Section 3.04 - Establishment of Offices(1)Principal Office.(a) Prior to engaging or re-engaging in the practice of Optometry, each Optometrist shall notify the Board, in writing, of the address of his or her "principal office".(b) The principal office shall be:1. The office at which he or she conducts the majority of his or her professional practice; or2. For an Optometrist whose practice consists exclusively of visits to hospitals, nursing homes, and/or private residences for the examination and treatment of patients at such locations, the principal office shall be the address at which said Optometrist maintains his or her equipment and case records. Said Optometrist shall, upon request of the Board, provide satisfactory proof of his or her ability to provide adequate professional care and the availability of appropriate equipment.(c) Said principal office shall be subject to inspection by a duly-authorized representative of the Board, in accordance with 246 CMR 3.05.(3)Branch Offices. (a) An Optometrist may establish one or more "branch offices" in addition to his or her principal office.(b)Branch Certificate Required.1. Prior to the establishment of any such branch office, the Optometrist shall submit an office location form and payment to the Board.2. The Optometrist may provisionally begin treating patients at the branch office after the Optometrist receives confirmation from the Board of its receipt of the office location form and payment. Such provisional permission is subject to subsequently passing inspection pursuant to 246 CMR 3.04(3)(b)3.3. A duly-authorized representative of the Board will inspect the branch office, pursuant to 246 CMR 3.05, after the form and payment are received by the Board.4. After determining by inspection that the branch office meets regulatory requirements, the Board shall issue a branch office certificate for the location in question. Said certificate shall not be transferable and shall be conspicuously displayed at the location.Amended by Mass Register Issue 1340, eff. 6/2/2017.