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

North Carolina

Start with the North Carolina Acupuncture Licensing Board. North Carolina has no reciprocity, uses a Board-approved exam, and has a long CE requirement; the Board's rules PDF is a scanned 2018 document, so rule-level details need confirmation.

State license · own board and exam

At a glance

Start with the responsible authority.

Regulatory authoritySource checked: North Carolina Acupuncture Licensing BoardPractice Act, G.S. 90-453 ↗

Last checked October 10, 2026

Know which credential fits

License types

Licensed Acupuncturist

Independent acupuncture practice

Protected titlesSource checked: Only licensees may use “Licensed Acupuncturist” or “Acupuncturist”; a license does not allow use of “doctor” or “physician.”G.S. 90-458 ↗
Exempt professionsSource checked: Physicians, chiropractors, and supervised students in approved courses are exempt from the license requirement.G.S. 90-452(b) ↗
Statutory qualificationsSource checked: Application and fees, a Board-approved licensing exam, a three-year postgraduate acupuncture program (or ten years of licensure elsewhere with CE), Clean Needle Technique, good moral character, and an ethics attestation.G.S. 90-455(a) ↗
Which examination is acceptedNeeds review: The statute says “Board-approved”; the exam named in current Board rules was not confirmed.Know this? Share an official source

What to confirm

Getting your first license

ApplicationSource checked: Mail the Board's application with documentation; schools and other bodies send records directly to the Board.Licensure information ↗
FeesSource checked: The Board lists $100 for the application and $500 for issuance of the license.List of fees ↗
ReciprocitySource checked: The Board states North Carolina has no reciprocity with other states.Licensure information ↗
Examination, education, and background check specificsNeeds review: The Board's rules PDF is a scanned document dated 2018 and could not be machine-read.Rules, statutes, and proposed rules ↗Know this? Share an official source

What to confirm

Herbal medicine

Herbal medicine authoritySource checked: The statutory practice definition covers recommending herbs as an adjunct to acupuncture.G.S. 90-451(3) ↗
Separate herbal credentialNeeds review: No separate herbal credential appears in the statute; Board rules were not read in full.Know this? Share an official source
Compounding, dispensing, and retail limits: 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 cycle and feeSource checked: Every two years on July 1; the Board lists a $300 renewal fee and a $200 late fee.Licensure information ↗
Continuing educationSource checked: 40 Board-approved hours per period, at least 12 of them in person (live webinars count).Licensure information ↗
Inactive, expired, and lapsedSource checked: Inactive status can last up to eight years; an expired license can be reinstated within two years; a lapsed license requires a new application.G.S. 90-455(c)–(f) ↗

What to confirm

Rules after you open

License displaySource checked: Licensees must post the license at their place of practice.G.S. 90-458 ↗
Unlicensed practiceSource checked: Practicing or advertising without a license is a Class 1 misdemeanor.G.S. 90-452(a) ↗
Records, insurance, 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

Board licensure pageSource checked: NCALB licensure informationOpen ↗
FeesSource checked: NCALB fee scheduleOpen ↗
Practice ActSource checked: G.S. Chapter 90, Article 30Open ↗
Licensee directorySource checked: NCALB acupuncturist directoryOpen ↗

Community review

Help improve the North Carolina 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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