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

Virginia

Start with the Virginia Board of Medicine, advised by its Advisory Board on Acupuncture. Virginia requires NCCAOM certification and a 1,905-hour program, renews every two years in odd years with no routine CE, and requires a recent physician-type diagnostic exam or a written referral before treating. The statute does not mention herbs.

State license · Board of Medicine · NCCAOM certification · no reciprocity

At a glance

Start with the responsible authority.

Regulatory authoritySource checked: Board of Medicine, assisted by the Advisory Board on AcupunctureBoard of Medicine acupuncturist page ↗

Last checked October 10, 2026

Know which credential fits

License types

Licensed acupuncturist

Independent acupuncture practice for non-physicians

L.Ac.

License requiredSource checked: It is unlawful to practice or hold oneself out as an acupuncturist without a Board license; approved titles are Licensed Acupuncturist, Lic.Ac. and L.Ac.Va. Code §54.1-2956.9 ↗
Physician acupuncturistsNeeds review: A search summary says doctors of medicine, osteopathy, chiropractic and podiatry need at least 200 hours of instruction including 50 supervised clinical hours; the statute text was not opened.Va. Code §54.1-2956.10 ↗Know this? Share an official source

What to confirm

Getting your first license

EducationSource checked: For programs completed after February 1, 2011: 1,905 total hours with at least 1,155 didactic and 660 clinical; earlier cohorts have lower minimums.18VAC85-110-50 ↗
ExaminationSource checked: Pass the NCCAOM examination and hold current, active NCCAOM certification when applying, and complete a Clean Needle Technique course.18VAC85-110-80 ↗
FeesSource checked: Application $130; biennial active renewal $135 and inactive renewal $70; reinstatement after two or more years $180.18VAC85-110-35 ↗
Licensure by endorsementSource checked: The rules (derived from a Register issue effective July 1, 2026) list endorsement: evidence of a current, active license in good standing in a U.S. jurisdiction or Canada, a completed application and fee, current recognized national certification, a CCAHM Clean Needle Technique course and a current National Practitioner Data Bank report. An older Board page said Virginia has no reciprocity; the rule text controls.18VAC85-110-91 ↗
English proficiencySource checked: A spoken-English test (TSE or TOEFL) applies; applicants whose clients mostly speak their language are exempt.Va. Code §54.1-2956.9; 18VAC85-110-90 ↗
Processing timeSource checked: Applications average 6 to 8 weeks; Virginia issues no temporary licenses.Board of Medicine acupuncturist page ↗

What to confirm

Herbal medicine

Dietary supplement ruleSource checked: A practitioner must document any recommendation or direction of dietary supplements and its rationale, and may not sell, dispense, recommend, prescribe or suggest supplements in doses contraindicated by the patient's condition and medications. The licensure statute itself does not address herbs.18VAC85-110-180 ↗
Herbal credential and retail limits: No separate herbal credential or rule on compounding or retail sale beyond the dietary-supplement dosing rule was read.Know this? Share an official source

What to confirm

Keeping the license active

Renewal cycleSource checked: Renew biennially during the birth month in odd-numbered years; active renewal requires attesting to current NCCAOM certification.18VAC85-110-150 ↗
Continuing educationSource checked: No CE hours are required for routine renewal; the 20-hour requirement applies to restricted volunteer licenses only.18VAC85-110-150 ↗
Inactive and reinstatementSource checked: Inactive status needs no NCCAOM certification; reactivation requires the fee difference and certification proof. Reinstatement after two or more years costs $180.18VAC85-110-155, -160 ↗

What to confirm

Rules after you open

Patient recordsSource checked: Keep timely, accurate, legible and complete patient records, follow the employer's record policies (a sole proprietor writes their own), and comply with Va. Code §32.1-127.1:03 on confidentiality and disclosure.18VAC85-110-176 ↗
Diagnostic examination before treatmentSource checked: Before acupuncture, obtain written documentation of a diagnostic examination by an MD, DO, chiropractor or podiatrist within the past six months, or give the patient a Board-specified written recommendation for one, signed by the patient and kept in the chart.18VAC85-110-100 ↗
Diagnostic exam before treatmentSource checked: Before treating, obtain written documentation of a diagnostic exam within six months by an MD, DO, DC or DPM, or give the patient a signed written recommendation for one.Board of Medicine acupuncturist page ↗
RecordsSource checked: Records must be timely, accurate, legible and complete; the rules set no retention period.18VAC85-110-176 ↗

Go to the source

Official resources

Board pageSource checked: Board of Medicine: licensed acupuncturistOpen ↗
RegulationsSource checked: 18VAC85-110 Regulations governing licensed acupuncturistsOpen ↗
Verify a licenseSource checked: DHP license lookupOpen ↗

Community review

Help improve the Virginia 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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