How Long Is a Contact Lens Prescription Good For? State by State

Federal law gives you at least one year. Several states give you two. Which one applies to you decides whether that box you are about to order is legal, and most people find out at checkout when the order stalls.

Below is what we were able to verify from statutes and optometry board rules, the states we could not verify, and what actually happens when a prescription expires. We would rather show you a short honest list than a complete invented one.

The federal floor

Under the Fairness to Contact Lens Consumers Act and the FTC Contact Lens Rule, the rule works like this:

If your state sets a period of one year or more, the state period applies.
If your state sets nothing, or sets less than a year, the federal minimum of one year applies.
A prescriber may set a shorter period only where there is a documented medical reason relating to your ocular health — not as routine practice.

So one year is the floor everywhere. The question is only whether your state gives you more.

What we verified

From state statutes and optometry board rules, checked 24 August 2026. Laws change — confirm with your prescriber or state board before relying on this.

Two years

Florida · Minnesota · New Jersey (default) · Washington (minimum) · New Mexico (24 months, default) · Maine (up to 24 months) · Maryland (up to 24 months)

California sits between — one to two years depending on circumstances.

Eighteen months

Iowa · Louisiana (both up to 18 months)

One year

Arizona · Georgia · Idaho · Kentucky · Mississippi · North Carolina · Ohio · Pennsylvania · South Dakota · Tennessee · Texas · Virginia

South Carolina sets one year, but the provision we located covers plano (non-corrective) lenses specifically.

No stated period — the federal one-year floor applies

Kansas · Massachusetts · Nevada · Oklahoma · Oregon

We could not verify these, and we are not going to guess

Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

If you are in one of those, assume one year — that is the federal floor and you will not be wrong in the direction that gets you into trouble. Then ask your prescriber, because they will know their own state’s rule.

What happens when it expires

An expired prescription cannot legally be filled once the seller knows it has expired. There is no state where that is not true, because the federal rule requires a valid prescription.

What makes this confusing is the verification process. When you order, the seller contacts your prescriber with your details. The prescriber has eight business hours to confirm, correct, or refuse. If nobody answers, the prescription is treated as verified and the lenses ship.

That window is the law, not a loophole sellers invented. But it does mean an order can sometimes go through on a prescription that has lapsed, simply because a busy office did not respond in time. That is not a green light. Wearing lenses on an expired prescription means nobody has checked the fit or the health of your cornea in over a year, and the changes that matter are the ones you cannot feel.

Worth knowing: there is pending federal legislation, the Contact Lens Prescription Verification Modernization Act, introduced in July 2025, that would tighten this automatic-verification process. It has not become law.

Your prescription is yours

One thing people consistently do not know: your prescriber must give you a copy of your contact lens prescription at the end of your fitting, free, whether or not you ask for it. They may not charge you for it and may not require you to buy lenses from them to get it.

The FTC takes this seriously enough that in June 2025 it sent 37 warning letters to prescribers over prescription-release practices, including fees and waivers.

If you do not have a copy of yours, ask. That single piece of paper is what makes every price comparison on this site possible.

What to do about it

Check the expiry date on your prescription now, not when you run out. Most people discover the problem with two days of lenses left.
Book the exam before the last box. Verification can add days even when everything is in order.
If you moved states, your old prescription does not automatically get your new state’s longer period. Ask.
Do not stockpile against an expiry. A prescription lapses because your eyes are meant to be looked at, not because of paperwork.

This is general information, not legal or medical advice. State law changes and this page reflects what could be verified on 24 August 2026 — confirm with your prescriber or your state optometry board. Reviewed by Dr. Teresita Bollar, OD.