License Requirements for Chiropractic

Any use of the title "Chiropractor" within New York State requires licensure. To be licensed as a chiropractor in New York State you must:

• be of good moral character;
• be at least 21 years of age; and
• meet education, examination and, for endorsements, experience requirements.

You must submit an application for licensure and the other forms indicated, along with the appropriate fee, to the Office of the Professions at the address specified on each form. It is your responsibility to follow up with anyone you have asked to send us material.

The specific requirements for licensure are contained in Title 8, Article 132, section 6554 of New York's Education Law and Part 73 of the Commissioner's Regulations.

You should also read the general licensing information applicable for all professions.

The licensure fee is $294.

Fees are subject to change. The fee due is the one in law when your application is received (unless fees are increased retroactively). You will be billed for the difference if fees have been increased.

• Do not send cash.
• If you apply for licensure electronically using the online Application for Licensure, you will be required to pay by credit card.
• Other payments must be made by personal check or money order payable to the New York State Education Department. Your cancelled check is your receipt.
• Mail any required forms and fees to the indicated address on the form.

NOTE: Payment submitted from outside the United States should be made by check or draft on a United States bank and in United States currency; payments submitted in any other form will not be accepted and will be returned.

Individuals who withdraw their licensure application may be entitled to a partial refund.

• For the procedure to withdraw your application, contact the Chiropractic Unit at opunit1@nysed.gov or 518-474-3817 ext. 250 or by fax at 518-402-5354.
• The State Education Department is not responsible for any fees paid to an outside testing or credentials verification agency.

If you withdraw your application, obtain a refund, and then decide to seek New York State licensure at a later date, you will be considered a new applicant, and you will be required to pay the licensure and registration fees and meet the licensure requirements in place at the time you reapply.

To meet the education requirements for licensure as a chiropractor, you must have completed the following:

Preprofessional Study

90 semester hours of college study, with a GPA of not less than 2.75 on a 4.0 scale or its substantial equivalent as determined by the department and a minimum of 24 semester hours in life and physical science courses, which may include, but not be limited to, courses in general biology, human anatomy, physiology, general chemistry, biochemistry, physics, biomechanics and kinesiology. At least half of these courses shall include a laboratory component.

Professional Education

1. Graduates of Accredited Chiropractic Programs

   If you graduated from a Doctor of Chiropractic program (DCP) accredited by the Council of Chiropractic Education (CCE) at the time of your graduation, you have satisfied the professional education requirement.

   NOTE: If you transferred from one Doctor of Chiropractic program to another, you must have completed the equivalent of your final year in a DCP with fully accredited status by CCE.

   -OR-

2. Graduates of Unaccredited Chiropractic Programs

   If you received a Doctor of Chiropractic degree from an unaccredited program, you may meet the professional study requirement by completing the following steps (contingent on Department staff recommendation and approval by the Board of Regents in each case):

   1. Contact the Chief Academic Officer (CAO) for a Doctor of Chiropractic Program (DCP) registered by the New York State Education Department and/or accredited by the Council on Chiropractic Education (CCE).
   2. Submit to that CAO your entire transcript from the unaccredited chiropractic program you completed and any other information requested to determine your level of knowledge and clinical proficiency. Such information should include any postdegree course work, such as that completed for a specialization credential like the Diplomate of the American Board for Chiropractic Orthopedics.
   3. Following his/her review of your preparation, the CAO will determine what additional coursework you may need to achieve the level of knowledge and clinical proficiency expected of current graduates of the accredited DCP. (Note: The CAO may determine that challenge or exit examinations or some other measures determined appropriate by the DCP are necessary to substantiate your knowledge and clinical proficiency in one or more areas of competency.)
   4. The CAO must attest to your completion of the equivalent of one additional academic year acceptable to the New York State Board for Chiropractic at the accredited DCP, including the specified studies. This year must represent no less than 24 semester credit hours,* or the equivalent for programs using trimesters or quarters. The 24 semester hours may be represented by courses completed within the DCP's current curriculum, completing challenge or exit examinations, continuing education course work, or other measures acceptable to the college, all of which must be graded and reported on the college's official transcript.

