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

Pennsylvania

Start with the State Board of Medicine (or the State Board of Osteopathic Medicine, which licenses acupuncturists on its own track). Using herbal therapy requires a separate Practitioner of Oriental Medicine credential on top of the acupuncturist license.

State license (Boards of Medicine/Osteopathic) · separate herbal credential

At a glance

Start with the responsible authority.

Regulatory authoritySource checked: State Board of Medicine (and State Board of Osteopathic Medicine for its own licensees), Department of StateAcupuncturist licensure snapshot ↗

Last checked October 10, 2026

Know which credential fits

License types

Acupuncturist (Board of Medicine)

Independent acupuncture practice

License requiredSource checked: Everyone, including physicians, must be licensed with one of the two boards before practicing acupuncture; unlicensed practice is a third-degree misdemeanor.Acupuncture Licensure Act §§3, 5 ↗
EducationSource checked: An acupuncture program from a degree-granting institution authorized by the Department of Education, leading to a master's degree, master's-level certificate or diploma, or first professional degree, including a needle sterilization course.Acupuncturist licensure snapshot ↗
ExaminationSource checked: Pass the NCCAOM acupuncture examination component or hold NCCAOM certification; NCCAOM must verify Clean Needle Technique completion.Acupuncturist licensure snapshot ↗
Osteopathic board trackNeeds review: The State Board of Osteopathic Medicine publishes its own snapshot with different fees and education wording; conditions need a separate read.Osteopathic acupuncturist snapshot ↗Know this? Share an official source

Practitioner of Oriental Medicine

Acupuncturist licensed to use herbal therapy

RequirementsSource checked: A master's degree in a program that includes East Asian herbology, the NCCAOM Chinese herbology exam (or a Board-approved equivalent), and NCCAOM certification in Chinese herbology or Oriental medicine.Practitioner of Oriental Medicine snapshot ↗

Physician acupuncturist

Physician practicing acupuncture, not an acupuncturist license

RouteNeeds review: The Board's physician snapshot reportedly needs only a current medical license plus acupuncture training; the Act itself requires every individual, including physicians, to be licensed with one of the two boards. Reconcile before publication.Acupuncture Licensure Act §3(a) ↗Know this? Share an official source

What to confirm

Getting your first license

English proficiencySource checked: Any one of: exam taken in English, program in English, TOEFL iBT 83 or equivalent, OET 350 on each sub-test, or a Board-approved equivalent.Acupuncturist licensure snapshot ↗
FeesSource checked: The Board of Medicine snapshot lists $30 for the initial license and $40 for biennial renewal.Acupuncturist licensure snapshot ↗
Out-of-state routesSource checked: Endorsement under Section 27 of the Medical Practice Act, or Act 41 for an active license in good standing with substantially equivalent requirements, no discipline or convictions, and two of the last five years in practice.Acupuncturist licensure snapshot ↗
ExperienceSource checked: No practice experience is required for licensure.Acupuncturist licensure snapshot ↗
Background check and processing timeNeeds review: The snapshot lists no separate background check; the Board's application materials were not read.Know this? Share an official source

What to confirm

Herbal medicine

Herbal medicine authoritySource checked: The practice of acupuncture includes, as the board regulates, herbal therapy and counseling on foods, supplements, and lifestyle.Acupuncture Licensure Act §3(f) ↗
Additional herbal credentialSource checked: Herbal therapy is practiced by an acupuncturist licensed as a Practitioner of Oriental Medicine, which requires the herbology exam and NCCAOM certification.Practitioner of Oriental Medicine snapshot ↗
Herbal scope boundarySource checked: An acupuncturist may use non-prescription topical remedies with plant, mineral or other organic active ingredients but may not use herbal therapy unless licensed as a practitioner of Oriental medicine, who is not prohibited from dispensing or administering therapeutic herbs with ingredients similar to those in FDA-classified drugs unless other law prohibits it.49 Pa. Code §18.15a ↗
Retail, labeling, and pharmacy-law 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 cycleSource checked: Licenses renew biennially.Acupuncture Licensure Act §3(a) ↗
Registration conditionsSource checked: Acupuncturists register biennially and pay the fee in 49 Pa. Code §16.13; at least 2 hours of approved child abuse recognition and reporting training is a condition of each registration, with inactive and unregistered status handled under §16.15.49 Pa. Code §18.14 ↗
Continuing educationSource checked: Renewal lists 30 hours of mandatory continuing education including 2 hours of child abuse recognition and reporting; initial licensure needs 3 hours of that training. The snapshot's wording is garbled in places.Acupuncturist licensure snapshot ↗
Inactive, lapsed, and reinstatement rulesNeeds review: Not read.Renewal information ↗Know this? Share an official source

What to confirm

Rules after you open

Liability insuranceSource checked: A licensee must maintain professional liability insurance of at least $1,000,000 per occurrence or claims made; the license is suspended automatically if coverage lapses.Acupuncture Licensure Act §3.2 ↗
Diagnosis requirementSource checked: An acupuncturist may treat a condition for 60 days without a physician, dentist, or podiatrist diagnosis; treatment beyond 60 days needs one unless the person presents no symptoms.Acupuncture Licensure Act §3.1 ↗
Practice responsibilitiesSource checked: A non-physician acupuncturist must perform an acupuncture evaluation and treatment plan, refer promptly when treatment is contraindicated or symptoms worsen, may not diagnose or prescribe or dispense a drug, must follow sterilization and aseptic standards, and keep records under 49 Pa. Code §16.95.49 Pa. Code §18.15 ↗
Name badge and titlesSource checked: A non-physician acupuncturist wears a badge showing their name and the title "acupuncturist" ("practitioner of Oriental medicine" for that license); "doctor," "physician" or titles implying physician licensure are prohibited, with an exception for a registered naturopathic doctor.49 Pa. Code §18.15 ↗
Insurance proof and noticeSource checked: Proof may be a certificate or declaration page from a personal or employer policy, or an approved self-insurance plan. Practice without coverage is prohibited, the license is suspended automatically on lapse, and a licensee must notify the Board within 30 days of losing coverage. A practitioner of Oriental medicine's coverage must also cover herbal therapy.49 Pa. Code §§18.18, 18.20 ↗
Display, advertising, and telehealthNeeds review: No license-display, advertising or telehealth provision was found in Subchapter B (§§18.11 to 18.20); general chapter 16 rules were not read.Know this? Share an official source

Go to the source

Official resources

Board of MedicineSource checked: Acupuncturist licensure requirementsOpen ↗
Herbal credentialSource checked: Practitioner of Oriental Medicine snapshotOpen ↗
LawSource checked: Acupuncture Licensure ActOpen ↗
Verify a licenseSource checked: Pennsylvania Licensing System (PALS)Open ↗

Community review

Help improve the Pennsylvania 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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