Naturopathic doctors (NDs) are licensed or registered in 23 US states, plus Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico. Twenty states issue licenses, and Colorado, Minnesota and Pennsylvania use registration. In the licensing states, an ND must hold a degree from a four-year program accredited by the Council on Naturopathic Medical Education (CNME) and must pass the NPLEX board exams. The other 27 states don't license NDs. Florida, South Carolina and Tennessee go further and ban the practice. New York, where most of this directory's listings are, has no ND license at all.
The table below lists every state, with its title rules and licensing board. We checked it against state statutes, state legislative research and the AANP list on October 10, 2026.
How many states license naturopathic doctors?
As of October 2026, 23 states have a law that licenses or registers NDs, based on our reading of state statutes and two state research reports (Connecticut Office of Legislative Research, 2023; Wyoming Legislative Service Office, 2025).
- Licensed (20 states): Alaska, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin.
- Registered (3 states): Colorado, Minnesota and Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania passed its registration law in 2016, but AANP reported in 2020 that no registrations had been issued. We could not confirm whether any have been issued since.
- Other jurisdictions: Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico license NDs. The US Virgin Islands passed a law in 2001, but its board was never formed (AANP).
- Banned (3 states): Florida, South Carolina and Tennessee.
- Unregulated (24 states): every other state, including New York, New Jersey, North Carolina and Virginia.
Other sources give other totals. Many pages repeat "26 states". That's a misreading: AANP's figure is 26 jurisdictions, which includes D.C., Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The American Medical Association says "at least 24 states" and D.C. regulate naturopathy but doesn't list them (AMA, 2024). Our count of 23 is the one we could match to state law.
A license doesn't give NDs the same powers everywhere. Prescribing rights range from none to broad. Connecticut, for example, licenses NDs but gives them no authority to prescribe drugs (Conn. Gen. Stat. ch. 373). Our guide to what naturopathic doctors can prescribe in each state covers the details. Nor are licensed NDs primary care providers by default. New Mexico limits licensed NDs to primary care in collaboration with a physician (NMSA 61-12G-6). The American Academy of Family Physicians opposes treating NDs as primary care physicians (AAFP).
Naturopathic doctor licensing by state (2026)
"Licensed" means a license is required to practice or to use the protected ND titles. "Unregulated" means we found no state ND licensing law. In those states we did not check every general title or medical-practice law. Board links go to the state's own licensing or lookup page where we found one. Where we didn't, the row points to AANP's list of state regulators.
| State | Status | Title rules | Licensing board |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Unregulated | No ND licensing law | None |
| Alaska | Licensed | Licensees use "N.D." or "Dr." with "doctor of naturopathic medicine." Licensees may not use "physician" in their title (AS 08.45.050). | Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing (has a license search) |
| Arizona | Licensed | State law defines "physician," in its naturopathic chapter, as a licensed doctor of naturopathic medicine (A.R.S. 32-1501). We did not find the section that protects ND titles, so check the board. | Arizona naturopathic board |
| Arkansas | Unregulated | No ND licensing law. A 2025 bill (SB 117) died in committee. | None |
| California | Licensed (practice act) | License required to practice and to use "naturopathic doctor." "Dr." must carry an ND identifier. "Traditional naturopath" is not restricted. SB 1303, signed on September 20, 2026 (Chapter 430 of 2026), amended Business and Professions Code section 3686, moving the practice act's repeal date from January 1, 2027 to January 1, 2031. Rules may change, so check the board. | California Board of Naturopathic Medicine |
| Colorado | Registered | Only registered NDs may use ND titles. A registered ND must give each patient a written statement before the first exam, signed by both, that says among other things that the ND is not a medical doctor and is registered rather than licensed (C.R.S. 12-250-106(3)(b)), plus a separate written disclosure whose signed acknowledgment the ND keeps for seven years (C.R.S. 12-250-112). | Office of Naturopathic Doctor Registration, Division of Professions and Occupations (use "Search for a Licensee") |
| Connecticut | Licensed | License required to practice. No prescriptive authority. | Connecticut Department of Public Health |
| Delaware | Unregulated | No ND licensing law | None |
| District of Columbia | Licensed | "Naturopathic physician" permitted. | Board of Medicine, DC Health; DC Health license verification |
