North Dakota 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 →
North Dakota licenses two distinct credentials through the North Dakota Board of Dietetic Practice (NDBODP): the "Licensed Registered Dietitian" (LRD), which requires current CDR registration/exam, and the "Licensed Nutritionist" (LN), a separate credential with its own board-approved exam pathway (effective August 1, 2021). It is illegal to practice medical nutrition therapy in North Dakota without one of these licenses. The five-member board itself reflects this split, with three seats reserved for registered dietitians and one for a licensed nutritionist.
North Dakota Dietitian License Requirements
| Licensing Authority | North Dakota Board of Dietetic Practice (NDBODP) |
| Protected Titles | Licensed Registered Dietitian (LRD), Licensed Nutritionist (LN) |
| Education | LRD: completion of all Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) requirements for registered-dietitian status, including a qualifying ACEND-accredited degree. LN: a board-approved degree pathway culminating in passage of an exam through one of the board-approved pathways (e.g., the Board of Clinical Nutrition Specialists or the American Clinical Board of Nutrition), in effect since August 1, 2021. |
| Exam | LRD: CDR Registration Examination for Dietitians. LN: exam through a board-approved pathway (e.g., Board of Clinical Nutrition Specialists or American Clinical Board of Nutrition), required since August 1, 2021. (Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) / board-approved alternative certifying bodies) |
| Continuing Education | 75 hours every 5 years |
Fee Breakdown
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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North Dakota licenses "Licensed Registered Dietitian" and "Licensed Nutritionist" as two distinct credential types under the same board, each with its own qualifying exam pathway (CDR for LRD; a board-approved alternative such as the Board of Clinical Nutrition Specialists or American Clinical Board of Nutrition for LN, in effect since August 1, 2021). The board's own composition requirement — three RD seats and one LN seat — reflects this as a genuine two-credential system rather than a single combined title.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does North Dakota require a dietitian license?
Yes. North Dakota licenses dietitians through the North Dakota Board of Dietetic Practice (NDBODP). The protected titles are Licensed Registered Dietitian (LRD), Licensed Nutritionist (LN).
Is the title "nutritionist" protected in North Dakota?
North Dakota licenses "Licensed Registered Dietitian" and "Licensed Nutritionist" as two distinct credential types under the same board, each with its own qualifying exam pathway (CDR for LRD; a board-approved alternative such as the Board of Clinical Nutrition Specialists or American Clinical Board of Nutrition for LN, in effect since August 1, 2021). The board's own composition requirement — three RD seats and one LN seat — reflects this as a genuine two-credential system rather than a single combined title.
Sources
Data last verified: 2026-07-22 | Source: North Dakota Board of Dietetic Practice — About / board composition