Optometry Continuing Education 2025: Courses, Conferences, and Free Resources
- Remove the current class from the content27_link item as Webflows native current state will automatically be applied.
- To add interactions which automatically expand and collapse sections in the table of contents select the content27_h-trigger element, add an element trigger and select Mouse click (tap)
- For the 1st click select the custom animation Content 27 table of contents [Expand] and for the 2nd click select the custom animation Content 27 table of contents [Collapse].
- In the Trigger Settings, deselect all checkboxes other than Desktop and above. This disables the interaction on tablet and below to prevent bugs when scrolling.
Key Takeaways
- Optometrist continuing education is essential for maintaining licensure and offering the best possible care for your patients.
- Staying current on your CE requirements enables you to learn about advancements in the industry, including new research and diagnostic tools.
- Knowing your state’s CE requirements can help you find courses and events to stay up to date on your hours.
- With an integrated optometry EHR platform, you can communicate with patients about eye health news and implement best practices you learn through CE.
Actively engaging in continuing professional education (CPE) helps you maintain a high standard of professional excellence. With new advancements in vision care and ocular health, a proactive approach to learning ensures you stay updated with the latest research and technologies, ultimately improving the quality of care you provide to patients.
To meet the CPE requirements for optometrists established by state-level Boards of Optometry and the Association of Regulatory Boards of Optometry (ARBO), participating in continuing education is required to maintain your current licensure credentials.
Gain valuable insights into optometrist continuing education (CE) in 2024. Explore state and board standard requirements and learn this year’s CE opportunities.
Why Optometrists Need Continuing Education
Optometrists play a big role in keeping our eyes healthy—and that role is growing fast. The field of optometry is expected to grow by 9% by 2032. One reason? More people are dealing with vision problems than ever before. An increase in vision problems is mostly due to two things: more screen time and an aging population.
In 2020, over 55 million people in the U.S. were 65 or older. Many of them face serious eye conditions like cataracts, glaucoma, and macular degeneration. But it’s not just older adults—kids are also affected. Around 6.8% of children in the U.S. have a vision problem that’s already been diagnosed.
That’s why continuing education (CE) is so important—and required—for optometrists. It helps them stay sharp and provide the best care possible. Here’s how:
- Better Care for All Ages: CE gives optometrists the tools to care for people of all ages, from kids to seniors. They learn how to treat specific eye issues and keep up with changes in patient needs.
- Stay Up to Date: New research and tools are always coming out. CE helps optometrists learn about the latest in eye care, like advanced imaging and AI-powered tools that make diagnoses more accurate.
- Follow the Rules: CE is required to keep a license and meet state or national rules. For example, starting in 2023, optometrists with a DEA license must take eight hours of CE on substance use disorders and how to treat them.
Continuing Education Accreditation
The Association of Regulatory Boards of Optometry (ARBO) and the Council on Optometric Practitioner Education (COPE) are the two main organizations that regulate optometry CE.
- ARBO helps establish CE standards
- COPE accredits in-person and online optometry CE courses
These organizations ensure the quality, relevance, and credibility of optometry CE. COPE’s accreditation process assures that CE courses meet these standards. This ensures optometrists receive an education that aligns with the latest industry advancements.
Many states require COPE-approved courses to meet CE obligations, making these classes essential for licensure renewal.
State-Level CE Requirements
All optometrists must meet state-level renewing optometry license CE requirements to maintain their credentials. ARBO maintains a database where you can look up your state’s specific optometrist CE requirements.
State requirements vary for CE and can change every year. For instance, Colorado has the following guidelines for optometry continuing education:
- Total CE: 24 hours every two years.
- Online/Journal CE: Max 8 hours per cycle.
- Clinical facility observation: Earn 1 credit per 2 hours, up to 4 credits per cycle.
- TPA licensees: Need 5 CE hours per year in pharmaceutical/ocular disease topics (within the 24‑hour total).
- Prohibited CE topics: Practice management, drug company pitches, study groups, etc.
Board Certification and CE
The American Board of Optometry (ABO) offers certification to optometrists wanting to hold board certification credentials within the U.S. Once you obtain your certification, you must fulfill requirements as part of the ABO’s Continuous Assessment Program (CAP), which operates on a four-year renewal procedure.
