Revised 01/2025
The American Board of Ophthalmology establishes fees for Continuing Certification annually based on contract agreements with testing vendors and the overall cost of administering the program. Fees cover the 10-year cost of recertification for all ABO-administered activities along with two printed certificates suitable for framing.
Annual fees are assessed on the first day of each calendar year and must be paid in full prior to accessing Continuing Certification activities. A downloadable invoice for each year’s fee is located on your Status Page and a receipt for payment will be emailed to you upon successful completion of your online transaction. Fees paid to the ABO for Continuing Certification will not be refunded if you choose not to complete the remainder of your 10-year cycle.
The ABO aims to keep Continuing Certification fees low and increased the fee by $25 to $225 in 2025—the first increase since 2012. Diplomates in active duty United States military service may request a 50% refund on all fees.
ABO fees are not tax deductible as charitable contributions; however, they may be deductible under other provisions of the Internal Revenue Code. Please consult your tax preparer for advice
Current Fees
The ABO Continuing Certification program costs each diplomate $225 per year. These fees enable access to:
- The Quarterly Questions program
- Improvement in Medical Practice activities
- Printed Certificates: 2 are included; extra copies may be ordered at $30 per certificate
Value of Certification
Despite instituting a modest increase of $25 in 2025 to appropriately source the technology and tools necessary to continue to administer high-quality certification programs, the ABO delivers among the lowest-costing recertification programs of all ABMS surgical specialty boards. The ABO program enables participants to claim more than $400 in CME credits every year along with subscription-free, full-text access to more than 50 peer-reviewed clinical journal articles annually. Continuing Certification fees also provide diplomates with two printed certificates suitable for framing and display, a public profile listing, credentialing services, and concierge-level certification support.
The ABO holds a platinum seal for operational and financial transparency from Candid (GuideStar) and posts details about its financial management and oversight here.
In addition, the American Medical Association (AMA) will reward the work diplomates do to stay board certified with up to 60 AMA PRA Category 1™ credits upon completion of a 10-year cycle.
Additionally, the ABO provides easy-to-use tools to share your certification status with patients:
- Personalized Continuing Certification Participation Web Badge: Download a personalized web badge for your practice website or social media profiles. Each badge links directly to the ABO verification page for your certification status.
- Public Search Profile Page: The search information provided through the Verify a Physician search tool details the American Board of Ophthalmology certification history for each ophthalmologist. You have the option to create a detailed diplomate information page for patients to view, which includes information about your training, practice location, and office contact information.