Policy & Advocacy
Current Legislative Goals
We are working to ensure every child receives a comprehensive eye exam before starting school, and periodic rechecks during their academic years.
How to Advocate
- Contact your local and state legislators.
- Share your story, personal experiences change minds.
- Join school board meetings and speak about vision needs.
State-by-State Requirements
Click on your state to learn its vision screening
Alabama Vision Screening Law
No state requirements.
Alaska Vision Screening Law
Required for school-age children. Upon school entrance and at regular intervals determined by the school district.
Arizona Vision Screening Law
Required for pre-school and school-age children. First entry to school and at no more that 2 additional grade levels, students receiving or considered for special education services, students at the school’s discretion from other grade levels, students for whom teachers requested a screening and have not been screened in the past year, students who are not reading at grade level by third grade.
Arkansas Vision Screening Law
Required for pre-school and school-age children. Public pre-K K, grades 1, 2, 4, 6, 8 transfer students, referrals.
California Vision Screening Law
Required for school-age children. Grades 2, 5, 8 transfer students.
Colorado Vision Screening Law
Required for school-age children. Grades 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, and children referred for screening.
Connecticut Vision Screening Law
Required for pre-school and school-age children. Pre-K, K, grades 1, 3, 4 and 5 and required as part of a health assessment (received in community) upon first entry and for grades 6 or 7 and 9 or 10.
Delaware Vision Screening Law
Required for pre-school and school-age children. First entry, K, grades 2, 4, 7, and 9 or 10, transfer students, students referred by teacher/administrator, students considered for special education, and driver education students prior to in-car hours.
District of Columbia Vision Screening Law
Required for pre-school and school-age children. Universal Health Certificate is required annually for all students entering into Child Care Facilities, Head Start and DC public, private and parochial schools (includes a visual acuity screen).
Florida Vision Screening Law
Required for school-age children. Grades 1, 3, 6 transfer students entering K–5
Georgia Vision Screening Law
Required for pre-school and school-age children. Entry into school system.
Hawaii Vision Screening Law
Required for pre-school and school-age children. Physical exam required prior to entry into school system (preschool or school age) and at 7th grade; includes basic vision status.
Idaho Vision Screening Law
No state requirements
Illinois Vision Screening Law
Required for pre-school and school-age children. Annual screening for preschool children 3 years of age or older in any public/ private preschool or licensed child care facility, and in grades K, 2 and 8, transfer students, special education students, students referred by teachers– in all public, private and parochial schools.
Indiana Vision Screening Law
Required for pre-school and school-age children. Kindergarten or grade 1, grades 3, 5 and 8, students transferred in grades 3 and 8 and for students suspected of having a visual defect.
Iowa Vision Screening Law
Required for school-age children. At least once before enrollment in Kindergarten and again before enrollment in the 3rd grade. Vision screening shall be performed no earlier than one year prior to the date of enrollment in kindergarten or 3rd grade and no later than six months after date of enrollment.
Kansas Vision Screening Law
Required for school-age children. At least once every 2 years while enrolled in public school
Kentucky Vision Screening Law
Required for pre-school and school-age children. Eye exams for all children ages 3–6 entering public preschool/Head Start/public school for the first time, performed by ophthalmologist or optometrist. Vision screening prior to first enrollment and entry into grade 6 (and grade 9 at the school’s discretion).
Louisiana Vision Screening Law
Required for school-age children. Required annually for all students and in accordance with the schedule established by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Required for students suspected of having dyslexia.
Maine Vision Screening Law
Required for pre-school and school-age children. Preschool, kindergarten, grades 1,3,5,7, and 9.
Maryland Vision Screening Law
Required for pre-school and school-age children. Pre-K and K, upon entry, first grade, and grades 8 or 9.
