RenewalFAQ

1. Why do I need to be licensed? What does the College do for me? 

The College sets the framework for the professional self-regulated profession of opticianry to protect the public in British Columbia. This means that the College establishes and supports the standards of care and acts when the standards are not being met. The public trusts that Licensed Opticians provide high quality, competent and professional care to help health care consumers achieve better vision. 

As a Licensed Optician, the public will be able to find you on the College’s online registry; can trust that you adhere to the College’s Standards of Practice, Bylaws and Code of Ethics; and are accountable for your services. 

Registrants are required to submit their renewal form along with supporting documentation and payment by 11:59PM on Thursday, March 29, 2018 (Good Friday is on March 30th this year). Registrants will normally receive their annual registration renewal notice by the end of February via email. 

3. My continuing education (CE) credits are past due. Can I still renew my registration online? 

Yes. Your online renewal can still be submitted. However, you must submit your CE requirements before the College can complete processing your registration renewal request. If you need to request an extension to complete your CE requirements, please submit a CE planner or contact the College office. 

The College has developed a new continuing competency program (CCP). If you are a registrant whose education cycle ended in 2017, you will be starting this new online program in April 2018. If you are a registrant whose cycle ends in 2018 or 2019, you will start the program when you have completed your current cycle. If you are granted an extension to complete your CE requirements this year, you will begin the new continuing competency program next year (cannot begin the new program until you have completed your current CE requirements). 

The new program will no longer involve credits, instead it will help you identify your own potential areas for improvement, and provide guidance in accomplishing your own learning in those areas. To learn more about the new program, click here. 

Besides disciplinary action, the College suspends registrants for two main reasons–non-payment of fees, and incomplete quality assurance requirements. Please ensure that you advise the College of any change of address and contact information to ensure you receive all communication regarding your license. 

If you wish to reinstate and your license has been suspended for three years or less, you must submit the following:

1. Reinstatement of registration form (contact the College office to request one); 
2. Proof of completion of quality assurance requirements (CE or CCP
3. Criminal record check completion
4. Reinstatement fee of $290 for each suspended or cancelled year; and 
5. The current year’s annual renewal of registration Fee.

Yes. Your online renewal can still be submitted. Your registration renewal is considered late if the College office does not receive your criminal record requirements by March 29, 2018.

If you require a criminal record re-check, you have already been contacted and must submit an application to the Ministry of Justice. Please contact the College with any questions or if you are not able to complete this process. Please note that a police or RCMP check is not an acceptable substitute. 

You will receive an email confirmation that your renewal has been submitted containing a PDF of your official payment receipt. If you are unsure whether your renewal was successful, please contact the College. 

Please only hit the "Submit" button once or you will be charged multiple times. 

Yes. When it is time to pay online, select employer payment. Your employer can contact the college to provide their credit card information or send the College an e-transfer.

• E-transfer – please send your transfer to reception@cobc.ca using your last name and license number as the secret answer i.e. torres10301

Your renewal will be submitted, but it will not be processed until we receive your employer’s payment. Please note that the College no longer accepts cheques.

Yes. Please ensure that you have continuous coverage with at least $1,000,000 per occurrence and check off the confirmation box on the online form. You are not required to submit proof unless requested. 

Yes. Your private information and credit card number will be safe and secure in our system. No credit card information is ever stored, tracked or viewed. Personal information is kept in a secure, internal, password-protected database, which is not stored online. 

Yes you can update your information anytime. To update your information, login to your online profile and then choose to "Manage My Profile" on the "Registration Options" page. You can then update your personal information. Just type over the text you want changed and submit your update. The new information is then automatically changed in our database. 

You can also change your password to something you can easily remember. 

You can go to your local public library, ask a friend or family member, or you can even visit the College office if you live in the Lower Mainland area. 

If you still need help, you can contact the College office by calling 1.888.771.7544 or emailing reception@cobc.ca. We are happy to help you go through this online process.