| Florida | Banned | Practicing, or using an ND-type title, without a license is a third-degree felony. No new licenses since 1959. | None (licensing closed) |
| Georgia | Unregulated | No ND licensing law | None |
| Hawaii | Licensed | "Naturopathic physician" permitted. "Physician" only with an ND identifier. | Board of Naturopathic Medicine |
| Idaho | Licensed | License required to practice. Only licensees may use licensed-naturopath titles such as "licensed naturopathic physician" or "NMD"; the terms "naturopath," "naturopathic doctor" and "ND" are not restricted (Idaho Code 54-5110(2)). There are two license routes, one through the Board of Medicine and one through the Naturopathic Health Care Board. | Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) online search |
| Illinois | Unregulated | No ND licensing law. A 2025 bill (HB 3450) was introduced; no later action found. | None |
| Indiana | Unregulated | No ND licensing law | None |
| Iowa | Unregulated | No ND licensing law | None |
| Kansas | Licensed | Licensees use "N.D.," "Dr." or "Doctor." They may not use "physician" or "naturopathic physician." | Kansas State Board of Healing Arts license search |
| Kentucky | Unregulated | No ND licensing law | None |
| Louisiana | Unregulated | No ND licensing law | None |
| Maine | Licensed | Licensees must use "naturopathic doctor." "Physician" is prohibited (32 M.R.S. 12521). | Board of Complementary Health Care Providers; Maine license search (ALMS) |
| Maryland | Licensed | Only licensees may use ND titles. "Physician" not allowed unless also licensed as an MD. | Maryland Board of Physicians |
| Massachusetts | Licensed (since April 2022) | Only licensees may use titles such as "naturopathic doctor," "naturopathic physician," "N.D." or "naturopath." Licensed NDs may not use the word "physician" (G.L. c. 112, s. 273). | Board of Registration in Naturopathy |
| Michigan | Unregulated | No ND licensing law. A bill (HB 5446) was referred to committee in December 2025. | None |
| Minnesota | Registered | Title is "registered naturopathic doctor." Only registrants may use ND titles, and none may claim to be an MD or physician. Registered NDs may not prescribe legend drugs or controlled substances (Minn. Stat. 147E.05). | Board of Medical Practice; Find a Practitioner / Verify a License (we could not confirm that it lists registered NDs; ask the board if a name is missing) |
| Mississippi | Unregulated | No ND licensing law | None |
| Missouri | Unregulated | No ND licensing law | None |
| Montana | Licensed | "Naturopathic physician" and "Dr." permitted. | Alternative Health Care Board |
| Nebraska | Unregulated | No ND licensing law | None |
| Nevada | Unregulated | No ND licensing law | None |
| New Hampshire | Licensed | Licensees must use "doctor of naturopathic medicine." "Naturopathic doctor" is reserved for licensees. | Naturopathic Board of Examiners |
| New Jersey | Unregulated | No ND licensing law. A 2026 bill, S904 (the Naturopathic Doctors Licensing Act), would create a licensing board; it was referred to the Senate Commerce Committee in January 2026 (NJ bill status). | None |
| New Mexico | Licensed | Only licensees may use "naturopathic doctor," "ND" or "NMD," and not "naturopathic physician." Practice limited to primary care in collaboration with a physician. | New Mexico Medical Board |
| New York | Unregulated | Title not protected; anyone may call themselves an ND. Licensing bills S8714 and A10064 are in committee. | None |
| North Carolina | Unregulated | No ND licensing law. Bills have failed in most sessions since 2001. | None |
| North Dakota | Licensed | "Naturopath" and "N.D." for licensees. Licensees may not present themselves as physicians. | North Dakota Board of Medicine (NDCC 43-58-01; no online lookup confirmed, so check with the board) |
| Ohio | Unregulated | No ND licensing law | None |
| Oklahoma | Unregulated | No ND licensing law | None |
| Oregon | Licensed | "Naturopathic physician," "naturopath" and "N.D." are reserved for licensees (ORS 685.020). | Oregon Board of Naturopathic Medicine |
| Pennsylvania | Registered (law passed 2016) | ND titles require registration. We could not find a published count of registrations. | State Board of Medicine; PALS license verification (whether registrants appear is unconfirmed) |
| Rhode Island | Licensed | Only licensees may use "doctor of naturopathy." They may not claim to be a physician or a primary care provider. The law does not let them prescribe drugs (R.I. Gen. Laws 5-36.1-18). | Rhode Island Department of Health, naturopathic physicians (has an online license verification) |
| South Carolina | Banned | Practicing naturopathy is unlawful, even with a license from another state. | None |
| South Dakota | Unregulated | No ND licensing law | None |
| Tennessee | Banned | Practicing naturopathy is unlawful (Class B misdemeanor). | None |
| Texas | Unregulated | No ND licensing law. A 2025 bill (HB 3979) died in committee. | None |