Massachusetts Vision Screening Law
Required for pre-school and school-age children. Upon entering kindergarten or once within the 12 months prior to K entry. Required annually Kindergarten through grade 5 (or by age 11 in ungraded classrooms), once in grades 6 through 8 (or ages 12 through 14 in ungraded classrooms) and once in grades 9 through 12 (or ages 15 through 18 in ungraded classrooms).
Michigan Vision Screening Law
Required for pre-school and school-age children. Required before entry to Kindergarten, grades 1, 3, 5, 7, 9/in conjunction with driver training.
Minnesota Vision Screening Law
Required for school-age children. Early childhood developmental screening at least once before school entrance, targeting children who are between three and four years old (includes vision screening).
Mississippi Vision Screening Law
Required for pre-school and school-age children. Pre-K, and K within the first 45 days of the school year.
Missouri Vision Screening Law
No state requirements
Montana Vision Screening Law
No state requirements
Nebraska Vision Screening Law
Required for pre-school and school-age children. Periodic, annual screening for ages 3–5. Eye exam required within six months prior to school or upon transfer, and grades 1–4, 7, and 10.
Nevada Vision Screening Law
Required for school-age children. Required before entry in elementary school and one additional grade in elementary school, one grade in middle or junior high school, and one grade of high school,transfer students, special education students, and referrals.
New Hampshire Vision Screening Law
No state requirements
New Jersey Vision Screening Law
Required for pre-school and school-age children. Y Pre-K and required biennially for students in Kindergarten through grade 10.
New Mexico Vision Screening Law
Required for pre-school and school-age children. Pre-K, kindergarten, grades 1 and 3, and transfers.
New York Vision Screening Law
Required for pre-school and school-age children. Pre-K, Kindergarten, 1, 3, 5, 7, 10 and at any other time deemed necessary shall be screened for distance acuity.
North Carolina Vision Screening Law
Required for pre-school and school-age children. Kindergarten, or enrolling in the public school for the first time as part of health assessment within 12 months of entry.
North Dakota Vision Screening Law
No state requirements
Ohio Vision Screening Law
Required for school-age children. K or first entry, 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, referrals.
Oklahoma Vision Screening Law
Required for school-age children. K, grades 1 and 3.
Oregon Vision Screening Law
Required for pre-school and school-age children. Pre-K, K, age 7 or younger, grades 1, 2 or 3; 4 or 5; 7 or 8, 10 or 11; first entry into school, driver education student, upon entrance into special education, referrals.
Pennsylvania Vision Screening Law
Required for school-age children. Required annually (K–12).
Rhode Island Vision Screening Law
Required for pre-school and school-age children. Kindergarten or first entry (including preschool), grades 1–5, 7, and 9.
South Carolina Vision Screening Law
No state requirements
South Dakota Vision Screening Law
No state requirements
Tennessee
Required for pre-school and school-age children. Pre-K, K, annually for 2, 4, 6 and 8; one year of high school is optional.
Texas Vision Screening Law
Required for pre-school and school-age children. Required for first entry after age 4, grades 1, 3, 5, 7.
Utah Vision Screening Law
Required for pre-school and school-age children. PK, K, 1, 3, 5, 7th or 8th, and 9th or 10th grades; mandatory screening for students being evaluated and reevaluated for special education.
Vermont Vision Screening Law
Required for pre-school and school-age children. Pre-K, K, 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 12.
Virginia Vision Screening Law
Required for school-age children. Kindergarten, grades 2 or 3, 7, and 10
Washington Vision Screening Law
Required for school-age children. K, 1, 2, 3, 5. 7, referrals.
West Virginia Vision Screening Law
Required for pre-school and school-age children. Prior to first entry, K, 2, 7.
Wisconsin Vision Screening Law
No state requirements
Wyoming Vision Screening Law
No state requirements
*Requirements were pulled from https://preventblindness.org/document/vision-and-eye-health-requirements-by-state/
© 2025 Childrens Vision Matters. All rights Reserved. Accessibility Statement - Privacy Policy - Sitemap
Powered by:
