{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/54.1-3200.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/54.1-3200.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/54.1-3200.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/54.1-3200.html"}],"law_id":84550,"edition_id":1,"section_id":84550,"structure_id":15566,"section_number":"54.1-3200","catch_line":"Definitions","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7 54-368; 1988, cc. 243, 737, 765; 1991, c. 290; 1996, cc. 152, 158, 365, 436; 2004, c. 744; 2015, c. 355; 2018, c. 280; 2022, cc. 16, 17.","full_text":"As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:\n\t\t“Board” means the Board of Optometry.\n\t\t“Optometrist” means any person practicing the profession of optometry as defined in this chapter and the regulations of the Board.\n\t\t“Practice of optometry” means practice in accordance with the provisions of \u00a7 54.1-3201.\n\t\t“TPA-certified optometrist” means an optometrist who is licensed under this chapter and who has successfully completed the requirements for TPA certification established by the Board pursuant to Article 5 (\u00a7 54.1-3222 et seq.).\n\t\tThe foregoing shall not restrict the authority of any optometrist licensed or certified under this chapter for the removal of superficial foreign bodies from the human eye and its adnexa or from delegating to personnel in his personal employ and supervised by him, such activities or functions as are nondiscretionary and do not require the exercise of professional judgment for their performance and which are usually or customarily delegated to such persons by optometrists, if such activities or functions are authorized by and performed for such optometrists and responsibility for such activities or functions is assumed by such optometrists.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":302994,"text":"As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:\n\t\t“Board” means the Board of Optometry.\n\t\t“Optometrist” means any person practicing the profession of optometry as defined in this chapter and the regulations of the Board.\n\t\t“Practice of optometry” means practice in accordance with the provisions of \u00a7 54.1-3201.\n\t\t“TPA-certified optometrist” means an optometrist who is licensed under this chapter and who has successfully completed the requirements for TPA certification established by the Board pursuant to Article 5 (\u00a7 54.1-3222 et seq.).\n\t\tThe foregoing shall not restrict the authority of any optometrist licensed or certified under this chapter for the removal of superficial foreign bodies from the human eye and its adnexa or from delegating to personnel in his personal employ and supervised by him, such activities or functions as are nondiscretionary and do not require the exercise of professional judgment for their performance and which are usually or customarily delegated to such persons by optometrists, if such activities or functions are authorized by and performed for such optometrists and responsibility for such activities or functions is assumed by such optometrists.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":15566,"edition_id":1,"name":"General Provisions","identifier":"1","label":"article","depth":4,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13078,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:56:22","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:56:22","permalink":{"id":242973,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":15566,"identifier":"1","token":"54.1\/III\/32\/1","url":"\/54.1\/III\/32\/1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13078,"edition_id":1,"name":"Optometry","identifier":"32","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12758,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:14","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:14","permalink":{"id":242971,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13078,"identifier":"32","token":"54.1\/III\/32","url":"\/54.1\/III\/32\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12758,"edition_id":1,"name":"Professions and Occupations Regulated by Boards Within the Department of Health Professions","identifier":"III","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12754,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","permalink":{"id":241105,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12758,"identifier":"III","token":"54.1\/III","url":"\/54.1\/III\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12754,"edition_id":1,"name":"Professions and Occupations","identifier":"54.1","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","permalink":{"id":239313,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12754,"identifier":"54.1","token":"54.1","url":"\/54.