AIMS: To assess non-cycloplegic screening for amblyopia with the hand held Nikon Retinomax autorefractor in 3 year old kindergarten children. METHODS: 427 three year old children were examined in kindergarten with the Retinomax without cycloplegia. A gold standard was established in all children by two orthoptic examinations in kindergarten. If there were missing, abnormal, or inconsistent findings, children were referred for ophthalmological examination. If, by the ophthalmological examination, a new case of amblyopia requiring treatment was diagnosed, the gold standard was set "positive." RESULTS: In 404 children the gold standard was obtained. 10 children (2.5%) had a "positive" gold standard of unknown and untreated amblyopia. Screening sensitivity was 0.80, specificity 0.58, accuracy 0.58, and the likelihood ratio 1.89. CONCLUSION: Non-cycloplegic refractive screening with the Retinomax led to many false positive referrals due to instrument myopia and "inconclusive" results. Hence specificity, accuracy, and the likelihood ratio were too low to conduct screening effectively.