Naturopathic Doctor Licensing in the United States: How It Varies by State

This is information, not medical advice. Anyone with new, severe or worsening symptoms should see a medical doctor first. In a US emergency, call 911.

No national license: each state decides

In the United States there is no standardized national system for credentialing complementary health practitioners, and state governments decide what credentials practitioners need to work in their state. [1] That is why the same title can mean different things in different places. This page was checked on 2026-10-22 and reports what the sources said that day. Laws change, so confirm with the state regulator.

Where naturopathic doctors are licensed

The Council on Naturopathic Medical Education (CNME) is the accreditor of naturopathic doctoral programs. It publishes a list of US places where NDs are licensed: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, [2] Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, the US Virgin Islands, Utah, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin. [2]

By our count that is 23 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. CNME also says licensure initiatives are underway in other places. [2] An older NCCIH page, last updated in May 2018, said only 17 states and DC license naturopathic physicians, so the count has changed over time. [1]

This list comes from an accreditor of naturopathic programs, not from a state agency, so confirm it with your state. We did not read every state's law, and an absence from the list does not by itself tell you whether a state restricts the title or the practice.

Different kinds of regulators

States do not all use the same type of body or the same word for the credential. NCCIH describes three approaches: mandatory licensure, title licensure and registration. [1] The exam board NABNE's contact list shows how the regulators differ in name and home agency:

NABNE says licensure or registration requirements vary by state or provincial jurisdiction and may change over time. [3] The table shows examples only; the full list is on NABNE's licensing page.

What most licensed states have in common

NCCIH says that where licensing exists, naturopathic physicians must graduate from a 4-year naturopathic medical college and pass national board exams. [4] CNME says its standards provide the basis for licensing and regulating NDs in the US and Canada. [5] The national exams are the Naturopathic Physicians Licensing Examinations (NPLEX), which NABNE says regulators in the US, US territories and Canada use, with some exceptions, as part of licensure or registration. [3] Passing the NPLEX does not guarantee a license; each regulator decides. [3]

Some exam parts are optional or state-specific. NABNE's table marks some Part II exams as required only if you wish to use that modality in practice. [6] Washington, for example, requires passing the basic science, clinical science and minor surgery add-on examinations. [7] It also requires a Washington jurisprudence examination, with a required score of 100 percent. [7]

Scope of practice differs

Scope means what the law lets a licensed ND do. NCCIH says it varies by state licensure and regulations. [4] Regulators signal this in their own materials. Oregon's Board lists "practice areas requiring additional education / training" and prescribing authority as their own topics. [8] Washington's Department of Health lists approved controlled-substance and IV therapy education courses. [7] The NPLEX can include topics beyond the scope of practice in any particular jurisdiction. [3] We did not read a complete state-by-state scope comparison; see what naturopaths may and may not do and ask the board about any specific service.

A state with an older statute: Florida

Florida shows that not every case fits a simple list. Chapter 462 of the 2025 Florida Statutes is titled "Naturopathy." It includes a clause about people licensed on July 1, 1959, and a saving clause for licenses valid on October 1, 1985. [9] It also says it does not authorize a licensed naturopathic physician to practice materia medica or surgery. [9] Florida is not on the CNME list above. A 2026 bill, CS/SB 688, would have created a Board of Naturopathic Medicine and barred unlicensed people from using specified titles; the Florida Senate page lists its last action as vetoed by the Governor on 6/26/2026. [10] We did not read an official count of current Florida licensees, so ask the Florida Department of Health what applies.

What about unlicensed practice?

Traditional naturopaths are not eligible for licensing. [4] Whether and how a state restricts unlicensed use of titles or services depends on that state's law; our sources did not give a state-by-state answer. See licensed and unlicensed practitioners compared and unlicensed practice and misrepresented titles.

Next steps

Use your state regulator's public lookup, covered in how to verify a credential. For the national picture, see credentials, titles and scope.