DietitianLicense

Dietitian License Requirements
by State (2026)

Becoming a Registered Dietitian (RD) or Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) means earning a national credential from the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) — a degree from an ACEND-accredited program, supervised practice hours, and a passing score on the CDR Registration Examination for Dietitians. What that national credential lets you actually do, however, depends on your state: most states license dietitians through a state board, but a handful only protect certain titles from misuse, or impose no state-level requirement at all. Pick your state below for the full breakdown.

51

States Covered So Far
(expanding toward all 50 + DC)

45/51

License Dietitians via a State Board

$6–$300

Application Fee Range
based on 35 states with published fees

RD Exam Prep

Study resources for the CDR Registration Examination for Dietitians.

How to Become a Dietitian

The full path — education, supervised practice, exam, and licensure.

Practicing Across States

What licensure by endorsement and reciprocity actually look like.

Browse by State

States marked Title protectiondon’t operate a dietitian licensing board — see the state page for what actually applies there.

AlabamaAlaskaArizonaTitle protectionArkansasCaliforniaTitle protectionColoradoTitle protectionConnecticutDelawareDistrict of ColumbiaFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganTitle protectionMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyTitle protectionNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaTitle protectionWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyoming

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an RD or RDN?

RD (Registered Dietitian) and RDN (Registered Dietitian Nutritionist) are national credentials issued by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR). Earning one requires a bachelor's degree or higher from an ACEND-accredited dietetics program, supervised practice hours, and a passing score on the CDR Registration Examination for Dietitians. The RD/RDN credential itself is national — the same exam and education standard everywhere — but whether a state also requires a separate state license to practice or use the title varies.

Do all states require a dietitian license?

No. Most states license dietitians through a state board, but some — including Arizona, California, Colorado, Michigan, New Jersey, and Virginia in this dataset so far — do not operate a licensing board at all. Those states instead rely on narrower title-protection statutes, or in some cases nothing beyond the national RD/RDN credential.

How much does a dietitian license cost?

Among the 35 licensed states with a published fee in this dataset so far, the application/initial license fee ranges from $6 to $300. Renewal fees and cycles vary by state — see each state page for the full breakdown.

Is "nutritionist" the same as "dietitian"?

Not necessarily. "Dietitian" (and the RD/RDN credential) is tied to the national CDR/ACEND standard described above. "Nutritionist" is a much less consistently regulated term — in many states anyone can use it regardless of credential, while a smaller number of states separately regulate or license it. Check the state page for how each term is treated locally.