Licensing directory · all 50 states and Washington, D.C.

Find your state’s acupuncture licensing path.

Choose a state to find the license, herbal-medicine rules, application steps, renewal requirements and the official places to confirm what applies to you.

Pick your state.

Claims link to primary sources where we found them. Gaps and open questions stay labeled so you can tell what has, and has not, been confirmed.

Licensing in

Colorado

Start with the Colorado Office of Acupuncture Licensure. The rule centers on qualifying education and recognized national examinations, with added conditions for injection therapy.

State license · national exam pathway

At a glance

Start with the responsible authority.

Regulatory authoritySource checked: Colorado Office of Acupuncture Licensure, Division of Professions and OccupationsLicensing services ↗

Last checked October 10, 2026

Know which credential fits

License types

Acupuncturist

Independent acupuncture practice

L.Ac.

Education and exam routeSource checked: Accredited acupuncture and Oriental medicine education plus recognized national exams, with an equivalency route for certain non-accredited education.4 CCR 738-1 ↗
Trainee practiceSource checked: A person in a bona fide accredited training program may practice under an active, unrestricted Colorado acupuncturist's supervision.4 CCR 738-1 ↗

What to confirm

Getting your first license

ApplicationSource checked: DPO provides online application and forms through its licensing-services page.Licensing services ↗
Endorsement or out-of-state pathwaySource checked: Licensure by endorsement is available. Rule 1.2 treats as substantially equivalent either an ACAOM-accredited diploma plus the NCCAOM exam, the California Licensing Examination or an exam the Director finds equivalent, or a substantially equivalent non-accredited diploma plus NCCAOM certification. Verification of other-state licensure is provided as the Director prescribes. The statute also refers endorsement to the occupational credential portability program.4 CCR 738-1, Rule 1.2 ↗
Clean Needle Technique, background check, fees, and processing timeNeeds review: Clean Needle Technique is required for injection therapy (see practice rules), but the initial-license requirement, background check, application fee and processing time were not found in the rule or the pages read.Applications and forms ↗Know this? Share an official source

What to confirm

Herbal medicine

Herbal medicine authoritySource checked: The statutory definition of the practice of acupuncture lists, as adjunctive therapy and subject to federal law, the recommendation of herbs and dietary guidelines (C.R.S. 12-200-103(5)). Injection therapy of sterile herbs is separately defined.Colorado Revised Statutes, Article 200 ↗
Herbal injection qualificationSource checked: Injectable oriental herbs require herbology and herbal-injectable training; the rule identifies accepted certification evidence.4 CCR 738-1 ↗
Non-injectable dispensing, labeling, and retail limitsNeeds review: Not confirmed yet. We only publish what an official source supports.Know this? Share an official source

What to confirm

Keeping the license active

Renewal portalSource checked: DPO links licensees to its online renewal service.Licensing services ↗
Renewal cycleSource checked: Licenses expire December 31 of odd-numbered years; renewals open about 4–5 weeks before expiration.Applications and forms ↗
Renewal fee and routine continuing educationNeeds review: Rule 1.3 requires 30 hours of acupuncture-related CE in the two years before reinstatement for a license expired two to five years, as one of several competency routes. No routine-renewal CE requirement or renewal fee was found on the pages read; the statute leaves fees to the Director.Applications and forms ↗Know this? Share an official source
Expired license reinstatementSource checked: The rule provides tiered competency routes based on how long the license has been expired.4 CCR 738-1 ↗

What to confirm

Rules after you open

Injection therapySource checked: An active license alone is not enough: current Clean Needle Technique, BLS/CPR, and specified coursework are required.4 CCR 738-1 ↗
Professional liability insuranceSource checked: Licensure is conditioned on commercial professional liability insurance: at least $50,000 per incident and per year for a sole proprietor or general partnership, and $300,000 per incident and per year for an LLC or corporation. Reinstatement requires attesting to it, and injection therapy requires coverage that explicitly covers the injected substances.C.R.S. 12-200-106(6) (2023 printout) ↗
Reporting dutiesSource checked: A licensee must report any malpractice judgment or administrative action to the Director within 30 days, and report changes to application information within 30 days.C.R.S. 12-200-106(2), (5) (2023 printout) ↗
Display, records, advertising, and telehealthNeeds review: Not confirmed yet. We only publish what an official source supports.Know this? Share an official source

Go to the source

Official resources

Licensing servicesSource checked: Colorado Office of Acupuncture LicensureOpen ↗
Verify a licenseSource checked: Colorado license lookupOpen ↗
RulesSource checked: 4 CCR 738-1Open ↗
StatutesSource checked: Title 12, Article 200Open ↗

Community review

Help improve the Colorado page.

Fix an error, fill a research gap, or share a newer official source. Contributions enter a review queue and never change the guide automatically.

Frequently asked

Licensing questions, answered.

Is this legal or licensing advice?

No. It points you to the responsible state authority and the statutes, rules and forms that apply, and says what to confirm. The board’s own decision controls, so confirm your situation with it before you apply or practice.

What do “Source checked,” “Needs review” and “Help wanted” mean?

Source checked means the claim was read against a named official page. Needs review means we found something but could not fully confirm it, or sources disagree. Help wanted means we have not confirmed it from an official source yet and would welcome one. None of these is a statement that a rule does not exist.

Has every state page been independently verified?

Not yet. Every state has a first research pass from official sources, and a separate verification pass is still under way. Each page shows the date its sources were last opened. Fees and deadlines change, so check the linked board page before relying on them.

Why do Oklahoma and South Dakota have so little?

We did not find a licensing act for either state, only bills that were introduced. That is not proof that practice is unregulated or prohibited, so those pages say what we found and stop there.

A fact on my state’s page is wrong or out of date. What do I do?

Use the correction form on that state’s page. Send the official source link if you have one. We review every report against the controlling source before anything changes; nothing updates automatically. Do not include patient or confidential information.

Does it say whether I can prescribe or sell herbs?

Each state has its own herbal section that separates recommending herbs from dispensing, compounding or selling them, because states treat those differently. Where the rules were not found or not clear, the section says so.

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