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

West Virginia

Start with the West Virginia Acupuncture Board. The statute lets applicants show competence by an 1,800-hour accredited program, a passing NCCAOM exam, a 2,700-hour apprenticeship or three years of out-of-state practice; the Board adds its own rules. Licenses run up to three years. A separate certificate covers auricular detoxification specialists.

State license · West Virginia Acupuncture Board · education, exam, apprenticeship or experience

At a glance

Start with the responsible authority.

Regulatory authoritySource checked: West Virginia Acupuncture BoardW. Va. Code §30-36-3 ↗

Last checked October 10, 2026

Know which credential fits

License types

Acupuncturist

Independent acupuncture practice

License requiredSource checked: A license is required to practice acupuncture; the license authorizes acupuncture practice while effective.W. Va. Code §§30-36-1, -13 ↗
Auricular detoxification specialistSource checked: Certificate for listed health professionals and others who complete a Board-approved acudetox program.W. Va. Code §30-36-10(b) ↗

What to confirm

Getting your first license

QualificationsSource checked: At least 18, no felony with a nexus to the profession, and one competence standard: an accredited program of at least 1,800 hours including 300 clinical hours, a passing NCCAOM (or equivalent) exam, a 2,700-hour apprenticeship within five years, or three years' out-of-state practice with at least 500 patient visits a year; plus any further Board rules.W. Va. Code §30-36-10(a) ↗
ReciprocitySource checked: The Board may license people registered or licensed elsewhere, subject to its rules.W. Va. Code §30-36-15 ↗
Fees: The Board sets fees by rule; they were not read.Know this? Share an official source

What to confirm

Herbal medicine

Scope as definedSource checked: W. Va. Code §30-36-2 defines practicing acupuncture as using oriental medical therapies to normalize energetic physiological functions, including needle insertion, moxibustion, and manual, mechanical, thermal or electrical therapies performed under oriental acupuncture medical theory. Herbs are not named; that is not a conclusion that herbal practice is permitted or prohibited.W. Va. Code §30-36-2 ↗
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

TermSource checked: A license or certificate may run no more than three years; the Board sets the term and sends renewal notices at least one month ahead.W. Va. Code §30-36-14 ↗
Continuing education and fees: Not confirmed yet. We only publish what an official source supports.Know this? Share an official source

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: West Virginia Code chapter 30 article 36, acupunctureOpen ↗

Community review

Help improve the West 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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