Continuing Education Requirements

The Board believes that careful oversight of its continuing education requirements is important in implementing its mission and goals. Continuing education is a means for practitioners to stay abreast of current knowledge, practices and regulations -- thereby providing better services to consumers.

To renew an active license, licensees must complete continuing education (CE) hours. This CE must be submitted with the renewal fee before the expiration date. It is illegal to practice with an expired license. Licensees found to be practicing with an expired license are subject to disciplinary action.

When renewing an initial license that has been issued for less than two (2) years, below is the number of Board-approved CE hours that must be completed based on the number of months the license was issued:

Period of Initial Licensure Required CE Hours
13 to 16 months 35
17 to 20 months 40
21 to 23 months 45

Thereafter, all acupuncturists renewing their license are required to complete and list 50 hours of Board-approved continuing education courses on their renewal application and sign under penalty of perjury attesting to completion of the CE requirements..

Up to 50% of the CE requirement may be completed through distance education (online courses, correspondence courses, etc.) In addition, no more than five (5) hours of CE may be earned from courses in Category 2. Please note that although CE courses in Category 2 may be approved for more than five (5) hours of credit, only five (5) hours of credit may be reported for each renewal period. All licensees, except those renewing after their initial license that has been issued for less than two years, shall complete four (4) hours of CE in laws and ethics each renewal period. Each acupuncturist is required to retain records of all CE courses attended for a minimum of four (4) years.

If a licensee is not currently practicing in California and wishes to place their license on "Inactive Status," the licensee must contact the Board. Inactive licensees are required to submit the same renewal fee amount as active licensees ($500 for a 2-year renewal period); however, 'inactive' licensees are not required to complete the CE requirement (C.C.R. Title 16, section 1399.489.1). If the licensee would like to reactivate the license, the licensee must contact the Board to determine the number of CE hours and the fee required to be submitted before the license can become active.