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

Connecticut

Start with the Department of Public Health. Connecticut requires 60 semester hours of college, a 1,905-hour acupuncture program, the NCCAOM exam, a clean needle technique course and professional liability insurance. Renewal is every two years for $250, with NCCAOM certification or 30 CE hours.

State license · Department of Public Health · NCCAOM exam

At a glance

Start with the responsible authority.

Regulatory authoritySource checked: Department of Public Health, Practitioner Licensing and Investigations SectionAcupuncturist licensing requirements ↗

Last checked October 10, 2026

Know which credential fits

License types

Acupuncturist

Independent acupuncture practice

License requiredSource checked: No one may perform acupuncture, or use the title acupuncturist, without a license; the practice includes dry needling and trigger point needling.Conn. Gen. Stat. §§20-206aa, 20-206bb ↗
ExemptionsSource checked: Students supervised by a licensed instructor, licensed faculty, other licensed healing-arts practitioners acting within their professions, and NADA-certified auricular detox protocol under physician supervision.Conn. Gen. Stat. §20-206bb(g)–(i) ↗

What to confirm

Getting your first license

EducationSource checked: 60 semester hours of postsecondary study plus an ACAHM-accredited or candidate program of at least 1,905 hours with 660 clinical (1,350 and 500 for graduates before October 1, 2012).Acupuncturist licensing requirements ↗
Examination and CNTSource checked: Pass all portions of the NCCAOM acupuncture certification exam and complete a clean needle technique course.Conn. Gen. Stat. §20-206bb(b) ↗
FeesSource checked: $200 application fee; applications are accepted only online through eLicense.Acupuncturist licensing requirements ↗
Malpractice insuranceSource checked: Before direct patient care, carry insurance of at least $250,000 per person and $1,000,000 aggregate.Conn. Gen. Stat. §20-206bb(b)(5) ↗
EndorsementSource checked: A license in another state with equivalent or higher requirements and no pending discipline qualifies for endorsement.Conn. Gen. Stat. §20-206bb(c) ↗

What to confirm

Herbal medicine

Herbal medicine authoritySource checked: The practice of acupuncture includes recommending Oriental dietary principles, including use of herbal and other supplements.Conn. Gen. Stat. §20-206aa(3)(C) ↗
Dispensing, compounding, and retail limitsNeeds review: The statute speaks of recommending, not dispensing; no rule on selling or compounding was found.Conn. Gen. Stat. §20-206aa ↗Know this? Share an official source

What to confirm

Keeping the license active

Renewal cycle and feeSource checked: Licenses renew every two years under §19a-88 for $250.Conn. Gen. Stat. §20-206bb(e) ↗
Continuing educationSource checked: Maintain NCCAOM certification or earn 30 NCCAOM-approved contact hours in the preceding 24 months; keep records at least five years and produce them within 45 days of a request.Conn. Gen. Stat. §20-206bb(e)(1)–(2) ↗
Voided licenseSource checked: A void license is reinstated with proof of NCCAOM certification or 15 contact hours in the prior year.Conn. Gen. Stat. §20-206bb(e)(4) ↗
Grace periodNeeds review: The Department's general page lists a 90-day grace period for most licenses, but does not mention acupuncturists.Health care practitioner renewal information ↗Know this? Share an official source

What to confirm

Rules after you open

Titles and advertisingSource checked: No one may use the title "acupuncturist," imply licensure, or advertise services as an acupuncturist without the license. Falsifying patient record entries, or practicing without required liability insurance, is listed as grounds for discipline.Conn. Gen. Stat. §20-206bb(j) and discipline provisions (Department copy) ↗
CE record retentionSource checked: Retain records of attendance or certificates for at least five years and submit them within 45 days of a Department request.Conn. Gen. Stat. §20-206bb(e) ↗
Patient-record retention, display, and telehealthNeeds review: The statute copy has no records-retention period, display rule or telehealth provision; Department regulations were not read. This is not a conclusion that none applies.Know this? Share an official source

Go to the source

Official resources

Licensing requirementsSource checked: DPH acupuncturist licensingOpen ↗
LawSource checked: Connecticut General Statutes chapter 384c (Department copy dated 2019; check the current text)Open ↗
Online licensingSource checked: Connecticut eLicenseOpen ↗

Community review

Help improve the Connecticut 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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