Licensing guide · Alberta

How to Become an Optician in Alberta

Last checked 6 sources checkedNOC 32100

Do you need a licence?

Licence required

You must be registered with the College of Opticians of Alberta to work as an optician in Alberta or to use a protected title.

Protected titles
Not listed in the sources checked
Show the source
“registration with the College of Opticians of Alberta (COA) is mandatory. Only registered members may provide restricted activities specified in the Regulations.”

From alis.alberta.ca/occinfo/certifications-in-alberta/optician, checked October 10, 2026.

At a glance

Licence status
Licence required See the source
Routes
Annual fees
Not stated by the regulator Check with College of Opticians of Alberta

Your roadmap

Every route is listed. Follow the one that matches where you trained.

Trained in Canada

  • Listed one-time fees: $3,100
  • 3 steps without a listed fee
  • Listed time: 2.7 months (only 2 of 4 steps state a time)

  1. Complete the Provisional Optician Application Form online and submit the required documents, including a criminal record check, declaration of good character, liability insurance, supervisor information, education credentials and the fee.

    Source
    “Complete the Provisional Optician Application Form online to apply. Applicants are required to provide the following with their application form: Applicant information ... Criminal record check ... Declaration of good character ... Professional Liability Insurance ... Supervisor information ... Provisional optician fee payment ... Education Credentials”
    albertaopticians.ca/registrants-applicants-students/applicants/prov...

  2. Practice as a provisional optician under the supervision of a licensed optician, optometrist or ophthalmologist, or register as non-practicing if you only want to challenge the exam.

    Source
    “Provisional opticians must be supervised by a licensed optician, optometrist, or ophthalmologist in order to practice. ... Applicants who would like to challenge the NACOR exam and are not currently working can apply for non-practicing registration.”
    albertaopticians.ca/registrants-applicants-students/applicants/prov...

  3. Once provisional registration is approved, apply to NACOR to write the national Optical Sciences exams required for registration.

    Time: 2 months
    Time source
    “NACOR Examination | 2 months”
    albertaopticians.ca/registrants-applicants-students/applicants/prov...
    Source
    “Applicants for the NACOR exam(s) must be registered with the COA as a provisional optician. Once your provisional registration is approved, you are eligible register for the NACOR exam(s). To apply to write the exam, complete the NACOR Exam Application Form and return it to the NACOR office.”
    albertaopticians.ca/registrants-applicants-students/applicants/prov...

  4. After passing the exam, obtain professional liability insurance, complete the jurisprudence modules and sexual abuse prevention training, and pay the registered optician fee to become fully registered.

    Time: 3 weeks
    Time source
    “Registered Optician (RO) Registered Contact Lens Practitioner (RCLP) | 3 weeks (after completing all registration requirements)”
    albertaopticians.ca/registrants-applicants-students/applicants/prov...
    Source
    “If you received a passing mark on the exam, you will be required to complete the following: Obtain the necessary amount of professional liability insurance to practice in Alberta, Complete mandatory Code of Conduct jurisprudence modules, Complete mandatory training to Protect Patients from Sexual Abuse and Misconduct, Pay registered optician fee”
    albertaopticians.ca/registrants-applicants-students/applicants/inte...

Listed fees for this route

One-time total listed: $3,100

One-time fees listed for Trained in Canada, by type
Fee typeAmountShare
Exams $3,100 100%
One-time total $3,100 100%

3 steps without a listed fee, so the total may not be the full cost.

Official page for this route

Licensed in another province

  • 4 steps without a listed fee

  1. Collect your reasons and timeframes for the courtesy permit and request a letter of good standing from the college where you are currently registered.

    Source
    “Gather required documents: Submit reasons for requesting courtesy permit and registration, Submit timeframes for courtesy permit and registration, Request letter of good standing from the regulatory college in the province where you are currently registered.”
    albertaopticians.ca/registrants-applicants-students/applicants/cour...

  2. Fill in the application form with your contact and registration information, criminal record check, declaration of good character, proof of liability insurance, jurisprudence examination and the preventing sexual abuse course.

    Source
    “Complete the application form: Contact information, Registration information, Criminal record check, Declaration of good character, Provide evidence of Professional Liability Insurance, Complete jurisprudence examination, Complete Preventing Sexual Abuse and Sexual Misconduct course”
    albertaopticians.ca/registrants-applicants-students/applicants/cour...

