I. No person shall practice acupuncture within this state without first obtaining a license from the board except physicians licensed under RSA 329 and doctors of naturopathic medicine certified under RSA 328-E:12.
II. The board shall issue a license to any applicant who satisfies all of the following requirements:
(a)Has reached the age of majority.
(b)Has current, active NCCAOM certification, or prior NCCAOM certification with documentation of continuing education pursuant to paragraph X of this section, or equivalent certification approved by the board through examination or Credentials Documentation Review.
(c)Has paid the required license application fee and filed the board approved licensure application.
(d)Is of good professional character.
(e)(1) Has earned a baccalaureate, reg
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I. No person shall practice acupuncture within this state without first obtaining a license from the board except physicians licensed under RSA 329 and doctors of naturopathic medicine certified under RSA 328-E:12.
II. The board shall issue a license to any applicant who satisfies all of the following requirements:
(a) Has reached the age of majority.
(b) Has current, active NCCAOM certification, or prior NCCAOM certification with documentation of continuing education pursuant to paragraph X of this section, or equivalent certification approved by the board through examination or Credentials Documentation Review.
(c) Has paid the required license application fee and filed the board approved licensure application.
(d) Is of good professional character.
(e)(1) Has earned a baccalaureate, registered nurse, or physician associate degree from an accredited institution, and has a current, valid license to practice acupuncture from another state whose requirements are substantially equal to or exceed the requirements of RSA 328-G:9, II; or
(2) Has successfully completed a post-secondary acupuncture college program which is approved by the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine ("ACAHM"), including its successors or predecessors, or the board; or
(3) Has successfully completed an apprenticeship program that, at the time of completion, was in compliance with certification standards set by NCCAOM, including its successors or predecessors. All applicants seeking licensure via apprenticeship route who have not graduated from an accredited acupuncture school must be able to meet all NCCAOM standards for certification or hold a valid license to practice acupuncture from another state whose requirements are substantially similar to or exceed the requirements of RSA 328-G:9, II.
III. Only a person licensed under this chapter or a physician licensed under RSA 329 or a doctor of naturopathic medicine certified under RSA 328-E:12, shall hold out to members of the public that such person is practicing acupuncture, or use a title or description which suggests such, including any of the following:
(a) C.A. or Certified Acupuncturist.
(b) Acupuncturist.
(c) M.D., C.A. or M.D., Certified Acupuncturist.
(d) Any other letters or words denoting that the person practices acupuncture.
IV. Notwithstanding paragraph III, the title, "Licensed Acupuncturist", and its abbreviations, "L.Ac." or "Lic. Ac.", shall be used only by persons licensed under this chapter.
V. (a) Whoever, not being licensed or exempted as provided in this chapter, shall advertise oneself or in any way hold oneself out as qualified to practice acupuncture, or shall practice acupuncture, or whoever does so after receiving notice that one's license has been revoked, and whoever, being licensed as provided in this chapter, shall advertise or call oneself or allow oneself to be advertised or called a physician or a doctor in such a way as to imply that such credential relates to the provision of acupuncture services, or use any physician's or doctor's insignia for such purposes shall be in violation of this chapter.
(b) Notwithstanding subparagraph (a), the only persons licensed under this chapter that shall be allowed to call themselves a doctor shall be those who have earned a doctoral degree in the practice of acupuncture from an accredited educational institution or other program approved by the board pursuant to administrative rules.
VI. Persons licensed pursuant to this chapter who engage in the practice of acupuncture without complying with this chapter shall be subject to refused renewal, limitation, revocation, or suspension of their license.
VII. Nothing in this chapter is intended to limit, interfere with, or prevent any other licensed health care professionals from practicing within the scope of their licenses as defined by each profession's New Hampshire licensing statutes, but they shall not hold themselves out to the public or any private group of business by any title or description of services that includes any of the terms in paragraphs III or IV unless they are licensed under this chapter, RSA 329, or RSA 328-E:12.
VIII. Notwithstanding any other provisions of law to the contrary, those health care professionals licensed under RSA 316-A who are practicing acupuncture as of July 1, 1997 may petition the board for an exemption to the licensure requirements of this chapter. The board shall consider the educational qualifications and the clinical experience of those individuals licensed under RSA 316-A seeking exemption to the licensure requirements of this chapter.
IX. The procedure and timeframe for license renewals shall be as described in RSA 310.
X. As a condition of renewal of license, the board shall require each licensee to show proof of having completed for each biennial period continuing education units at approved institutions or as approved by the board in accordance with rules adopted by the board. Maintaining continuous NCCAOM certification shall fulfill the continuing education requirement.
1997, 251:1. 2000, 181:5, 6, 7. 2014, 167:2, 3. 2015, 229:15, eff. July 1, 2015. 2021, 3:6, eff. June 22, 2021. 2022, 65:1, 4 and 5, eff. July 19, 2022; 213:1, 4 and 5, eff. July 19, 2022 at 12:01 a.m.; 314:1, eff. July 1, 2022. 2023, 112:13, eff. July 1, 2023; 235:20, eff. July 15, 2023. 2025, 105:5, eff. June 17, 2025.