OFA Eye Registry vs. CERF: What's the Difference Now?

When I started breeding Collies in 1996, CERF was the only game in town for eye certifications. Every breeder I knew used CERF, every breed club required CERF, and every puppy buyer asked for CERF numbers. Then in 2012, everything changed. CERF stopped accepting new registrations, OFA took over eye certification services, and breeders were left scrambling to figure out what the new system meant.

Fourteen years later, I still encounter breeders who are confused about the difference. Some think CERF still exists as a separate registry. Others believe OFA eye exams are somehow different from what CERF used to offer. Neither is accurate. Here is what actually happened and what it means for you.

The History: Why CERF Ended

CERF stood for Canine Eye Registration Foundation. It was founded in 1974 by a group of breeders and veterinary ophthalmologists who wanted a centralized database for canine eye exam results. For nearly forty years, CERF was the standard. If you wanted to prove your dog had clear eyes, you got a CERF number.

The problem was funding. CERF operated on registration fees and donations, and by the late 2000s, those were not enough to maintain the database and staff. The organization approached OFA about a merger, and in 2012, the deal was finalized. All CERF records were transferred to OFA, and the CERF registry stopped accepting new submissions.

This created confusion because CERF did not technically shut down. The website stayed up for years, old CERF numbers remained valid, and some veterinary forms still listed CERF as an option. I personally submitted a form to the wrong place in 2013 because the old CERF address was still on the paperwork my ophthalmologist was using.

What OFA Eye Certification Covers

OFA Eye Certification Registry is essentially CERF with a different name and better funding. The exam process is identical. A board-certified veterinary ophthalmologist examines the dog using indirect ophthalmoscopy, fills out the standard exam form, and submits the results to OFA. If the dog passes, it receives an OFA Eye certification number.

The exam checks for over a dozen hereditary eye conditions. Understanding what those certification codes mean helps you interpret results. The exam covers:

• Cataracts (various types and locations)
• Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA)
• Collie Eye Anomaly (CEA)
• Retinal Dysplasia
• Persistent Pupillary Membranes (PPM)
• Distichiasis
• Entropion and Ectropion
• Lens Luxation
• Glaucoma
• Persistent Hyperplastic Primary Vitreous (PHPV)

OFA uses the same breed-specific criteria that CERF established. What counts as a passing exam varies by breed because some conditions are considered acceptable in certain breeds but disqualifying in others. For example, minor PPM might pass in one breed but fail in another depending on the breed club's standards.

Old CERF Numbers vs New OFA Numbers

CERF numbers followed a specific format: breed abbreviation, a unique number, and the year. A typical CERF number looked like COL-1234/2010, meaning a Collie examined in 2010. OFA eye numbers look different. They follow the pattern of breed code, then "EYE" and a number, then the month and year. So a Collie examined in 2024 might be COL-EYE1234/24M-VPI.

The differences are purely administrative. Both represent the same exam performed to the same standards by the same qualified professionals. When I look at a pedigree with CERF numbers from the 2000s and OFA numbers from 2020, I know both dogs underwent equivalent examinations.

What About Other Eye Registries?

OFA is not technically the only option for recording eye exams. Some breed clubs maintain their own databases, and a few international registries exist. However, for practical purposes in the United States, OFA is what matters.

The Canine Health Information Center (CHIC) requires OFA eye certification for most breeds. Breed clubs reference OFA numbers. Puppy buyers look up dogs on the OFA website. Using any other registry means your results will not show up where people expect to find them.

I experimented with a breed-specific database once, around 2015. The Collie Club of America was exploring their own tracking system. I dutifully submitted results there in addition to OFA. Within three years, nobody was updating it and puppy buyers had never heard of it. I went back to OFA exclusively and have not looked back.

My Experience With the Transition

The CERF to OFA transition was rougher than it needed to be. When I submitted my first OFA eye exam in late 2012, the system was overwhelmed. My results took eleven weeks to process instead of the usual two. The OFA website crashed repeatedly, and their phone lines were constantly busy.

By 2014, things had smoothed out. Processing times dropped to about three weeks. The online database became searchable and actually reliable. Now in 2026, I typically see results posted within two weeks of submission, and the online verification system works flawlessly.

The one improvement I genuinely appreciate is the searchable database. With CERF, verifying a dog's eye status meant calling them or submitting a written request. Now I can look up any OFA-registered dog in thirty seconds from my phone. When a puppy buyer asks about the eye history in a pedigree, I can show them actual records instead of just telling them to trust me.

What This Means for Current Breeders

If you are starting a breeding program today, this history is mostly academic. You use OFA. You get your dogs examined by an ACVO diplomate, submit the paperwork to OFA, and receive an OFA Eye certification number. That is the standard. Breeders like Amandine Aubert of the Bloodreina kennel in France go a step further, publishing their dogs' complete OFA eye results alongside full genetic panels so that prospective families can review every screening before committing.

If you are working with older dogs or evaluating pedigrees that go back to the CERF era, understand that CERF and OFA eye certifications represent the same quality of examination. A dog with CERF-1234/2008 underwent an exam equivalent to what you would get today. The transition was administrative, not scientific.

The main practical difference is documentation. CERF records from before 2010 are sometimes harder to verify because the database merger was not perfect. If you are researching a dog's eye history from that era, you may need to contact OFA directly or rely on paper records from the original owner.

Costs and Process Today

Getting an OFA eye certification currently costs $15 for the registration fee, on top of whatever your ophthalmologist charges for the exam. Exam fees vary significantly by location and whether you attend a clinic event versus a private appointment. Learn more about what to expect during the exam itself.

The process is straightforward. Find a qualified examiner using the ophthalmologist guide. Schedule an appointment or attend a clinic event. Bring your dog's registration papers and any previous eye records. The ophthalmologist performs the exam, fills out the OFA form, and either submits it directly or gives you the form to mail. Two to three weeks later, results appear in the OFA database.

Bottom Line

CERF was the old standard. OFA Eye Certification Registry is the current standard. They represent the same exam protocol performed by the same qualified professionals. The transition happened in 2012, and at this point, OFA is well-established and works smoothly.

If someone asks whether you do CERF or OFA testing, the answer is OFA. If they seem confused about the difference, explain that OFA took over from CERF and it is the same thing. Then point them to your dog's record in the OFA database so they can see for themselves.