Part I. General Definitions
18VAC80-30-10. Definitions.
A. Section 54.1-1500 of the Code of Virginia provides definitions of the following terms and phrases as used in this chapter:
"Board"
"Licensed optician"
"Licensed optometrist"
"Licensed physician"
"Optician"
B. The following words and terms when used in this chapter have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Active practice" means engaging in the practice of opticianry.
"Apprentice" means a person at least 16 years of age who is covered by a written agreement with an employer and approved by the Virginia Apprenticeship Council.
"Contact lens endorsed optician" means any person not exempted by § 54.1-1506 of the Code of Virginia who is a Virginia licensed optician and who has received a contact lens endorsement from the board, who fits contact lenses on prescription from licensed physicians or licensed optometrists for the intended wearers.
"Department" means the Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation.
"Fit or dispense" means to measure, adapt, fit, or adjust eyeglasses, spectacles, lenses, or appurtenances to the human face, or to verify the prescription to be correct in the prescription eyeglasses or prescription optical devices.
"Opticianry" means the personal health service that is concerned with the art and science of ophthalmic optics as applied to the compounding, filling, and adaptations of ophthalmic prescriptions, products, and accessories.
Statutory Authority
§ 54.1-201 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Former 18VAC100-20-5 derived from Virginia Register Volume 17, Issue 9, eff. March 1, 2001; amended and renumbered as 18VAC80-30-10, Virginia Register Volume 28, Issue 23, eff. August 15, 2012; Errata, 35:19 VA.R. 2306 May 13, 2019; amended, Virginia Register Volume 42, Issue 8, eff. January 1, 2026.