Texas 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 →

Texas licenses dietitians under the Licensed Dietitian Act (Occupations Code Chapter 701), administered by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR). Anyone using the title "licensed dietitian" or "LD" — in person or via telehealth — must hold a TDLR-issued license, which requires passing both the national CDR exam and a Texas-specific jurisprudence exam.

Texas Dietitian License Requirements

Licensing Authority	Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR)
Protected Title	LD
Education	Baccalaureate or higher degree with a major in dietetics or a closely related field — 900 supervised-practice hours
Exam	CDR Registration Examination for Dietitians, plus the Texas Jurisprudence Examination (Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR); jurisprudence exam administered for TDLR)
Continuing Education	12 hours every 2 years
Endorsement (CDR/RD holders)	Per TDLR's dietitian program page, holders of a current CDR registration have already met Texas's educational, experience, and (CDR) examination requirements and need only pass the Texas Jurisprudence Examination and submit a TDLR application — functioning as an endorsement pathway for CDR/RD holders.

Fee Breakdown

Application Fee	$108
Initial License Fee	$108
Renewal Fee (every 2 years)	$90

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 Texas?

Confirmed directly against the statutory text (via the Texas.Public.Law code mirror): Occupations Code §701.002 (Definitions) defines "licensed dietitian," "nutrition assessment," "nutrition counseling," and "nutrition services," but does not define "nutritionist"; §701.251 (License Required; Commission Registration — the chapter's prohibited-acts/title-protection section) restricts only "licensed dietitian"/"LD," "provisional licensed dietitian"/"PLD," and "registered dietitian"/"RD" (the CDR-registration-backed title). "Nutritionist" appears nowhere in either section, so Texas does not separately license or regulate the "nutritionist" title.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Texas require a dietitian license?

Yes. Texas licenses dietitians through the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR). The protected title is LD.

How much does a dietitian license cost in Texas?

The application/initial license fee is $108, with a $90 renewal fee every 2 years.

Is the title "nutritionist" protected in Texas?

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

Per TDLR's dietitian program page, holders of a current CDR registration have already met Texas's educational, experience, and (CDR) examination requirements and need only pass the Texas Jurisprudence Examination and submit a TDLR application — functioning as an endorsement pathway for CDR/RD holders.

Sources

Data last verified: 2026-07-22 | Source: TDLR — Dietitians program overview