Washington 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 →
Washington regulates dietitians and nutritionists under RCW 18.138 and WAC 246-822, administered by the Washington State Department of Health (DOH). Although the statute uses "certification" rather than "licensure" as its term of art, DOH runs an actual application/exam-verification/issuance/annual-renewal process with its own fee schedule and the state's Uniform Disciplinary Act applies — a genuine regulatory license under this project's classification test, not mere title protection. Washington uniquely protects "Certified Dietitian" and "Certified Nutritionist" as two separate credentials with different education pathways, rather than a single combined title.
Washington Dietitian License Requirements
| Licensing Authority | Washington State Department of Health (DOH) |
| Protected Titles | Certified Dietitian (CD), Certified Nutritionist (CN) |
| Education | Certified Dietitian pathway: baccalaureate degree or higher with a major course of study in human nutrition, foods and nutrition, dietetics, or food management. Certified Nutritionist pathway: either meets the dietitian requirements above, or holds a master's or doctorate degree in human nutrition, nutrition education, foods and nutrition, or public health nutrition from an accredited institution. — 900 supervised-practice hours |
| Exam | CDR Registration Examination for Dietitians (Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR)) |
| Continuing Education | Not required |
| Endorsement (CDR/RD holders) | RCW 18.138.050 ("Certification without examination") allows the Secretary of Health to certify an applicant for the "certified dietitian" title without examination if the applicant is already licensed or certified as a dietitian in another jurisdiction whose requirements are, in the Secretary's judgment, equivalent to or greater than Washington's. |
Fee Breakdown
| Renewal Fee (every 1 year) | $45 |
Related & additional fees
Separate or situational costs — not part of the standard initial application.
| HEAL-WA online library surcharge (added to renewal) | $16 |
| Late renewal penalty | $45 |
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 →
Mometrix · SponsoredDietitian Exam FlashcardsPortable flashcards for the high-frequency RD-exam topics — a cheaper add-on for drilling terms and definitions on the go.See the flashcards →Is “Nutritionist” a Protected Title in Washington?
RCW 18.138.020 independently protects both "certified dietitian"/"C.D."/"D." and "certified nutritionist"/"C.N." as distinct titles, and DOH's certification-requirements page confirms the Certified Nutritionist pathway has its own, separate graduate-degree qualification (master's or doctorate in human nutrition or a related field) that does not require CDR/RD registration the way the Certified Dietitian pathway does.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Washington require a dietitian license?
Yes. Washington licenses dietitians through the Washington State Department of Health (DOH). The protected titles are Certified Dietitian (CD), Certified Nutritionist (CN).
Is the title "nutritionist" protected in Washington?
RCW 18.138.020 independently protects both "certified dietitian"/"C.D."/"D." and "certified nutritionist"/"C.N." as distinct titles, and DOH's certification-requirements page confirms the Certified Nutritionist pathway has its own, separate graduate-degree qualification (master's or doctorate in human nutrition or a related field) that does not require CDR/RD registration the way the Certified Dietitian pathway does.
Can I get a Washington dietitian license by endorsement if I'm already a CDR-registered RD?
RCW 18.138.050 ("Certification without examination") allows the Secretary of Health to certify an applicant for the "certified dietitian" title without examination if the applicant is already licensed or certified as a dietitian in another jurisdiction whose requirements are, in the Secretary's judgment, equivalent to or greater than Washington's.
Sources
- Washington DOH — Dietitian and Nutritionist (program overview)
- Washington DOH — Dietitian and Nutritionist, Certification Requirements
- RCW 18.138.020 — Certification required; protected titles
- RCW 18.138.040 — Application procedures, requirements, fees
- RCW 18.138.050 — Certification without examination (endorsement)
Data last verified: 2026-07-22 | Source: Washington DOH — Dietitian and Nutritionist (program overview)