Mississippi Dietitian License Requirements (2026)

Compiled and verified against primary state-board, CDR, and ACEND sources by DietitianLicense — cite-or-deny, with no invented figures. How we source & verify →

Mississippi licenses dietitians under the "Mississippi Dietetics Practice Act of 1986" (Miss. Code Ann. §§73-10-1 et seq.), administered by the Mississippi State Board of Health through its Office of Licensure / Professional Licensure Division, with an advisory Mississippi Council of Advisors in Dietetics. The regulations (Title 15, Part 19, Subpart 60, Chapter 3) treat "dietitian" and "nutritionist" as a single protected-title pair covered by the same license — it is unlawful to use either title, or the letters "LD" or "LN," without a license issued under this chapter.

Mississippi Dietitian License Requirements

Licensing Authority	Mississippi State Board of Health, Office of Licensure — Professional Licensure Division
Protected Titles	LD, LN
Education	Baccalaureate or post-baccalaureate degree from a college or university accredited through the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education, with a major in dietetics or an equivalent major course of study approved by the Department (for the provisional-license pathway); full (non-provisional) licensure requires passing the CDR Registration Examination for Dietitians and being in good standing with CDR.
Exam	Registration Examination for Dietitians (Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR))
Continuing Education	30 hours every 2 years
Endorsement (CDR/RD holders)	Rule 3.4.4(9) lets the Department waive the prescribed examination and grant a license by reciprocity to anyone currently licensed as a dietitian in another state, D.C., or U.S. territory whose licensure standards the advisory council considers greater than or equal to Mississippi's, provided that state/territory extends reciprocity to Mississippi licensees. Separately, Rule 3.4.4(1)-(8) implements a broader "universal occupational license" pathway (Miss. Code Ann. Title 73, universal licensing law) for people relocating to Mississippi who hold a current out-of-state license in good standing in a similarly scoped occupation for at least one year, subject to background/discipline checks; a license issued this way is Mississippi-only and does not confer interstate-compact eligibility.

Fee Breakdown

Initial License Fee	$100
Renewal Fee (every 2 years)	$100

Related & additional fees

Separate or situational costs — not part of the standard initial application.

Provisional license (initial)	$50
Provisional license renewal (annual)	$50
Provisional license upgrade	$50
Reinstatement fee	$200
Replacement fee	$50
License verification fee	$25

Recommended exam prep

Formal prep pays for itself against a retake. These are the resources we point candidates to for the CDR Registration Examination for Dietitians.

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Mometrix · SponsoredRegistration Examination for Dietitians Secrets Study GuideA full review of the CDR Registration Examination for Dietitians — domain-by-domain concept breakdowns and practice questions built for a first-try pass.See the study guide →

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Is “Nutritionist” a Protected Title in Mississippi?

Mississippi does not maintain a separate "licensed nutritionist" credential distinct from the dietitian license. Rule 3.5.1 makes it unlawful for anyone to represent themselves as a "dietitian" OR "nutritionist," or use the letters "LD," "LN," or any facsimile, without being licensed under the same Chapter 3 regulations — both titles are protected together under one licensing process administered by the State Board of Health.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Mississippi require a dietitian license?

Yes. Mississippi licenses dietitians through the Mississippi State Board of Health, Office of Licensure — Professional Licensure Division. The protected titles are LD, LN.

How much does a dietitian license cost in Mississippi?

The application/initial license fee is $100, with a $100 renewal fee every 2 years.

Is the title "nutritionist" protected in Mississippi?

Can I get a Mississippi dietitian license by endorsement if I'm already a CDR-registered RD?

Rule 3.4.4(9) lets the Department waive the prescribed examination and grant a license by reciprocity to anyone currently licensed as a dietitian in another state, D.C., or U.S. territory whose licensure standards the advisory council considers greater than or equal to Mississippi's, provided that state/territory extends reciprocity to Mississippi licensees. Separately, Rule 3.4.4(1)-(8) implements a broader "universal occupational license" pathway (Miss. Code Ann. Title 73, universal licensing law) for people relocating to Mississippi who hold a current out-of-state license in good standing in a similarly scoped occupation for at least one year, subject to background/discipline checks; a license issued this way is Mississippi-only and does not confer interstate-compact eligibility.

Sources

Data last verified: 2026-07-22 | Source: Mississippi State Department of Health — Regulations Governing Licensure of Dietitians (Title 15, Part 19, Subpart 60, Ch. 3; full text, all rules cited above)