Requirements include:
- 100 CE hours. Complete 100 hours of CE during each CAP cycle. CE can be earned through various sources, including COPE, non-COPE CE, CAP activities like mini-assessments, learning modules, and free ABO-sponsored webinars.
- 9 mini assessments. Mini-assessments are offered three times per year, totaling 9 assessments within each CAP cycle. These assessments focus on specific topics and consist of 25 questions each. If you have a Certificate of Added Qualification (CAQ), you must pass the assessment in your CAQ area and six additional assessments for a total of seven out of nine.
- Twenty-five quality care points. Log 25 quality care points during each CAP cycle. You can earn these through activities within the CAQ practice area, including focused CE, patient encounters, society memberships, journal articles, and lectures.
- Three-year evaluation. At the end of the third year of your CAP cycle, there’s an evaluation. If you pass, you will have no obligations in the fourth year, and you will start a new cap cycle at the end of the year. If you don’t meet the requirements, you can use the fourth year for remediation.
- One specialty assessment. If you have a CAQ, you must complete an assessment to demonstrate continued advanced competence in the CAQ area during the fourth year of the CAP cycle.
CE Resources for Optometrists
There are numerous opportunities throughout the year for you to fulfill your CE requirements. These include online CE courses as well as live or in-person optometry CE conferences and events.
Online Courses
Online CE opportunities include pre-recorded videos, webinars, and online courses.
You can use the following resources to find up-to-date information on online CE opportunities and optometry CE scholarships.
- ABO CE course site. ABO lists COPE-approved CE webinar courses that offer two CE credits. Optometry CE topics in 2024 include pediatric eye exams, imaging in AMD, and myopia management.
- ARBO/COPE. Visit the ARBO course site, where you can search all their offerings by instructor name, subject, format, and other characteristics.
- Review Education Group. Lists online opportunities, pricing, and the number of CE credits you can earn under the Study Center tab.
- MedEdicus. MedEdicus is COPE-accredited and offers various online CE opportunities under the Online Opportunities tab.
- Optocase. Optocase offers CE credits through hundreds of video courses and case studies.
- Helio. Helio offers CE credits that can apply to COPE and ABO requirements for optometrists looking for convenient CE opportunities.
- Optometry schools. Optometry schools often provide online CE opportunities, so visit a few and check out their options. SECO University offers a free optometry CE course available to all licensed optometrists, residents, and optometry students.
Best Conferences with CE Credit
Live optometrist CE opportunities include interactive online events and in-person conferences or meetings. Most optometrists meet their live CE requirements through the Big Six optometrical organizations.
Upcoming events include:
- Eyes On Eyecare virtual events. Wide range of digital optometry events.
- Vision Expo West. In Las Vegas in 2025 (Sep. 17-20).
- Vision Expo East. Scheduled March 11-14 in 2026.
- Optometry’s Meeting. The American Board of Optometry’s annual meeting will be held in Minneapolis from June 25-28.
- American Academy of Optometry. Academy 2025 will be held in Boston, MA, November 8-11.
- ARVO. The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology will host its annual meeting in Denver, CO, May 3-7.
Consider attending local society meetings, as they may offer continuing education (CE) credits. Also, check if large practices or laser correction centers nearby provide opportunities to earn CE credits.
Put Continuing Education into Practice with RevolutionEHR
Continuing education gives optometrists the knowledge to stay current, but applying that knowledge efficiently takes the right tools. That’s where RevolutionEHR comes in.
RevolutionEHR is more than just an optometry EHR and practice management system. It’s a cloud-based platform designed specifically for eye care professionals, helping you deliver the kind of care that reflects the latest clinical standards and CE training. With features like integrations for diagnostic imaging, real-time charting, ePrescribing, and built-in compliance tools, RevolutionEHR empowers you to turn education into action—every day, with every patient.
It also supports your business behind the scenes, streamlining tasks like scheduling, billing, inventory, and patient communication. That means more time focused on what continuing education is all about: improving patient outcomes.
Additional Resources