Non-practicing opticians should not be employed in the Province of BC in Opticianry or practicing under the supervision of a eye care professional according to section 38 of the Optician's Bylaws. In addition, the Registration Committee emphasizes that non-practicing opticians passing themselves off as working under the supervision of a eye care professional put themselves in a conflicted position.

If you have any further questions about the status of non-practicing opticians, please contact the COBC office at 604.278.7510

Am I Still An Optician?

A registrant recently raised an interesting question – what happens when I stay as a non-practicing optician for more than 3 years? Do I have to redo my education program? Non-practicing opticians need to understand that there is no automatic right to renew your status as an optician if you allow 3 years to pass by. These situations are reviewed by the Registration committee on an individual basis. It is possible that if after 3 years you might need to complete an exam or even a current course and to become an Optician again. The best advice is to not put yourself in this position.

In further clarification, please note that non-practicing opticians should not be using their non-practicing status to work under the supervision of someone else’s license.

Of course as always, if you do not know the answer to something, please just phone the COBC office at  604.278.7510. We’re always happy to take your calls.