Missouri’s Attorney General is warning consumers about purchasing cosmetic contact lenses without a prescription.

Friday Chris Koster sent out a release reminding Missourian that cosmetic contact lenses are not permitted to be sold without a valid prescription under state and federal law. Investigators with the Consumer Protection Division inspected 17 Halloween and costume shops during September and October and discovered that, while most followed the law, some stores in Missouri were selling cosmetic contact lenses without prescriptions.

Cosmetic contact lenses include decorative contact lenses, fashion contact lenses, Halloween contact lenses, colored contact lenses, and theater contact lenses. Cosmetic lenses are intended to change the look of someone’s eyes and do not correct vision problems. Such lenses are frequently sold by street vendors, beauty supply stores, novelty stores, or Halloween stores.

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has classified both corrective and non-corrective contact lenses (including cosmetic contact lenses) as medical devices, which require a prescription in order to be sold or purchased. Corrective and non-corrective contact lens may be dispensed only after a buyer has presented the seller with a valid prescription or the seller has verified a buyer’s prescription with the prescriber.

“We are reminding consumers, especially in light of the Halloween season, that cosmetic contact lenses should not be purchased without a valid prescription,” Koster stated. “Not only is the sale without a prescription prohibited by law, but the FDA has warned that buyers are at risk of serious eye infections resulting from contact lenses dispensed without a prescription.”