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":84550,"structure_id":15566,"section_number":"54.1-3200","catch_line":"Definitions","url":"\/54.1-3200\/","token":"54.1\/III\/32\/1\/54.1-3200","metadata":false},{"id":72925,"structure_id":15566,"section_number":"54.1-3201","catch_line":"What constitutes practice of optometry","url":"\/54.1-3201\/","token":"54.1\/III\/32\/1\/54.1-3201","metadata":false},{"id":63227,"structure_id":15566,"section_number":"54.1-3202","catch_line":"Exemptions","url":"\/54.1-3202\/","token":"54.1\/III\/32\/1\/54.1-3202","metadata":false},{"id":79009,"structure_id":15566,"section_number":"54.1-3203","catch_line":"License to be displayed","url":"\/54.1-3203\/","token":"54.1\/III\/32\/1\/54.1-3203","metadata":false},{"id":73693,"structure_id":15566,"section_number":"54.1-3204","catch_line":"Prohibited acts","url":"\/54.1-3204\/","token":"54.1\/III\/32\/1\/54.1-3204","metadata":false},{"id":59375,"structure_id":15566,"section_number":"54.1-3205","catch_line":"Practicing in a commercial or mercantile establishment","url":"\/54.1-3205\/","token":"54.1\/III\/32\/1\/54.1-3205","metadata":false},{"id":80034,"structure_id":15566,"section_number":"54.1-3205.1","catch_line":"Supervision by unlicensed persons prohibited","url":"\/54.1-3205.1\/","token":"54.1\/III\/32\/1\/54.1-3205.1","metadata":false},{"id":80593,"structure_id":15566,"section_number":"54.1-3206","catch_line":"Report of conviction or injunction to Board; revocation or suspension of license","url":"\/54.1-3206\/","token":"54.1\/III\/32\/1\/54.1-3206","metadata":false}],"next_section":{"id":72925,"structure_id":15566,"section_number":"54.1-3201","catch_line":"What constitutes practice of optometry","url":"\/54.1-3201\/","token":"54.1\/III\/32\/1\/54.1-3201","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/54.1-3200\/","history_text":"

The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 7 times. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. Those modifications are as follows: in 1988, chapters 243, 737, and 765; in 1991, chapter 290; in 1996, chapters 152<\/a>, 158<\/a>, 365<\/a>, and 436<\/a>; in 2004, chapter 744<\/a>; in 2015, chapter 355<\/a>; in 2018, chapter 280<\/a>; in 2022, chapters 16<\/a> and 17<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":57431,"section_number":"13.1-1102","catch_line":"Definitions","order_by":null,"url":"\/13.1-1102\/"},{"id":66461,"section_number":"13.1-543","catch_line":"Definitions","order_by":null,"url":"\/13.1-543\/"},{"id":57686,"section_number":"54.1-2400.01:2","catch_line":"Ophthalmic prescription defined; who may provide ophthalmic prescriptions","order_by":null,"url":"\/54.1-2400.01_2\/"}],"refers_to":[{"id":72925,"section_number":"54.1-3201","catch_line":"What constitutes practice of optometry","order_by":null,"url":"\/54.1-3201\/"},{"id":54127,"section_number":"54.1-3222","catch_line":"TPA certification; certification for treatment of diseases or abnormal conditions with therapeutic pharmaceutical agents (TPAs)","order_by":null,"url":"\/54.1-3222\/"}],"permalink":{"id":242975,"object_type":"law","relational_id":84550,"identifier":"54.1-3200","token":"54.1\/III\/32\/1\/54.1-3200","url":"\/54.1-3200\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/54.1-3200\/","token":"54.1\/III\/32\/1\/54.1-3200","dublin_core":{"Title":"Definitions","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 54.1-3200","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:\n\t\t“Board<\/span>” means the Board<\/span> of Optometry.\n\t\t“Optometrist” means any person practicing the profession of optometry as defined in this chapter and the regulations of the Board<\/span>.\n\t\t“Practice of optometry<\/span>” means practice in accordance with the provisions of \u00a7 54.1-3201<\/a>.\n\t\t“TPA-certified optometrist<\/span>” means an optometrist who is licensed under this chapter and who has successfully completed the requirements for TPA certification established by the Board<\/span> pursuant to Article 5 (\u00a7 54.1-3222<\/a> et seq.).\n\t\tThe foregoing shall not restrict the authority of any optometrist licensed or certified under this chapter for the removal of superficial foreign bodies from the human eye and its adnexa or from delegating to personnel in his personal employ and supervised by him, such activities or functions as are nondiscretionary and do not require the exercise of professional judgment<\/span> for their performance and which are usually or customarily delegated to such persons by optometrists<\/span>, if such activities or functions are authorized by and performed for such optometrists<\/span> and responsibility for such activities or functions is assumed by such optometrists<\/span>.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nDEFINITIONS (\u00a7 54.1-3200)\n\nAs used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:\n\t\t“Board” means the Board of Optometry.\n\t\t“Optometrist” means any person practicing the profession of\noptometry as defined in this chapter and the regulations of the Board.\n\t\t“Practice of optometry” means practice in accordance with the\nprovisions of \u00a7 54.1-3201.\n\t\t“TPA-certified optometrist” means an optometrist who is licensed\nunder this chapter and who has successfully completed the requirements for TPA\ncertification established by the Board pursuant to Article 5 (\u00a7 54.1-3222 et\nseq.).\n\t\tThe foregoing shall not restrict the authority of any optometrist licensed or\ncertified under this chapter for the removal of superficial foreign bodies from\nthe human eye and its adnexa or from delegating to personnel in his personal\nemploy and supervised by him, such activities or functions as are\nnondiscretionary and do not require the exercise of professional judgment for\ntheir performance and which are usually or customarily delegated to such persons\nby optometrists, if such activities or functions are authorized by and performed\nfor such optometrists and responsibility for such activities or functions is\nassumed by such optometrists.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7 54-368; 1988, cc. 243, 737, 765; 1991, c. 290; 1996, cc.\n152, 158, 365, 436; 2004, c. 744; 2015, c. 355; 2018, c. 280; 2022, cc. 16, 17.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}