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

District of Columbia

Start with the DC Board of Medicine at DC Health. The application costs $230 and the checklist asks for an ACAOM-accredited program (or a NCCAOM-approved apprenticeship), three NCCAOM exam modules and a clean needle technique course. The only regulation copy found is dated 2004, so license term and practice rules are unconfirmed.

District license · Board of Medicine (DC Health) · NCCAOM exam modules

At a glance

Start with the responsible authority.

Regulatory authoritySource checked: DC Board of Medicine, DC Department of HealthNew license checklist ↗

Last checked October 10, 2026

Know which credential fits

License types

Acupuncturist

Independent acupuncture practice

Application routesSource checked: The application lists four routes at $230 each: U.S. graduate, international graduate, apprenticeship, and DC-licensed physician.New license application ↗
Physician routeSource checked: Physicians licensed in DC need American Board of Medical Acupuncture certification.New license checklist ↗
Collaborating physician rulesNeeds review: The 2004 regulations (Chapter 47) include collaborating-physician duties; a trade source reports the requirement was later removed. Confirm the current rules.DCMR Title 17 chapter 47 (2004 copy) ↗Know this? Share an official source

What to confirm

Getting your first license

FeesSource checked: $230 for each application route.New license application ↗
DocumentsSource checked: Photos and ID, background check explanation, one reference letter from a U.S.-licensed physician or acupuncturist, and program transcripts or proof of apprenticeship.New license checklist ↗
EducationSource checked: U.S. programs must be ACAOM-accredited; foreign programs need a credential evaluation; apprenticeships must be NCCAOM-approved.New license checklist ↗
ExaminationSource checked: For exams taken after June 1, 2004: NCCAOM Foundations of Oriental Medicine, Acupuncture with Point Location and Biomedicine modules, plus the clean needle technique course; TOEFL if education was not in English.New license checklist ↗
Reference lettersNeeds review: The 2004 regulations ask for three reference letters; the current checklist asks for one.DCMR Title 17 §4700.3 ↗Know this? Share an official source

What to confirm

Herbal medicine

Herbal medicine authority: No herb provisions were found in the sources read.Know this? Share an official source
Retail, compounding, and dispensing: Not confirmed yet. We only publish what an official source supports.Know this? Share an official source

What to confirm

Keeping the license active

TermNeeds review: The 2004 regulations say licenses expire December 31 of even-numbered years, subject to later changes by the Director.DCMR Title 17 §4701 ↗Know this? Share an official source
Renewal fee and continuing education: Not confirmed yet. We only publish what an official source supports.Know this? Share an official source

What to confirm

Rules after you open

Practice rulesNeeds review: Practice and collaboration rules appear only in the 2004 regulation copy.DCMR Title 17 chapter 47 (2004 copy) ↗Know this? Share an official source

Go to the source

Official resources

New license checklistSource checked: Acupuncturists new license checklistOpen ↗
ApplicationSource checked: Acupuncturist new license applicationOpen ↗
RegulationsNeeds review: DCMR Title 17 chapter 47 (copy dated 6/24/2004)Open ↗Know this? Share an official source

Community review

Help improve the District of Columbia 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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