Jefferson City, Mo. – Attorney General Chris Koster has filed suit against Celebrate the Season in St. Louis and Gotcha Costume Rental and Theatrical Supplies, LLC, in Columbia, for selling cosmetic contact lenses without a prescription. Under state and federal law, cosmetic contact lenses are not permitted to be sold without a valid prescription.

Investigators with the Consumer Protection Division inspected costume and novelty stores across the state in September and early October following a complaint by the Missouri Board of Optometry. Both Celebrate the Seasons and Gotcha Costume Rental and Theatrical Supplies sold contact lenses to investigators without a prescription. The office sent a letter to both stores, informing them of the prescription requirement and the potential harm that can result from using contact lenses without a prescription. Following the receipt of the letters, both stores again sold contacts to investigators without a prescription.

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. The FDA and others have repeatedly warned of the dangers of improperly fitting and defective contact lenses.

“Cosmetic contact lenses should not be purchased without a valid prescription,” Koster said. “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.”

Koster is seeking an order to stop the defendants from selling contact lenses, as well as restitution for consumers and civil penalties.

Any consumer who has purchased cosmetic contact lenses without a prescription may file a complaint with the Attorney General’s Office at 800-392-8222 or online.