How Do I Apply for a Chiropractic License?

Documentation and questions may be submitted by email: plpublic@idph.iowa.gov.

1. Official transcripts conferring a degree in chiropractic from a board-approved chiropractic school accredited by the Council for Chiropractic Education. If the applicant was trained in a foreign country, please contact the Board office for information about how to provide proof of equivalent education, AND
2. Certificate of completion of 120 hours of physiotherapy at a board approved chiropractic college  which includes a practicum component.

NBCE examination scores (Parts I, II, III, IV, and Physiotherapy) sent directly from NBCE to the Chiropractic Board Office. If the NBCE exam was taken prior to 1996, contact the Board office for information about what must be provided.

Applicants that have been previously licensed, registered or certified in any other state must provide official verification of licensure in the other state(s). The license verification must include license issue date, expiration date and any pending or past disciplinary action. The verification may be printed from another state licensing board’s website if it contains all of the required information. If web based verification is not available, the verification must be send directly to the Board office by the state(s) where the applicant has been licensed, registered, or certified. If the applicant has
never been licensed in another state, ignore this item.

If the applicant has ever been licensed in another state he/ she must also provide:

1. Proof of completion of 40 hours of continuing education, which meets Iowa specific criteria, during the immediately preceding two-year period, OR
2. Proof of practice as a licensed chiropractic physician for a minimum of one year during the immediately preceding two-year period, OR
3. Proof of the equivalent of one year as a full-time faculty member teaching chiropractic in an accredited chiropractic college for at least one of the immediately preceding two years, OR
4. Proof of graduation from a board-approved chiropractic college within the immediately preceding two years from the date the application for licensure is received in the Iowa Board office.

Applicants that are unable to provide any of this information must submit both proof of 40 hours of board-approved continuing education and verification of passing the Special Purpose Examination for Chiropractic within one year prior to submission of application for licensure in Iowa.