California Optometry Law Exam 2026 –
Updated Actual Exam with 100% Verified
Questions & Correct Solutions
California Optometry Law and Practice Exam 2026
1. A California-licensed optometrist must complete how many hours of Continuing Education
(CE) for license renewal?
A. 20 hours
B. 25 hours
C. 30 hours ✓
D. 50 hours
2. According to the California Optometry Act, what is the maximum amount of therapeutic
pharmaceutical agents (TPA) an optometrist can prescribe without being TPA-certified?
A. None ✓
B. Topical antibiotics only
C. Oral analgesics only
D. All agents listed in the formulary
3. A patient's confidential medical records may be released without their written
authorization in which situation?
A. To a family member upon request
B. In response to a valid subpoena ✓
C. To another doctor for a second opinion
D. For marketing purposes of a new frame line
4. How long must patient records be maintained by an optometrist after the last patient
encounter?
A. At least 3 years
B. At least 5 years
C. At least 7 years ✓
D. Permanently
5. Which of the following is within the scope of practice for a California optometrist certified
to use Therapeutic Pharmaceutical Agents (TPA)?
A. Performing PRK laser surgery
,B. Prescribing oral corticosteroids for uveitis ✓
C. Performing YAG laser capsulotomy
D. Administering intravenous injections
6. What is the primary purpose of the Quality of Care Assessment (QCA) fee collected by the
California State Board of Optometry?
A. To fund board member salaries
B. To subsidize the cost of frames for low-income patients
C. To fund the Board's enforcement and consumer protection activities ✓
D. To pay for optometry students' tuition
7. An optometrist who fails to report another healthcare provider to the Board for suspected
incompetence is subject to:
A. No penalty, as reporting is voluntary
B. A written warning from the Board
C. Disciplinary action by the Board ✓
D. Automatic license suspension
8. A California optometrist is required to report their own arrest for a DUI to the Board within:
A. 10 days
B. 30 days ✓
C. 60 days
D. 6 months
9. Which organization's guidelines are referenced by the Board for infection control standards
in an optometric practice?
A. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ✓
B. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
C. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
D. The American Optometric Association (AOA)
10. For a patient covered by a Health Care Service Plan (HMO), an optometrist must provide a
copy of the patient's records to a new provider within how many days of a written request?
A. 15 days ✓
B. 30 days
C. 45 days
D. 60 days
11. The "15-Day Rule" requires an optometrist to submit a report to the DMV for a patient
diagnosed with which condition?
,A. Presbyopia
B. Monocular vision ✓
C. Mild myopia
D. Color vision deficiency
12. An optometrist is legally obligated to obtain informed consent from a patient before:
A. Performing a comprehensive eye exam
B. Dispensing a pair of bifocal glasses
C. Initiating any treatment, including topical drug application ✓
D. Taking a patient's history
13. Which of the following is considered unprofessional conduct?
A. Using a phoropter for a refraction
B. Failing to display the current license in the office ✓
C. Referring a patient to an ophthalmologist
D. Charging a fee for a contact lens fitting
14. An optometrist who is certified to treat glaucoma may use all of the following EXCEPT:
A. Oral carbonic anhydrase inhibitors
B. Topical beta-blockers
C. Laser Trabeculoplasty (SLT) ✓
D. Topical prostaglandin analogs
15. When must an optometrist provide a patient with a copy of their prescription for glasses?
A. Only if the patient asks for it
B. Only after the patient has paid their bill in full
C. At the conclusion of the exam, without request ✓
D. Within 30 days of the exam
16. A "fictitious name permit" is required if an optometrist practices under a name that:
A. Is their own legal name
B. Is misleading and suggests a corporation exists ✓
C. Includes the words "Optometry" or "Eye Care"
D. Is registered as a trademark
17. What is the minimum required malpractice insurance coverage for a licensed optometrist
in California?
A. $50,000 per claim / $150,000 aggregate
B. $100,000 per claim / $300,000 aggregate ✓
, C. $500,000 per claim / $1,000,000 aggregate
D. There is no state-mandated minimum
18. An optometrist may prescribe which of the following controlled substances without an
additional federal DEA license?
A. Schedule II oral opioids
B. Schedule III oral hydrocodone
C. Schedule IV benzodiazepines
D. None of the above; a DEA license is required ✓
19. The California State Board of Optometry may place a licensee on probation for a
maximum of:
A. 1 year
B. 5 years
C. 7 years
D. There is no statutory maximum ✓
20. A patient who is a minor is defined as someone under the age of:
A. 16
B. 18 ✓
C. 21
D. 25
21. An optometrist may perform a laceration repair of the eyelid.
A. True
B. False ✓
22. It is permissible for an optometrist to pay a "finder's fee" to a general physician for
referring patients to their practice.
A. True
B. False ✓
23. An optometrist is required to report suspected child or elder abuse within how many
hours?