| Utah | Licensed | "Naturopathic physician" permitted. Licensure requires a 12-month residency and a background check. | Utah DOPL, naturopathic physicians |
| Vermont | Licensed | "Naturopathic physician" permitted. | Vermont Secretary of State, naturopathic physicians |
| Virginia | Unregulated | No ND licensing law. Licensing was repealed in 1980. | None |
| Washington | Licensed | "Naturopathic physician" permitted. ND terms reserved for licensees. | Washington Department of Health, Board of Naturopathy (links to the Provider Credential Search) |
| West Virginia | Unregulated | No ND licensing law | None |
| Wisconsin | Licensed | License required to practice. Only licensees may use ND titles. | Naturopathic Medicine Examining Board |
| Wyoming | Unregulated | No ND licensing law. A 2025 bill (HB 0269) stalled in committee. | None |
| Puerto Rico | Licensed | Licensees may use "Doctor en Naturopatía" or "ND." They may recommend or prescribe natural products that don't need a prescription (Law 208 of 1997, Arts. 15 and 16). | Junta Examinadora de Doctores en Naturopatía, Departamento de Salud; online services (whether NDs appear in the license-validation tool is unconfirmed) |
| US Virgin Islands | Law, no board | A 2001 law exists, but no board was formed. | None operating |
Title rules come from the Wyoming Legislative Service Office's 2025 survey of state laws, checked against statute where we cite a section. We confirmed the licensing or registration status in statute text for all 23 states. For the nine not cited elsewhere on this page, the sections are: Alaska AS 08.45.010, Arizona A.R.S. 32-1501, Hawaii HRS 455-1 and 455-9, Kansas K.S.A. 65-7211, Maine 32 M.R.S. 12521, Maryland Health Occ. 14-5F-10, New Hampshire RSA 328-E:3, Oregon ORS 685.020 and Vermont 26 V.S.A. 4122. Ban details come from Fla. Stat. 462.17, S.C. Code 40-31 and Tenn. Code 63-6-205 (linked in the ban section below).
What a license requires
In licensing states, the basic requirements are the same:
- An accredited degree. The ND must have graduated from a four-year doctoral program accredited by the CNME. CNME's standards require these programs to run at least four academic years and 4,100 clock hours, including at least 1,200 hours of clinical training (CNME Handbook, 2025). There were seven CNME-accredited schools in North America as of mid-2025 (California Board of Naturopathic Medicine, 2026). CNME does not accredit fully online programs.
- National board exams. The Naturopathic Physicians Licensing Examinations (NPLEX) have two parts: Part I covers basic sciences and Part II covers clinical practice. Part II cannot be waived (California Board of Naturopathic Medicine, 2026).
- State extras. Some states add more. Utah, for example, requires 12 months of residency and a criminal background check (Utah Code 58-71-302).
Licensing also affects who pays. Health plans that cover NDs generally require a licensed provider. Washington, for example, requires insurers to include every licensed category of provider, within its scope (RCW 48.43.045). Medicare doesn't list NDs among the providers it defines as physicians (42 U.S.C. 1395x(r)). For prices and coverage, see what naturopathic care costs and whether insurance pays. For how ND training compares with an MD's, see whether a naturopathic doctor is a real doctor.
Licensed ND vs traditional naturopath
In unlicensed states, two very different kinds of practitioner can use similar names. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health draws the same line (NCCIH).
| Licensed naturopathic doctor (ND) | Traditional naturopath | |
|---|---|---|
| Training | Four-year doctoral program at a CNME-accredited school | Non-accredited programs |
| Board exams | Must pass NPLEX to be licensed | None required |
| State license | Available in 20 states, D.C. and Puerto Rico; registration in 3 more | Not eligible for licensure |
| Titles | Protected ND titles in licensing states. Rules on "physician" vary by state. | In unlicensed states, may use "naturopath" or "traditional naturopath" if they don't claim a state license |
| Prescribing | Some states allow it, within limits that vary widely | None |
| Where they can practice | As licensed in their state. Banned in FL, SC and TN. | Unlicensed states, and some licensing states where the "traditional naturopath" title isn't restricted (California, for example). Banned in FL, SC and TN. |
The title rules in unlicensed states come from the Connecticut OLR (2023). California's board notes that "traditional naturopath" and "naturopathic practitioner" are not restricted titles there, and that most of its enforcement cases involve unlicensed activity.
How to verify a naturopathic doctor's license
- Find the state's status. Use the table above. If the state is unregulated, skip to step 5.
- Search the state board. Use the board linked in the table, or the regulator listed by AANP. Search by the practitioner's full name. Check that the license is active and look for any public discipline the board posts.
