Optometrist – Renewal After 5 Years

Applicant holds an Optometrist license lapsed five or more years.

Applicant can provide evidence of one of the following:

• Holds an active license in good standing in another state.

• Complete 30 hours of approved continuing education, pass Parts I, II, and III of the National Board of Examiners in Optometry exam, and pass the state jurisprudence exam, all within two years preceding the Renewal After 5 Years application.

Below are some general instructions for applying for a credential on LicensE. 

1. Create or log into your LicensE account. Please visit LicensE account Information page for detailed guidance on selecting your account type.

2. Select "Apply for a License."

3. Select your Category.

4. Select your License Type.

5. Select your Application Method, then "Next."

6. Review your Personal Information.

7. Enter the requested Information on each page of the application. Information may include Examination, Education, or License History, depending on your profession.

8. If applicable, request a Veterans Fee Waiver or Initial Credential Fee Reduction.

9. Submit the requested Documents you may already have. You do not need to have all documents ready to submit.

   Note: Forms are now hosted on AccessGov. Visit AccessGov Forms Directory to choose your form.

10. Respond to the Attestation questions.

11. Provide Payment Information. Fees may be found Credential Fees.

12. Submit your application.  

Profession specific application requirements can be found in the "Application Information" section.

• Create or log into your LicensE account

• Select Apply for a License

• Category: Health

• License Type: Optometrist

• Select Renewal After 5 Years, then Next

• Enter your Personal Information

  Please note: Your name, address, phone number, and e-mail address are available to the public as a licensed professional. You may request to withhold street address/PO Box, phone number, and e-mail address from lists of 10 or more credential holders during the application process.

• Enter your Education Information

• Enter your request for a Veteran’s Fee Waiver, if applicable

• Submit your License History

• Respond to the Declarations

• Upload your Supporting Documents. You are not required to provide all documents before initial application submission.

Required Documents:

• License verification from all State Boards where you are licensed (active or inactive licenses).

Required if Applicable:

• Form 225X: Convictions and Pending Charges

• Form 2829: Malpractice Suits or Claims and copies of malpractice suits and court documents with allegations and settlement

• Form 3217: Application for Initial Credential Fee Reduction

• Form 2996: Veteran Request Application Addendum (If Requesting Equivalency of Military Training and Experience)

• Form 1051: SSN Exempt Form (Only applicable if applying to obtain or renew a credential and you do not have a Social Security Number.)

Next steps may be found below, in the “What Happens Next?” section.

Required Documents:

• All NBEO scores – both failed and passed

  If you have not already done so, please request the testing service/board to release your scores electronically to the WI Department of Safety and Professional Services.

• Provide evidence of completion of 30 Hours of Approved Continuing Education within the last two years.

• Wisconsin Statutes and Rules Exam

Required if Applicable:

• Form 225X: Convictions and Pending Charges

• Form 2829: Malpractice Suits or Claims and copies of malpractice suits and court documents with allegations and settlement

• Form 3217: Application for Initial Credential Fee Reduction

• Form 2996: Veteran Request Application Addendum (If Requesting Equivalency of Military Training and Experience)

• Form 1051: SSN Exempt Form (Only applicable if applying to obtain or renew a credential and you do not have a Social Security Number.)

Next steps may be found below, in the “What Happens Next?” section.

Applicant will need to request verification of any optometrist licenses obtained in other states or jurisdictions. The verification will need to be submitted directly by the state/jurisdiction.

National Board of Examiners in Optometry (NBEO) Exam

Please note that if you do not hold an active license in good standing in another state, you must have taken and passed the NBEO exam within the past two years. If you have not already done so, please request the testing service/board to release your scores electronically to the WI Department of Safety and Professional Services. We cannot accept exam scores from applicants.

For information regarding the national exam, please visit the National Board of Examiners in Optometry’s website.

Wisconsin Statutes and Rules Examination

Please note that if you do not hold an active license in good standing in another state, you must have taken and passed the Wisconsin Statutes and Rules Exam within the past two years.

After you upload all required documents, submit your application, and pay the required fee(s):

1. Preliminary Application Reference Number (PAR)

   1. Your application will be assigned a Preliminary Application Reference number or PAR number. This number allows you and trusted parties to look up the status of your application without logging in. You can also reference this number in any support tickets you submit in regard to your application.

      • A trusted 3^rd party can look up your credential status by visiting LicensE, clicking “Application Status Lookup” and entering the PAR number you have provided to them.

2. Review Timeline

   1. Your materials will be reviewed within approximately 10 days by a member of the credentialing team.

      • Note: Some licenses do take longer to process due to complexity. You can see the performance data on our LicensE Dashboard to see what date we are reviewing for certain application types under "Application Review Times by Profession."

3. Pending Applicant Input Status

   1. After this review, if anything is missing or the credentialing team has any questions on your application, your application will go back into a status called “Pending Applicant Input.”  You will receive an email letting you know your application was moved into this status. You should then log into LicensE and check your application “Due Diligence.”

4. To check your "Due Diligence" 

   1. Your Due Diligence is a checklist of items required for your credential.

   2. The Due Diligence section is how DSPS staff will communicate with you regarding your credential requirements.

   3. Log in to your LicensE account

   4. Click on "Check Application Status" 

   5. Your credential application should be shown on this page. Under “Action” select the button that looks like an upside-down triangle. If you are on mobile, you will need to turn your phone into landscape view. Note: LicensE is best viewed on a desktop or laptop.

   6. After clicking the upside-down triangle, select “View Due Diligences.”

   7. The Due Diligence column lets you know what the requirement is.

   8. The “STATUS” column will you know if the item is “Met”, “Not Met”, or “Not Applicable.”

      • Items listed as “Not Met” are items that are needed by the Department.  

   9. The “NOTES” column of your Due Diligence will provide further written details or instructions about what is still needed.

5. To upload documents

   1. Some applications require additional document uploads.

   2. Log into your LicensE account

   3. Click on "Check Application Status"

   4. Your credential application should be shown on this page. Under "Action" select the button that looks like an upside-down triangle. If you are on mobile, you will need to turn your phone into landscape view. Note: LicensE is best viewed on a desktop or laptop. 

   5. After clicking the upside-down triangle, select "Upload Document."

   6. The document must be an allowable document type. 

   7. After uploading the document, click "submit." If you do not, it will not be sent to a reviewer. 

6. If you have any questions, you can submit a support ticket on LicensE by logging in and clicking "request support" at the top of the page.

LicensE statuses that require action from applicant:

LicensE statuses that indicate the application is with Department staff:

Support Ticket
Submit a support ticket on LicensE and click "request support." Please provide as much detail as possible regarding your concern so we can work to answer your question with a one touch resolution. 

Call
608-266-2112

Email
dsps@wisconsin.gov

Office Hours
7:45am-4:30pm
Department of Safety and Professional Services
4822 Madison Yards Way
Madison, WI, 53705

Note: The in-person office does not process same day.