State Licensure

Living in a non-licensed state does not prevent you from practicing naturopathic medicine!
About 2,500 NDs are practicing naturopathic medicine in licensed states and provinces. Additionally, hundreds of qualified, licensable NDs currently operate thriving practices in the many yet unlicensed states and provinces of Massachusetts, Colorado, New York, Nova Scotia, Illinois and others. (Scope of practice regulations vary among licensed states, as do the parameters and restrictions for practitioners located in as yet unlicensed venues.)

The licensed states and territories:7

  • Alaska
  • Arizona
  • California
  • Connecticut
  • District of Columbia
  • Hawaii
  • Idaho
  • Kansas
  • Maine
  • Montana
  • New Hampshire
  • Oregon
  • Utah
  • Vermont
  • Washington
  • US territories: Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands

The licensed provinces:

  • British Columbia
  • Manitoba
  • Ontario
  • Saskatchewan

Of the U.S. naturopathic physicians surveyed, 14% are practicing in unlicensed states; of the Canadian NDs surveyed, 12% are practicing in unlicensed provinces.8

The professional naturopathic community is constantly striving to expand licensure to additional states and provinces. NDs and their patients recently celebrated a significant success when the state of Idaho passed naturopathic licensure legislation on April 12, 2005, and with the state of California licensing NDs on January 1, 2004. The prospect of state licensing also looks promising in a number of other states over the next four to five years.

What Kind of Doctor Do You Want To Be (continued)
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7. "Admissions and Licensure, Naturopathic Doctor Licensure," AANMC, (April 2005).

8. "Survey of Naturopathic Physicians," AANMC, (Summer 2004).