A. 12 hours
B. 24 hours
C. 36 hours ✓
D. 48 hours
24. Which of the following is NOT a valid reason for the Board to deny a license application?
A. A prior conviction for a crime substantially related to optometry
Updated Actual Exam with 100% Verified
Questions & Correct Solutions
California Optometry Law and Practice Exam 2026
1. A California-licensed optometrist must complete how many hours of Continuing Education
(CE) for license renewal?
A. 20 hours
B. 25 hours
C. 30 hours ✓
D. 50 hours
2. According to the California Optometry Act, what is the maximum amount of therapeutic
pharmaceutical agents (TPA) an optometrist can prescribe without being TPA-certified?
A. None ✓
B. Topical antibiotics only
C. Oral analgesics only
D. All agents listed in the formulary
3. A patient's confidential medical records may be released without their written
authorization in which situation?
A. To a family member upon request
B. In response to a valid subpoena ✓
C. To another doctor for a second opinion
D. For marketing purposes of a new frame line
4. How long must patient records be maintained by an optometrist after the last patient
encounter?
A. At least 3 years
B. At least 5 years
C. At least 7 years ✓
D. Permanently
5. Which of the following is within the scope of practice for a California optometrist certified
to use Therapeutic Pharmaceutical Agents (TPA)?
A. Performing PRK laser surgery
,B. Prescribing oral corticosteroids for uveitis ✓
C. Performing YAG laser capsulotomy
D. Administering intravenous injections
6. What is the primary purpose of the Quality of Care Assessment (QCA) fee collected by the
California State Board of Optometry?
A. To fund board member salaries
B. To subsidize the cost of frames for low-income patients
C. To fund the Board's enforcement and consumer protection activities ✓
D. To pay for optometry students' tuition
7. An optometrist who fails to report another healthcare provider to the Board for suspected
incompetence is subject to:
A. No penalty, as reporting is voluntary
B. A written warning from the Board
C. Disciplinary action by the Board ✓
D. Automatic license suspension
8. A California optometrist is required to report their own arrest for a DUI to the Board within:
A. 10 days
B. 30 days ✓
C. 60 days
D. 6 months
9. Which organization's guidelines are referenced by the Board for infection control standards
in an optometric practice?
A. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ✓
B. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
C. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
D. The American Optometric Association (AOA)
10. For a patient covered by a Health Care Service Plan (HMO), an optometrist must provide a
copy of the patient's records to a new provider within how many days of a written request?
A. 15 days ✓
B. 30 days
C. 45 days
D. 60 days
11. The "15-Day Rule" requires an optometrist to submit a report to the DMV for a patient
diagnosed with which condition?
,A. Presbyopia
B. Monocular vision ✓
C. Mild myopia
D. Color vision deficiency
12. An optometrist is legally obligated to obtain informed consent from a patient before:
A. Performing a comprehensive eye exam
B. Dispensing a pair of bifocal glasses
C. Initiating any treatment, including topical drug application ✓
D. Taking a patient's history
13. Which of the following is considered unprofessional conduct?
A. Using a phoropter for a refraction
B. Failing to display the current license in the office ✓
C. Referring a patient to an ophthalmologist
D. Charging a fee for a contact lens fitting
14. An optometrist who is certified to treat glaucoma may use all of the following EXCEPT:
A. Oral carbonic anhydrase inhibitors
B. Topical beta-blockers
C. Laser Trabeculoplasty (SLT) ✓
D. Topical prostaglandin analogs
15. When must an optometrist provide a patient with a copy of their prescription for glasses?
A. Only if the patient asks for it
B. Only after the patient has paid their bill in full
C. At the conclusion of the exam, without request ✓
D. Within 30 days of the exam
16. A "fictitious name permit" is required if an optometrist practices under a name that:
A. Is their own legal name
B. Is misleading and suggests a corporation exists ✓
C. Includes the words "Optometry" or "Eye Care"
D. Is registered as a trademark
17. What is the minimum required malpractice insurance coverage for a licensed optometrist
in California?
A. $50,000 per claim / $150,000 aggregate
B. $100,000 per claim / $300,000 aggregate ✓
, C. $500,000 per claim / $1,000,000 aggregate
D. There is no state-mandated minimum
18. An optometrist may prescribe which of the following controlled substances without an
additional federal DEA license?
A. Schedule II oral opioids
B. Schedule III oral hydrocodone
C. Schedule IV benzodiazepines
D. None of the above; a DEA license is required ✓
19. The California State Board of Optometry may place a licensee on probation for a
maximum of:
A. 1 year
B. 5 years
C. 7 years
D. There is no statutory maximum ✓
20. A patient who is a minor is defined as someone under the age of:
A. 16
B. 18 ✓
C. 21
D. 25
21. An optometrist may perform a laceration repair of the eyelid.
A. True
B. False ✓
22. It is permissible for an optometrist to pay a "finder's fee" to a general physician for
referring patients to their practice.
A. True
B. False ✓
23. An optometrist is required to report suspected child or elder abuse within how many
hours?
A. 12 hours
B. 24 hours
C. 36 hours ✓
D. 48 hours
24. Which of the following is NOT a valid reason for the Board to deny a license application?
A. A prior conviction for a crime substantially related to optometry
