Licensing calculator
Education of opticians in Canada
Language proficiency requirements
Examinations
Regulations of opticians in Canada
Moving from one province to another
Eligibility
To become eligible to register as an optician in Canada, you must:
1. Complete the PLAR process OR complete an accredited institution training program.
2. Successfully challenge the national licensing exam (National Optical Sciences Exam or NACOR exam).
Ready to start the PLAR process?
If you think you are ready to start the PLAR process, and you know which province you would like to live and work in, you can follow the links below to contact the regulatory body in that province or start the application online!
College of Opticians of British Columbia Online Application
Alberta College and Association of Opticians
College of Opticians of Saskatchewan
College of Opticians of Ontario
Ordre des opticiens d’ordonnances du Québec
College of Opticians of Nova Scotia
College of Opticians of New Brunswick
Dispensing Opticians Board of Prince Edward Island
College of Opticians of Newfoundland and Labrador
Accredited Post-Secondary Institutions
Do you want to enroll in post-secondary training to become an optician? Accredited programs are available at the following institutions:
Le Collège Communautaire du Nouveau-Brunswick (CCNB)
Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT)
Registering as a Licensed optician
After you have gone through an accredited education program or completed the PLAR process, there may be some time before you can take the national licensing exam. Each province handles this in-between period differently, and the regulatory bodies set their own restrictions for what you are allowed to do. For example, Alberta requires candidates to register as Provisional Opticians for the interim time, and Ontario requires candidates to be Intern Opticians before they can write the NACOR exam.
The list of links below leads to the Registration information for each province:
Prince Edward Island: acseamus@gmail.com
Newfoundland and Labrador: E-Mail, Phone/Fax: 1-709-579-2605
Fee schedule
When you register with your regulatory body, you will need to pay an annual registration fee. The optician regulatory bodies are non-profit organizations, and rely on membership fees to continue to provide services and administer licenses. Your regulatory body enforces legislation and ensures professional conduct, benefiting both you and the public.
The following are links to the fee schedules of the provincial regulatory bodies that are available online:
College of Opticians of British Columbia
Alberta College and Association of Opticians
College of Opticians of Saskatchewan
