renewal. The requirement runs through the department’s Clearinghouse program, which uses fingerprints collected at an approved Livescan provider and submitted to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. A short list of professions is exempt from this screening, and opticians are not on that exemption list. Fingerprints must be retained and refreshed periodically, and a license cannot be issued or renewed until the screening is complete. The department’s own screening overview explains who is covered, how to get screened, and which professions are exempt at FL HealthSource’s background screening page, and the Board of Opticianry’s own site is at floridasopticianry.gov.
New York
New York licenses the occupation as ophthalmic dispensing through the State Education Department’s Office of the Professions. The published licensure requirements call for a minimum age, education and examination standards, and a finding of good moral character, but the state’s own requirements page does not describe a fingerprint based criminal history check as part of the application for this specific license. Applicants should still expect disclosure questions about prior convictions on the application itself, since that is common across New York’s licensed professions, but a law enforcement fingerprint submission is not listed as a requirement for ophthalmic dispensing the way it is for some other health professions. See the New York State Education Department’s license requirements for ophthalmic dispensing.
New Jersey
New Jersey licenses opticians through the Board of Ophthalmic Dispensers and Ophthalmic Technicians, part of the Division of Consumer Affairs. The board handles examination, education, and renewal requirements for the profession. Applicants and employers who need the current application and disclosure requirements should go directly to the board’s own page at the New Jersey Board of Ophthalmic Dispensers and Ophthalmic Technicians rather than relying on a general summary, since licensing boards update application forms and disclosure questions from time to time.
Washington
Washington’s Department of Health licenses dispensing opticians, with education, examination, and an apprenticeship pathway as alternatives to a formal optical program. The department’s published licensing requirements page for this profession lays out those education and exam paths but does not describe a fingerprint based criminal history check as part of the standard application. Where a state agency’s own requirements page does not mention fingerprinting, the honest answer is that the state has not published that requirement for this license, not that one must exist. See the Washington State Department of Health licensing requirements for dispensing opticians.
States that do not license dispensing opticians
Texas is a clear example of a state that does not regulate opticianry as a licensed profession. The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, which administers the state’s regulated trades and occupations, does not include a dispensing optician credential among its license types. That means there is no state fingerprint rule to describe, because there is no state license to attach one to. Employers hiring to fit eyewear in Texas rely entirely on their own hiring standards and background screening rather than a state licensing board’s requirements. See the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation for the current list of occupations the state regulates. Other states without an opticianry license should be confirmed the same way, by checking that state’s own licensing agency, rather than assuming the Texas pattern applies everywhere.
Comparing the fingerprint and criminal history picture
| State | Licenses opticians? | Published fingerprint or criminal history rule |
|---|---|---|
| Florida | Yes, Department of Health | Yes, fingerprint based screening through the Clearinghouse program for most licensed practitioners |
| New York | Yes, State Education Department | Good moral character standard; no published fingerprint requirement for this license |
| New Jersey | Yes, Board of Ophthalmic Dispensers | Confirm current application requirements directly with the board |
| Washington | Yes, Department of Health | No published fingerprint requirement on the licensing requirements page |
| Texas | No state license | Not applicable, no state licensing board exists for this occupation |
Fingerprint checks versus application disclosure questions
It helps to separate two different things that often get lumped together as a background check. A fingerprint based criminal history check is submitted through a law enforcement channel, usually a state identification bureau and the FBI, and returns an official record to the licensing board. A disclosure question on an application, by contrast, simply asks the applicant to self report prior convictions, and the board verifies or follows up only if something is flagged. A state can require one, both, or neither. As the state by state comparison above shows, several states that license opticians rely on the disclosure model rather than a fingerprint submission for this particular profession, which is different from how those same states may treat nursing, pharmacy, or other licenses.
HIPAA, patient contact, and screening inside medical practices
Many dispensing opticians work inside an ophthalmology or optometry practice rather than a standalone retail optical shop. In that setting, the optician typically has access to patient scheduling information, insurance details, and sometimes the medical record itself, which brings the role within HIPAA’s privacy and security requirements even though the optician is not providing medical treatment. Practices generally train optical staff on HIPAA alongside clinical staff and should confirm that any background check vendor used for the position is handled under the same consent and disclosure process as other practice hires, regardless of whether the state licenses the optician role itself.
