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

Kentucky

Start with the Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure's acupuncture materials. Licenses cost $150 and renew every two years for $150. Every licensed acupuncturist must keep a written plan for consultation, emergency transfer and referral that names at least two consulting physicians. Education and exam requirements come from a statute copy that was not read on the legislature's site.

State license · Board of Medical Licensure · NCCAOM exam · written physician-referral plan

At a glance

Start with the responsible authority.

Regulatory authoritySource checked: The State Board of Medical Licensure licenses acupuncturists, with an Acupuncture Advisory Committee under it.KRS 311.672 ↗

Last checked October 10, 2026

Know which credential fits

License types

Licensed acupuncturist

Independent acupuncture practice with a written referral plan

Written planSource checked: Each acupuncturist must keep a written plan for consultation, emergency transfer and referral, with two physicians who will consult and accept referrals.201 KAR 9:460 ↗

What to confirm

Getting your first license

FeesSource checked: $150 initial license fee.201 KAR 9:450 ↗
Education and examSource checked: An approved application and fee, good character and reputation under KRS chapter 335B, a passing NCCAOM acupuncture exam score, and graduation from an ACAOM-approved course of at least 1,800 hours including 300 clinical hours; all must be met before initial licensure. The Board decides within 120 days of a complete application. Current statute text (amended 2017), read from the General Assembly's site.KRS 311.674(1), (5) ↗
Licensure by endorsementSource checked: An acupuncturist legally authorized and in good standing in another state may be licensed by endorsement if that state's standards are substantially equivalent to Kentucky's.KRS 311.674(2) ↗

What to confirm

Herbal medicine

Herbal medicine authority: KRS 311.672 defines the practice of acupuncture as needle insertion with optional stimulation, acupressure, cupping, moxibustion or dermal friction and does not mention herbs; the Board's regulations were not read for herbs.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

FeesSource checked: $150 biennial renewal and a $50 late renewal penalty.201 KAR 9:450 ↗
Continuing education: The board's continuing education regulation was not read.Know this? Share an official source

What to confirm

Rules after you open

Consultation before treatmentSource checked: The plan must identify how the acupuncturist checks whether a patient is under a physician's care for a listed serious condition; at least two attempts are required before treating.201 KAR 9:460 ↗

Go to the source

Official resources

Fee scheduleSource checked: 201 KAR 9:450, fee schedule regarding acupuncturistsOpen ↗
Written plan ruleSource checked: 201 KAR 9:460, written planOpen ↗
StatuteSource checked: KRS 311.674 (General Assembly copy)Open ↗

Community review

Help improve the Kentucky 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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