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 as yet unlicensed states and provinces. (Scope of practice regulations vary among licensed states, as do the parameters and restrictions for practitioners located in unlicensed venues.)

The licensed states and territories:7

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

The licensed provinces:

  • British Columbia
  • Manitoba
  • Nova Scotia
  • Ontario
  • Saskatchewan

Of the US 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, and its efforts are being consistently rewarded. The prospect of state licensure looks promising in a number of 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).