Arkansas State Board of Optometry

Our Mission

To protect the health, safety, and welfare of the citizens of Arkansas.

What We Do

Provide laws and regulations to govern the practice of optometry.
Examine, license, and regulate Arkansas optometrists.
Safeguard against unprofessional, unlawful, and incompetent practice of optometry.
Regulate out-of-state contact lens dispensers.

Announcements

DEA Call Scam Alert

Some optometrists are receiving calls from individuals impersonating representatives of the DEA. The DEA will not call practitioners. The link https://www.dea.gov/press-releases/2024/10/24/dea-warns-healthcare-workers-impersonation-scam-targeting-doctors-and provides details and information to report incidents to the FBI at www.ic3.gov.

Optometric Physicians:

Outline of Continuing Education Hours beginning July 1, 2022.

Continuing Education

20 Total Hours
- All 20 hours may be obtained through Live in Person Education or:
  - 12 Hours – Live in Person Education (Cope and/or Board approved)
    - Any CE obtained out of state must be Cope-approved
  - 8 Hours – Distance Learning…can be any of the following
    - Interactive Distance Learning (Synchronous…live event online)
    - Enduring Distance Learning (Asynchronous…recorded event online…with a test)
    - Printed Material with test
    - Online Jurisprudence Hour

Optometrists (Non-Optometric Physicians):

12 Total Hours
- All 12 hours may be obtained through Live in Person Education or
  - 8 Hours – Live in Person Education (Cope and/or Board approved)
    - Any CE obtained out of state must be Cope-approved
  - 4 Hours – Distance Learning…can be any of the following
    - Interactive Distance Learning (Synchronous…live event online)
    - Enduring Distance Learning (Asynchronous…recorded event online…with a test)
    - Printed Material with test
    - Online Jurisprudence Hour

Act 651 Information

During the February 17, 2022 Board meeting the Board voted to accept Act 651 Guidelines. This policy provides direction for prescribing an opioid antagonist to a patient when an opioid prescription is prescribed or dispensed. All optometric physicians prescribing opioids to patients must begin following these guidelines.

Jurisprudence Continuing Education – Correspondence Quiz

The 2026 Jurisprudence online correspondence quiz is under review. The link will be made available soon.

**Please Note – You must get 28 questions correct to pass the quiz. Payment is collected at the end after the scores are tabulated. If you have any questions, please contact the Board office.

Optometric Physician Examination Dates

February 19, 2026 – By Examination and Endorsement
June 11, 2026 – By Examination and Endorsement; Advanced Procedures Certification
November 19, 2026 – By Examination and Endorsement

*Testing dates are tentative to the fulfillment of application requirements.

Board Information

Board of Directors

Beatrice Reed, O.D., President
Susan DeBlack, O.D., Vice-President
Robert Fitzhugh, O.D., Secretary-Treasurer
Matthew Jones, O.D.
James Hertzog, O.D.
Open Position – Consumer Representative Age 60+
Open Position – Consumer Representative

Staff

Suzette Weast, Director
Amber LeClerc, Fiscal Support Specialist

Board Meetings:

Meetings are held at 1:30pm at Freeway Medical Tower, 5800 W. 10th St., Suite 906, Little Rock, AR 72204.

February 19, 2026
April 23, 2026
June 11, 2026 (this meeting will be held in Room 902)
August 20, 2026
October 15, 2026
November 19, 2026

Meeting Minutes

(for older meeting minutes, contact the ASBO office)

Applicants

Doctor Directory

This website is the primary source verification for optometrist and optometric physicians licensed in Arkansas.
For additional data verification, contact the ADH Arkansas Board of Optometry at (501) 53496139 or [email protected].

Boards & Commissions