Become a member

New Grad Ascending Dues Scale

Your dues play an important part in protecting and promoting our optometric profession. Below is a breakdown of where your dues go to help support our profession so that we can continue to provide the best optometric care to our patients.

AOA - 44%: national advocacy + AOA members-only benefits

COA - 37%: state advocacy + COA members-only benefits

Local society - 9%: networking and learning + community and connection

Legislative fund - 8% : to protect and advance scope of practice

Public vision league - 2%: for important legal challenges

PAC contributions (California Optometric Political Action Committee (Cal-OPAC) and Local Societies of the California Optometric Association (LSCOA-PAC)) - voluntary (not included in above breakdown)

• Members will see the suggested PAC contributions included with their dues, but can contact COA at any time to opt out of making these contributions

• PAC allows ODs to make a stronger impact on candidate campaigns (COA interviews candidates, educates potential elected officials about optometric issues and makes targeted contributions in support of pro-optometry candidates).

• To make a one-time PAC contribution, use this online form

• To opt out of PAC contributions, members may contact the COA billing department at billing@coavision.org or (833) 206-0598

Membership Types

Active Full - 100% dues: an optometrist who resides in the State of California and/or who practices or engages in other related optometric activities in California

Educator - 50% dues: an optometrist who teaches or engages in other academic-related activities at an educational institution approved by the COA Board of Trustees and who does not otherwise engage in the practice of optometry for compensation more than 16 hours per week (for AOA classification, must be at an optometry school accredited or pre-accredited by ACOE)

Partial Practice - 50% COA & society / 60% AOA": an optometrist who works sixteen (16) hours or fewer per week for compensation in active optometric practice or related optometric activities

Government Service - 50% COA & society / 100% AOA: an optometrist who is employed by a governmental entity and who is not practicing optometry for compensation in any other setting

Retired - 10% COA & society / $100 AOA: an optometrist who is at least fifty-five (55) years old on January 1 of any membership year and who is no longer receiving compensation for optometric-related activities

Life - Complimentary: a member who has retained and paid membership dues for 45 years (including student membership years)

Postgraduate - $0 COA & society / $35 AOA: an optometrist who is a resident or intern in a program accredited or pre-accredited by ACOE or is a full-time enrollee in a graduate program related to the practice of optometry

Student - Complimentary: an individual who is enrolled full-time in a school or college of optometry accredited or pre-accredited by the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education or by an accrediting body that the COA Board of Trustees determines to be equivalent

Due Waivers

If a member is having trouble making dues payments, COA can offer a dues waiver to temporarily reduce the the dues required to maintain membership.

Society Transfers & Status Changes

Recently moved to San Francisco County from another part of CA? Request a Society Transfer to join SFOS

Do you work <16 hours a week? Are you retired? Are you an educator or active military duty? You may qualify for reduced membership dues! Complete a Status Change Form and return to COA for confirmation.

Applications for a change in membership type submitted before April 30 of any calendar year will be retroactive to the beginning of that year. Applications submitted between May 1 and December 31 will be effective January 1 of the following year. To make a member type change, please contact the COA membership department at membership@coavision.org or (833) 206-0598.