After completing the required combination of course work and other measures for a total of at least 24 post-DCP semester credit hours, request the CAO to submit the following directly to:

Office of the Professions
Division of Professional Licensing
Chiropractic Unit
89 Washington Avenue
Albany, NY 12234-1000

1. An official transcript of your studies in the DCP, including any transfer credits granted by the DCP which total no less than 24 semester credit hours. It would be helpful to include course descriptions of the additional courses completed. We reserve the right to request an additional description or a syllabus of any course listed on the transcript.
2. A letter signed by the CAO attesting that the preparation you completed, as documented on the transcript and taken together with the courses from the unaccredited program, constitutes the level of knowledge and clinical proficiency expected from a current graduate of the accredited DCP.

*NOTE: Pursuant to Part 50.1(o) of the Regulations of the New York State Commissioner of Education, a "semester hour means a credit, point, or other unit granted for the satisfactory completion of a course which requires at least 15 hours (of 50 minutes each) of instruction and at least 30 hours of supplementary assignments.... This basic measure shall be adjusted proportionately to translate the value of other academic calendars and formats of study in relation to the credit granted for study during the two semesters that comprise an academic year."

Course work or training in the identification and reporting of child abuse

In addition to the professional education requirement, every applicant for licensure as a chiropractor must complete coursework or training in the identification and reporting of child abuse in accordance with Section 6507(3)(a) of the Education Law. See additional information and a list of approved providers for this training.

Acceptable Chiropractic Colleges

For information about approved chiropractic programs and colleges that meet the New York State licensure requirements contact:

Council on Chiropractic Education (CCE)
8049 North 85th Way
Scottsdale, Arizona 85258-4321
Phone: 480-443-8877
Fax: 480-483-7333
E-Mail: cce@cce-usa.org
Web: www.cce-usa.org

To meet the examination requirement for licensure, applicants must successfully complete the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE) Parts I, II, III and IV.

NBCE Part I is a written examination that tests knowledge of basic sciences.

NBCE Part II is a written examination that tests knowledge of clinical sciences. (The NBCE "Physiotherapy" exam subject is not required for New York State licensure.)

NBCE Parts III and IV test clinical competencies. Part III is a written examination that measures clinical knowledge in various areas of a typical chiropractic practice. Using trained simulated patients, Part IV is an oral/practical examination that measures hands-on skills.

For information about the examinations, including applications, fees, deadlines, reasonable testing accommodations and locations, contact:

National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE)
901 54th Avenue
Greeley, CO 80634
Phone: 970-356-9100
Fax: 970-356-6134
E-mail: nbce@nbce.org
Web: www.nbce.org/

To meet the New York State examination requirement, applicants must request NBCE to submit official transcripts directly to the Office of the Professions verifying that all subjects on Parts I, II, III and IV were passed.

Endorsement applicants licensed in other states or jurisdictions must have successfully completed Parts I and II of the NBCE. However, if Part III and IV were not completed, then the Department may accept a state-administered clinical competency examination that tested hands-on demonstration of skills and knowledge in X-ray, Neurological and Orthopedic Testing, Physical Diagnosis, and Chiropractic Technique as attested to by the licensing authority on Form 3. Also, two licensed colleagues must attest to two years of experience during the past five years on Form 4.

If you successfully completed the NBCE Parts III and IV you may be licensed "by examination," rather than "by endorsement," eliminating the need to submit two years of practice experience. However, verification of licensure in other states (Form 3) is still required to review disciplinary activity for determining good moral character. Applicants who did not complete a clinical competency licensing examination for skills and knowledge, that is, a practical (hands-on) examination may meet the exam requirement by successfully completing the NBCE Special Purposes Examination in Chiropractic (SPEC) and submitting verification of seven out of the immediate past ten years of acceptable practice experience attested to by two licensed colleagues (Form 4).