OIG exclusion screening for optical staff in medical settings
A practice or optical department that bills Medicare, Medicaid, or other federal health programs should check staff, including opticians and optical technicians who have any billing related duties, against the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General’s List of Excluded Individuals and Entities. An excluded individual generally cannot be paid, directly or indirectly, through a federal health care program, and this applies even to non clinical staff if their role touches billed services. This is a federal screening step that exists independently of whatever the state licensing board requires, and it applies regardless of whether the state licenses opticians at all. See the HHS Office of Inspector General’s exclusions program for the searchable database and screening guidance.
What employers should screen for beyond the state license
Whether or not a state licenses the role, most employers hiring a dispensing optician should still run their own screening, which commonly includes a criminal history search, verification that any required state license is active and unrestricted in states that license the occupation, and an OIG exclusion check for roles inside a billing medical practice. A motor vehicle record check may be appropriate where the role includes driving, for example delivering eyewear between office locations. A drug test is common in retail and health care settings generally, though policies vary by employer and by state law. None of these steps replace each other. A state license, where one exists, confirms education and examination standards and whatever disclosure or fingerprint rule that state has chosen to apply; it does not substitute for an employer’s own hiring background check, and an employer in a state with no optician license cannot rely on licensure at all.
Retail employers weighing which checks matter most for an optical department can also see our broader overview of which background checks are right for retail businesses. Practices that also employ or refer to an optometrist on staff may find it useful to compare that profession’s screening rules in our optometrist license background check guide, since the two roles are often screened differently even inside the same office.
FCRA duties when an employer orders the background check
When an employer uses a consumer reporting agency rather than checking records in house, the Fair Credit Reporting Act sets the procedure the employer has to follow. Before ordering the report, the employer must give the applicant a clear, standalone written disclosure and get written authorization. If something in the report could lead the employer to take adverse action, such as withdrawing an offer, the employer must send a pre-adverse action notice along with a copy of the report and a copy of the applicant’s Summary of Rights, allow a reasonable opportunity to respond, and then send a final adverse action notice before proceeding. A background check does not automatically show every record in every state, and what reports and how far back it goes depends on state law and the type of search ordered, so employers should not assume a single report captures everything. The Federal Trade Commission’s plain language guidance for employers is at Using Consumer Reports: What Employers Need to Know, and the model disclosure and Summary of Rights forms referenced in that process are published at 16 CFR Part 698, Model Forms and Disclosures, in the eCFR.
Frequently asked questions
Do all states require a license to work as a dispensing optician?
No. Roughly half the states license the occupation. States including Florida, New York, New Jersey, and Washington license dispensing opticians, while Texas does not maintain a state license for the role at all. Employers and applicants should confirm the current rule with the specific state’s licensing agency rather than assuming.
Does Florida require a fingerprint background check for opticians?
Yes. Florida applies its Clearinghouse background screening program, which uses fingerprints submitted through an approved Livescan provider, to most licensed health care practitioners, and opticians are not on the state’s exemption list for this requirement.
Does New York require fingerprinting to become a licensed ophthalmic dispenser?
The state’s published licensure requirements for ophthalmic dispensing describe education, examination, and a good moral character standard, but do not describe a fingerprint based criminal history check for this specific license. Applicants should still expect application disclosure questions about prior convictions.
If a state does not license opticians, can an employer still run a background check?
Yes. Employer background screening is separate from state licensure. In a state like Texas, where there is no optician license at all, the employer’s own hiring background check is the only screening that applies to the role.
Does OIG exclusion screening apply to optical staff who are not clinicians?
It can. Any staff member whose role touches services billed to Medicare, Medicaid, or another federal health program, including an optician or optical technician in a medical practice, should be checked against the HHS Office of Inspector General’s exclusion list, regardless of whether that role is separately licensed by the state.
What must an employer do before rejecting an optician applicant based on a background check?
Under the FCRA, an employer that intends to take adverse action based on a background check must first send a pre-adverse action notice with a copy of the report and the applicant’s Summary of Rights, give the applicant a reasonable chance to respond, and then send a final adverse action notice before finalizing the decision.
Related reading
- Optometrist License Background Checks: State Board Fingerprinting, NPDB Reports and Employer Due Diligence
- Which background checks are right for retail businesses?
Employers hiring opticians, optical retail staff, or eye care practice employees can learn more about compliant pre-employment screening at Reveal Background.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Licensing requirements and background check rules vary by state and change over time; confirm current requirements with the applicable licensing board and consult counsel for guidance specific to your situation.
