FTC Extends Contact Lens Rule Forms for Three More Years
Published Date: 10/14/2026
Notice
Summary
The Federal Trade Commission wants to keep its Contact Lens Rule paperwork going for three more years, helping contact lens prescribers and sellers keep things clear and fair. They’re asking for your thoughts by December 14, 2026. This extension means no big changes or extra costs, just continuing the current process to protect millions of contact lens users.
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.
Three-year extension keeps compliance costs
If you are a contact-lens prescriber or seller, the FTC is proposing to continue the existing Contact Lens Rule paperwork and recordkeeping for an additional three years. The agency estimates this compliance requires about 3,216,888 labor hours annually and has an estimated annual labor cost of $133,334,992 plus $640,575 in non-labor costs, for a total estimated annual cost of $133,975,567.
You must get a prescription copy and seller verification
You (a contact lens patient) must be given a copy of your contact lens prescription when a fitting is completed even if you don't ask, and prescriptions under the Rule are generally valid for one year. Prescribers must obtain and keep proof of a patient's signed confirmation or affirmative consent for electronic delivery, and sellers may only sell lenses based on a prescription they received or verified; many records and automated verification-call recordings must be kept for at least three years. The FTC estimates about 45 million contact lens wearers would receive a copy of their prescription each year under the Rule.
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Key Dates
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The Federal Trade Commission wants to keep collecting info about how companies use 'negative option' plans—where you’re signed up unless you say no—for three more years. They’re asking the public to share thoughts by December 14, 2026. This affects businesses using these plans and helps protect consumers without adding new costs.