- Check the school. Ask where they earned their ND degree. Then confirm the school is accredited, or a candidate for accreditation, on the CNME list. A fully online degree is not CNME-accredited.
- Ask about NPLEX. Ask whether they passed both parts. Licensing boards require it, so an active license in a licensing state is the simplest proof.
- In an unlicensed state, check what they do hold. Ask whether they hold an ND license in another state, and check it on that state's board. If they hold another license (MD, DO, nurse practitioner, physician assistant, nurse or acupuncturist), New Yorkers can verify it with the NYSED Office of the Professions.
- Match the title to the rules. A practitioner who says "physician" in a state that bars it, such as Kansas, Maine or Massachusetts, or who claims a New York ND license, is misstating their credential.
States where NDs aren't licensed
In the 24 unregulated states, there's no state ND license to check. People who use the title may or may not have accredited training. Practitioners there may use "naturopath" or "traditional naturopath" as long as they don't claim a state license (Connecticut OLR, 2023). The three ban states are stricter.
New York
New York does not license or regulate naturopathic doctors. Naturopathy is not on the state's list of licensed professions, so an ND can't be verified on New York's license search. The sponsor's memo for Senate bill S8714 says plainly that because the state doesn't regulate NDs, anyone may claim the title (S8714). That bill was referred to the Higher Education Committee on January 7, 2026. A matching Assembly bill, A10064, was referred on January 30, 2026. Neither had moved as of October 2026, and earlier bills in 2021–22 and 2023–24 did not pass.
In practice, this means:
- A New York practitioner who calls themselves an ND holds no New York ND license, because none exists.
- No one practicing as an ND in New York has state authority to prescribe drugs. Prescriptions must come from a licensed prescriber, such as an MD, DO, nurse practitioner or physician assistant.
- The useful checks are the CNME-accredited degree, NPLEX, an active ND license from another state, and any New York license they hold (steps 3 to 5 above).
Our naturopathic doctors in New York page lists local practices. Use the steps above to check each one's credentials before booking.
New Jersey
New Jersey has no ND licensing law either, so the same checks apply to practitioners there. We found no New Jersey statute that licenses NDs. A 2026 bill, S904, the Naturopathic Doctors Licensing Act, would create a State Board of Naturopathic Examiners and license NDs (NJ S904). It was introduced and referred to the Senate Commerce Committee on January 13, 2026 (NJ bill status, checked October 10, 2026).
Florida, South Carolina and Tennessee: practice is banned
- Florida. Practicing naturopathy, or advertising or using an ND-type title, without a Florida license is a third-degree felony (Fla. Stat. 462.17). Florida stopped issuing new licenses in 1959. Only people licensed on July 1, 1959 qualify (Fla. Stat. 462.023). In 2026 a bill to restore licensing, SB 688, passed the Senate (33–3) and the House (85–22). The governor vetoed it on June 26, 2026 (SB 688 history). Florida therefore remains a ban state.
- South Carolina. Practicing naturopathy is unlawful, even for someone licensed in another state. It is a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of up to $500 or up to one year in jail (S.C. Code 40-31-10 and 40-31-20).
- Tennessee. Practicing naturopathy is unlawful and a Class B misdemeanor. A narrow exception covers selling natural-health information with a signed acknowledgment (Tenn. Code 63-6-205).
North Carolina
North Carolina doesn't license NDs and isn't on AANP's list of regulated states. Licensing bills have been filed in most sessions since 2001, and none has passed (North Carolina Health News). In 2024, a bill that would have created a naturopathic licensing board (SB 607) was stopped, according to the North Carolina Medical Society. The session law that SB 607 became, a general regulatory-relief act, contains no naturopathy text (S.L. 2024-45). We could not check whether a licensing bill was filed in the 2025–26 session.
Other unregulated states
Bills to license NDs have been filed in several unregulated states. None had passed as of our check. Recent examples are Arkansas SB 117 and Texas HB 3979 (both died in committee in 2025) and Michigan HB 5446 (referred to committee in December 2025). Virginia repealed its licensing in 1980, and the last license there expired in 2002.
What to do next
- Check your state in the table, then verify the practitioner with the steps above.
- Read our guide on how to find and vet a naturopathic doctor, which covers red flags, first visits and cost questions.
- Browse listings and find a naturopathic doctor, or see naturopathic doctors in New York.
- If you see an ND, keep a licensed primary care clinician involved, especially in a state with no ND license. Tell each of your providers about any complementary care you use, as NCCIH advises. For new, severe or worsening symptoms, or anything that may need prescription drugs, imaging or a specialist, see a medical doctor. In an emergency, call 911.
Last reviewed: October 2026. State laws change. Check your state board before relying on this list.