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

Ohio

Start with the State Medical Board of Ohio. Licensure rests on an NCCAOM diplomate designation, criminal record checks and spoken-English proficiency; renewal is every two years for $100. Herbal therapy needs an NCCAOM herbology or Oriental medicine diplomate designation, and a separate Oriental medicine practitioner license appears to have been removed in 2021.

State license · State Medical Board · NCCAOM diplomate required

At a glance

Start with the responsible authority.

Regulatory authoritySource checked: State Medical Board of OhioAcupuncture licensing page ↗

Last checked October 10, 2026

Know which credential fits

License types

Acupuncturist

Independent acupuncture practice

License requiredSource checked: Practicing acupuncture requires a valid Board license; physicians, supervised trainees and certified chiropractors are exempt.ORC §4762.02 ↗
Oriental medicine practitionerSource checked: Since April 12, 2021 (House Bill 442), Revised Code §4762.011 says chapter 4762 no longer applies to Oriental medicine practitioners, so this chapter's license is the acupuncturist license. Any other body's rules for herbal practice were not researched.ORC §4762.011 ↗

What to confirm

Getting your first license

EligibilitySource checked: At least 18, FBI and Ohio BCI criminal record checks, current NCCAOM diplomate designation, and proficiency in spoken English. The Board page names the certifier "National Certification Board for Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine" in one place and NCCAOM in another.Acupuncture licensing page ↗
FeesSource checked: $100 application plus a $3.50 transaction fee, non-refundable; applications go through eLicense.Acupuncture licensing page ↗
ProcessingSource checked: The Board decides within 60 days of a complete application.ORC §4762.03(C) ↗
Out-of-state licenseesSource checked: Applicants licensed in another state may be licensed under Chapter 4796.ORC §4762.03(D) ↗

What to confirm

Herbal medicine

Herbal medicine authoritySource checked: A licensed acupuncturist may practice herbal therapy with NCCAOM diplomate designation in Chinese herbology or Oriental medicine, or an equivalent credential the Board recognizes.ORC §4762.02(C) ↗
Herbal therapy dutiesSource checked: Counsel on need, use, contraindications and adverse-reaction care; document herb type, amount and strength; report adverse reactions to the Board.ORC §4762.10 ↗
Unlicensed saleSource checked: Unlicensed people may sell or use herbal therapy if they do not present themselves as licensed herbalists.ORC §4762.02(C)(2) ↗

What to confirm

Keeping the license active

Renewal cycle and feeSource checked: Licenses run two years; renewal is $100 plus a $3.50 transaction fee, online, within 180 days before expiration.Acupuncture licensing page ↗
Continuing educationSource checked: The renewing acupuncturist certifies maintained NCCAOM certification, including its continuing education and recertification.Acupuncture licensing page ↗
LapseSource checked: Reinstatement within two years costs $125; restoration after two or more years costs $150 and needs a new criminal records check.Acupuncture licensing page ↗

What to confirm

Rules after you open

Liability insuranceSource checked: Carry at least $500,000 in professional liability coverage.ORC §4762.22 ↗
Diagnostic exam before treatmentSource checked: Confirm a physician or chiropractor diagnostic exam within six months, or recommend one in writing; acupuncturists may not diagnose.ORC §4762.10 ↗
Records and displaySource checked: Keep confidential patient records for at least three years after treatment ends and post the license and a Board-regulation notice at the primary place of business.ORC §§4762.09, 4762.10 ↗

Go to the source

Official resources

Board pageSource checked: State Medical Board of Ohio: acupunctureOpen ↗
LawSource checked: Ohio Revised Code chapter 4762Open ↗
Online licensingSource checked: Ohio eLicenseOpen ↗

Community review

Help improve the Ohio 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.

Licensed and ready to open?

Goji handles scheduling, charting, and superbills for acupuncture practices. Start free and see it with your own services.

Start free