  3. Send in your application together with the application fee and permit fee.

    Source
    “Submit your application and fees (application fee and permit fee)”
    albertaopticians.ca/registrants-applicants-students/applicants/cour...

  4. Receive the college's notification about your courtesy permit.

    Source
    “Receive notification”
    albertaopticians.ca/registrants-applicants-students/applicants/cour...

Listed fees for this route

No one-time fees listed by the regulator for these steps Check with College of Opticians of Alberta

4 steps without a listed fee, so the total may not be the full cost.

Official page for this route

Trained outside Canada

  • Listed one-time fees: $3,100
  • 3 steps without a listed fee
  • Listed time: 1.4 months (only 2 of 4 steps state a time)

  1. Start by reading the information about immigrating, registering and practicing as an optician in Canada on the Become an Optician website.

    Source
    “The Opticians Council of Canada offers information about immigrating, registering, and practicing as an optician in Canada on the Become an Optician website. If you are an internationally-trained optician and have questions about working in Canada, this is the place to start.”
    albertaopticians.ca/registrants-applicants-students/applicants/inte...

  2. Apply to the college for provisional registration so you can work as an optician under supervision, providing a criminal record check, declaration of good character, supervisor information and the provisional fee.

    Time: 3 weeks
    Time source
    “Provisional Registration | 3 weeks”
    albertaopticians.ca/registrants-applicants-students/applicants/inte...
    Source
    “Once you have completed the PLAR process, you are eligible to apply for provisional registration in Alberta and work as an optician under supervision. Applicants are required to provide the following with their application form: Applicant information ... Criminal record check ... Declaration of good character ... Supervisor information ... Provisional optician fee payment”
    albertaopticians.ca/registrants-applicants-students/applicants/inte...

  3. Apply to write and pass the NACOR national exams to be eligible to practice as an optician in Alberta.

    Source
    “Once you have successfully passed the NACOR Exam(s), you are eligible to practice as an optician in Alberta. ... To apply to write the exam, complete the NACOR Exam Application Form and submit it via email to [email protected].”
    albertaopticians.ca/registrants-applicants-students/applicants/inte...

  4. After passing, obtain professional liability insurance, complete the jurisprudence modules and sexual abuse prevention training, and pay the registered optician fee.

    Time: 3 weeks
    Time source
    “Registered Optician (RO) Registered Contact Lens Practitioner (RCLP) | 3 weeks (after completing all registration requirements)”
    albertaopticians.ca/registrants-applicants-students/applicants/inte...
    Source
    “If you received a passing mark on the exam, you will be required to complete the following: Obtain the necessary amount of professional liability insurance to practice in Alberta, Complete mandatory Code of Conduct jurisprudence modules, Complete mandatory training to Protect Patients from Sexual Abuse and Misconduct, Pay registered optician fee”
    albertaopticians.ca/registrants-applicants-students/applicants/inte...

Listed fees for this route

One-time total listed: $3,100

One-time fees listed for Trained outside Canada, by type
Fee typeAmountShare
Exams $3,100 100%
One-time total $3,100 100%

3 steps without a listed fee, so the total may not be the full cost.

Requirements

Conditions the regulator sets on top of the roadmap steps.

Education

  • To become a registered optician in Alberta you need successful completion of an approved opticianry diploma program, the NACOR Optical Sciences 1 (Eyeglass) Exam and COA regulatory courses.

    Source
    “To become a registered optician (RO) in Alberta, you need successful completion of: An approved opticianry diploma program, National Alliance of Canadian Optician Regulators (NACOR) Optical Sciences 1 (Eyeglass) Exam, COA regulatory courses”
    alis.alberta.ca/occinfo/certifications-in-alberta/optician

Police check

Insurance

Good character

Other

  • Applicants who have been out of practice for a period of time may have to demonstrate that they are currently competent to practice.

    Source
    “Applicants who have been out of practice for a period of time also may have to demonstrate that they are currently competent to practice.”
    alis.alberta.ca/occinfo/certifications-in-alberta/optician

Already licensed in another province?

Extra steps

Opticians registered in another Canadian province can practice temporarily in Alberta through a courtesy permit, but must meet Alberta registration requirements including a criminal record check, declaration of good character, liability insurance, a jurisprudence examination and a sexual abuse prevention course.

