NCCAOM Certification and State Licensing for Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine in the US

Two different things: certification and licensure

In the United States, government agencies grant and monitor licenses, while professional organizations certify practitioners. Certification can be a prerequisite for a license or, in some cases, an alternative. [1] The National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM) is a certifying body. A state board is the licensing body. NCCIH adds that being licensed or certified is not always a guarantee of being qualified. [1]

A note on names: the NCCAOM handbook we read (January 2024) uses the name NCCAOM. A 2026 New York State page refers to the "National Certification Board for Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine (NCBAHM)" for the same examinations, and the organization's website now appears under that name. [2][3] We use NCCAOM here because most sources do, and we could not read the organization's own website to confirm the change.

What NCCAOM says it is

According to its handbook, NCCAOM was founded in 1982 as a non-profit certification organization and had over 21,000 active Diplomates. [2] Its certification programs are Oriental Medicine, Acupuncture and Chinese Herbology, with the titles Dipl. O.M., Dipl. Ac. and Dipl. C.H.; it no longer offers examinations for Asian Bodywork Therapy. [2] The three programs are accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies. [2]

Source for the table: [2] The handbook also states that a Clean Needle Technique certificate is required for certification. [2]

Education behind certification

Applicants must graduate from a program that meets or is equivalent to standards set by the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine (ACAHM). [2] The handbook describes an acupuncture program as a three-year master's or professional doctorate (1,905 hours) and an Oriental medicine program as a four-year one (2,625 hours). [2] For herbology, it describes a post-graduate herbal certificate route with at least 450 hours of herb instruction and 210 hours of herbal clinical training. [2] More on TCM Education and Accreditation.

How state licensing fits in

• Most states require NCCAOM certification or its exams for an acupuncture license. NCCIH says so, and also says requirements vary from state to state. [4][1]
• New York requires state licensure for practicing acupuncture or using the title "licensed acupuncturist," at least 60 semester hours of college including nine in the biosciences, an approved acupuncture program, and the national Acupuncture with Point Location and Foundations of Oriental Medicine exams. [3]
• California is a notable exception: its Acupuncture Board says it does not accept for licensure those who take and pass the national examination. [5]

What a licensed acupuncturist may do with herbs is set by each state. California's board lists herbs and dietary supplements among the products its licensees may use or prescribe. [5] We did not verify herb rules in other states, so ask your state board.

What certification does and does not tell you

It indicates the person met a testing and education standard at some point. It does not tell you how good a particular practitioner is, and it is not a license. A certification brochure from NCCAOM says certified Diplomates' status can be verified directly to insurers that require it. [6] See How to Choose a TCM Practitioner for checking steps, and TCM Qualifications, Licensing and Medical Care for other countries.

Related pages

For needling-focused licensing, see Acupuncture Practitioner Licensing and Training. For the full tradition, see Traditional Chinese Medicine.