Dietitian Licensure in Arizona: Title Protection, Not a License
Compiled and verified against primary state-board, CDR, and ACEND sources by DietitianLicense — cite-or-deny, with no invented figures. How we source & verify →
Arizona does not currently license or register dietitians or nutritionists — there is no state board, no application, and no issuing agency operating today. The legislature passed SB1508 (56th Legislature, 2nd Regular Session, 2024), which would have created a licensure program for "dietitian nutritionists" and "nutritionists" under a new Title 36, Chapter 42, administered by the Department of Health Services (AZDHS), but the Arizona Legislature's own bill-tracking record shows the bill did not become law — it died in the legislative process rather than being signed and enacted. Confirming this, Title 36 of the Arizona Revised Statutes as currently published contains no Chapter 42, and the AZDHS public licensing portal lists no dietitian or nutritionist license category among its regulated professions. The only currently-operative Arizona statute that even mentions "registered dietitian" is A.R.S. §36-416, which is narrow hospital-scope-of-practice language (it lets a hospital authorize a registered dietitian — defined simply as someone credentialed by the national Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics' credentialing agency, i.e., CDR — to write diet/nutrition orders); it is not a licensure or even a title-protection statute, and it sets no state application, exam, or renewal process. Because there is no operational application/issuance/renewal process, Arizona is classified as non-licensing under this project's rule, matching the special-flag guidance that Arizona historically does not license dietitians.
No Dietitian License Required in Arizona
Arizona has no dietitian licensing board, application process, or renewal cycle.
Is “Nutritionist” a Protected Title in Arizona?
Arizona has no statute regulating or protecting the title "nutritionist" at all — unlike California's B&P Code §2585 (which restricts "dietitian" but not "nutritionist"), Arizona's only dietetics-adjacent statute (A.R.S. §36-416) doesn't restrict use of either "dietitian" or "nutritionist" in general practice; it only defines who a hospital may authorize to issue certain clinical orders. Anyone may currently use the title "nutritionist" (or, absent any state title-protection statute, even "dietitian") in Arizona without a credential, though using CDR's nationally-trademarked "RD"/"RDN" designations without CDR registration would violate CDR's own credentialing rules, not Arizona law.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Arizona require a dietitian license?
No. Arizona does not operate a dietitian licensing board, application, or renewal process.
Is the title "nutritionist" protected in Arizona?
Arizona has no statute regulating or protecting the title "nutritionist" at all — unlike California's B&P Code §2585 (which restricts "dietitian" but not "nutritionist"), Arizona's only dietetics-adjacent statute (A.R.S. §36-416) doesn't restrict use of either "dietitian" or "nutritionist" in general practice; it only defines who a hospital may authorize to issue certain clinical orders. Anyone may currently use the title "nutritionist" (or, absent any state title-protection statute, even "dietitian") in Arizona without a credential, though using CDR's nationally-trademarked "RD"/"RDN" designations without CDR registration would violate CDR's own credentialing rules, not Arizona law.
Sources
- Arizona Revised Statutes §36-416 — Registered dietitians; qualified nutrition professionals; hospital orders; definitions (current codified text)
- Arizona Legislature — ARS Title 36 (Public Health and Safety) chapter table of contents (no Chapter 42 present)
- AZDHS — Public Health Licensing portal (no dietitian/nutritionist license category listed)
- Arizona Legislature — SB1508 (56th Legislature, 2nd Regular Session, 2024) bill text/summary, dietitian nutritionists licensure
Data last verified: 2026-07-22 | Source: Arizona Revised Statutes §36-416 — Registered dietitians; qualified nutrition professionals; hospital orders; definitions (current codified text)