Source
“In Alberta, the Health Professions Act allows qualified opticians with valid practice permits from other Canadian jurisdictions to practice temporarily in the province through a courtesy permit.”
albertaopticians.ca/registrants-applicants-students/applicants/cour...

  1. Gather required documents

    Source
    “Gather required documents: Submit reasons for requesting courtesy permit and registration, Submit timeframes for courtesy permit and registration, Request letter of good standing from the regulatory college in the province where you are currently registered.”
    albertaopticians.ca/registrants-applicants-students/applicants/cour...

  2. Complete the application form

    Source
    “Complete the application form: Contact information, Registration information, Criminal record check, Declaration of good character, Provide evidence of Professional Liability Insurance, Complete jurisprudence examination, Complete Preventing Sexual Abuse and Sexual Misconduct course”
    albertaopticians.ca/registrants-applicants-students/applicants/cour...

  3. Submit application and fees

    Source
    “Submit your application and fees (application fee and permit fee)”
    albertaopticians.ca/registrants-applicants-students/applicants/cour...

  4. Receive notification

    Source
    “Receive notification”
    albertaopticians.ca/registrants-applicants-students/applicants/cour...

Processing time: Not stated by the regulator Check with College of Opticians of Alberta

Check a move between two provinces

Credential assessment

  • IQAS assessment

    An IQAS assessment compares educational credentials from other countries to educational standards in Canada and can be used to support a professional licensure application.

    Source
    “The International Qualifications Assessment Service (IQAS) is an Alberta government service. It completes assessments and issues certificates that compare educational credentials from other countries to educational standards in Canada. ... You can use an IQAS assessment to support your: ... professional licensure application”
    alberta.ca/iqas-employment-education-licensure

Exams

Language tests

Not stated by the regulator Check with College of Opticians of Alberta

Compare scores across provinces and professions

Canadian experience

Not stated by the regulator Check with College of Opticians of Alberta

Supervised practice

Required

Provisional opticians must be supervised by a licensed optician, optometrist or ophthalmologist in order to practice.

Source
“Provisional opticians must be supervised by a licensed optician, optometrist, or ophthalmologist in order to practice.”
albertaopticians.ca/registrants-applicants-students/applicants/prov...

Demand and pay

Job Bank figures for NOC 32100, Opticians. Wages for 2023-2024 in Canadian dollars an hour; outlook for 2025-2027.

Job Bank wages and outlook in Alberta and Canada
WhereLowMedianHighOutlook
Alberta $17.36 $28.00 $39.40 Good (4 of 5)
Canada $17.80 $28.50 $39.40 —

Wages by region and job outlook in Alberta

Wages in every province and territory

Opticians in other provinces and territories

Regulated in 9 of the other 12 jurisdictions checked so far. The rules differ from one place to the next.

Compare optician licensing across Canada

Sources checked

Pages read on October 10, 2026.

  1. Optician: Certifications in Alberta - alis alis.alberta.ca/occinfo/certifications-in-alberta/optician · fetched October 10, 2026
  2. Provisional Opticians: College of Opticians of Alberta (COA)Box CleverBox Clever albertaopticians.ca/registrants-applicants-students/applicants/prov... · fetched October 10, 2026
  3. International Candidates: College of Opticians of Alberta (COA)Box CleverBox Clever albertaopticians.ca/registrants-applicants-students/applicants/inte... · fetched October 10, 2026
  4. Courtesy (Temporary) Permit: College of Opticians of Alberta (COA)Box CleverBox Clever albertaopticians.ca/registrants-applicants-students/applicants/cour... · fetched October 10, 2026
  5. IQAS assessment for employment, education or licensure | Alberta.ca alberta.ca/iqas-employment-education-licensure · fetched October 10, 2026
  6. Non-Accredited Education: College of Opticians of Alberta (COA)Box CleverBox Clever albertaopticians.ca/registrants-applicants-students/applicants/non-... · fetched October 10, 2026

Frequently asked questions

2

Do you need a licence to work as an optician in Alberta?

Yes. Registration with the College of Opticians of Alberta is required to practise in Alberta.

Which exams are required?

NACOR Optical Sciences 1 (Eyeglass) Exam, NACOR Optical Sciences 2 (Advanced Practice, Contact Lens) Exam, Competency Gap Analysis (CGA), Jurisprudence examination.

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