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 Dakota

Start with the North Dakota Board of Integrative Health Care. Acupuncture is defined to include botanical medicine. Applicants need an approved acupuncture program and a Board-endorsed exam such as NCCAOM. Fees are $50 to apply and $300 for an initial two-year license; renewal is $200 every even-numbered December 31. The practitioner count behind North Dakota's priority ranking is unverified.

State license · Board of Integrative Health Care · approved program and exam

At a glance

Start with the responsible authority.

Regulatory authoritySource checked: State Board of Integrative Health Care (chapter 43-57)N.D.C.C. §43-61-01(4) ↗

Last checked October 10, 2026

Know which credential fits

License types

Licensed acupuncturist

Independent acupuncture practice

License requiredSource checked: Since January 1, 2016 no one may practice acupuncture without a license; the title "Licensed Acupuncturist" (LAc) is reserved for licensees.N.D.C.C. §43-61-03 ↗
Other professionsSource checked: The chapter does not restrict other licensed professions' scope; botanical medicine, foods and needling are not exclusive to acupuncturists.N.D.C.C. §43-61-02 ↗

What to confirm

Getting your first license

RequirementsSource checked: Good moral character, an approved acupuncture program, an exam prescribed or endorsed by the Board (such as NCCAOM), professional capability and a clean disciplinary history.N.D.C.C. §43-61-05 ↗
FeesSource checked: $50 application; $300 initial license (prorated quarterly); $100 temporary license applied toward the initial fee.N.D.A.C. 112-04-01-11 ↗
EndorsementSource checked: Licensure without examination is available to licensees of other states under §43-61-07.N.D.C.C. §43-61-07 ↗

What to confirm

Herbal medicine

Herbal medicine authoritySource checked: Acupuncture is defined as an East Asian health care system whose treatments include botanical medicine, qi gong and tai qi along with needling.N.D.C.C. §43-61-01(1) ↗
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

Cycle and feeSource checked: Licenses renew every December 31 of an even-numbered year: $200 active, $100 inactive, plus a $75 late fee.N.D.A.C. 112-04-01-11 ↗
AuditSource checked: Licensees certify continuing education at renewal and the Board randomly audits compliance.N.D.A.C. 112-04-01-09 ↗
Continuing educationSource checked: Active licensees complete at least 30 hours of Board-accepted continuing education each biennial licensing cycle (one hour per 50 minutes of class time), including CPR recertification each cycle (credited as four hours) and two credits in ethics or safety. The Board can grant extensions or waivers, and certain licensees are excused.N.D.A.C. 112-04-03-01 ↗

What to confirm

Rules after you open

Records, display, advertising, and telehealth: Not confirmed yet. We only publish what an official source supports.Know this? Share an official source

Go to the source

Official resources

LawSource checked: N.D.C.C. chapter 43-61, acupuncturistsOpen ↗
RulesSource checked: N.D.A.C. chapter 112-04-01, licensureOpen ↗

Community review

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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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