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Virginia

Chiropractors in Virginia are licensed by the Virginia Board of Medicine.

What the board and the law publish

Each field carries its own source and the date it was checked. A field marked not published means the board's own pages were read and do not address it. Absence in what we checked is not absence at the board. A field marked unverified says what was attempted.

State
published Virginia, a state. Under Code of Virginia § 54.1-2929, no person shall practice chiropractic without a license from the Board of Medicine.Source: https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title54.1/chapter29/section54.1-2929/ · checked 2026-10-05
Licensing body
published Virginia Board of Medicine, the name the board uses on its own site. The board sits within the Virginia Department of Health Professions. The Code of Virginia names it the Board of Medicine (§ 54.1-2900 and § 54.1-2929). The board licenses several professions; chiropractic is one of them.Source: https://www.dhp.virginia.gov/Boards/Medicine/ · https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title54.1/chapter29/section54.1-2900/ · https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title54.1/chapter29/section54.1-2929/ · checked 2026-10-05
Statutory authority
published The act is Code of Virginia Title 54.1, Chapter 29, Medicine and Other Healing Arts (§ 54.1-2900 et seq.). The rules are 18VAC85-20, Regulations Governing the Practice of Medicine, Osteopathic Medicine, Podiatry, and Chiropractic. The board's Laws & Regulations page links both. Relevant sections: § 54.1-2900, definitions, including the practice of chiropractic; § 54.1-2901, exceptions and exemptions; § 54.1-2913.1, acceptance of other examinations; § 54.1-2927, endorsement and temporary authorization; § 54.1-2928.3 and § 54.1-2928.4, continuing education; § 54.1-2929, licenses required; § 54.1-2930, requirements for licensure; § 54.1-2931, examinations; § 54.1-2936.1, endorsement of foreign chiropractors; § 54.1-2937, temporary licenses to interns and residents. In the rules: 18VAC85-20-120 and -121 (Part III, education); -140 and -141 (Part IV, examinations and endorsement); -220 (Part V, interns and residents); -235 (Part VI, continued competency).Source: https://www.dhp.virginia.gov/Boards/Medicine/PractitionerResources/LawsRegulations/ · https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title54.1/chapter29/ · https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincode/title18/agency85/chapter20/ · https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title54.1/chapter29/section54.1-2900/ · https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title54.1/chapter29/section54.1-2901/ · https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title54.1/chapter29/section54.1-2913.1/ · https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title54.1/chapter29/section54.1-2927/ · https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title54.1/chapter29/section54.1-2928.3/ · https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title54.1/chapter29/section54.1-2928.4/ · https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title54.1/chapter29/section54.1-2929/ · https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title54.1/chapter29/section54.1-2930/ · https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title54.1/chapter29/section54.1-2931/ · https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title54.1/chapter29/section54.1-2936.1/ · https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title54.1/chapter29/section54.1-2937/ · https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincodefull/title18/agency85/chapter20/partIII/ · https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincodefull/title18/agency85/chapter20/partIV/ · https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincodefull/title18/agency85/chapter20/partV/ · https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincodefull/title18/agency85/chapter20/partVI/ · checked 2026-10-05
Degree requirement
published Under 18VAC85-20-120, every applicant for licensure shall Meet the educational requirements specified in 18VAC85-20-121 or 18VAC85-20-122. 18VAC85-20-121 is headed Educational requirements: graduates of approved institutions. For licensure in chiropractic, it sets the accreditor by the date you matriculated (18VAC85-20-121 C). If you matriculated in a chiropractic college on or after July 1, 1975, you shall be a graduate of a chiropractic college accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the Council of Chiropractic Education or any other organization approved by the board. If you matriculated before July 1, 1975, you shall be a graduate of a chiropractic college accredited by the American Chiropractic Association or the International Chiropractic Association or any other organization approved by the board. The board's application instructions carry the same text. 18VAC85-20-122 is headed Educational requirements: graduates and former students of institutions not approved by an accrediting agency recognized by the board. The statute provides that the Board may issue a license to any candidate who, among other conditions, has successfully completed all or such part as may be prescribed by the Board of an educational course of study of the branch of the healing arts in which the candidate desires a license, where the course of study and the educational institution providing it are acceptable to the Board (§ 54.1-2930(3)). The statute's requirement of at least 12 months of satisfactory postgraduate training does not apply to chiropractic applicants: Applicants for licensure in chiropractic need not fulfill this requirement (§ 54.1-2930(4)). The board's pages and the statute and regulation sections cited name no pre-chiropractic (prior college) education requirement.18VAC85-20-121 C 2 and the board's instructions write Council of Chiropractic Education. The same regulation writes Council on Chiropractic Education in 18VAC85-20-220 F and 18VAC85-20-235 A 1.Source: https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincodefull/title18/agency85/chapter20/partIII/ · https://www.license.dhp.virginia.gov/apply/Forms/medicine/Chiro_instruct_forms.pdf · https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title54.1/chapter29/section54.1-2930/ · https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincodefull/title18/agency85/chapter20/partV/ · https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincodefull/title18/agency85/chapter20/partVI/ · https://www.dhp.virginia.gov/Boards/Medicine/ApplicantResources/ApplyforLicense/Chiropractor/ · checked 2026-10-05
Student practice before licensure
published The act's exceptions section (§ 54.1-2901) names no student or chiropractic-trainee exemption. The statute's temporary license for interns and residents (§ 54.1-2937) names medicine, osteopathic medicine, or podiatry, and does not name chiropractic. The regulation on temporary licenses to interns and residents (18VAC85-20-220) opens An intern or resident applying for a temporary license to practice in Virginia shall: and names no profession there; subsection F names the Council on Chiropractic Education among the accrediting bodies it lists. The section does not otherwise name chiropractic, and does not state whether a chiropractic intern or resident may hold a temporary license. The board's application instructions tell applicants: Do not begin practice until you have been notified of approval.Source: https://www.license.dhp.virginia.gov/apply/Forms/medicine/Chiro_instruct_forms.pdf · https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title54.1/chapter29/section54.1-2901/ · https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title54.1/chapter29/section54.1-2937/ · https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincodefull/title18/agency85/chapter20/partV/ · checked 2026-10-05
NBCE parts required
published 18VAC85-20-140 D sets the NBCE parts by graduation date. It states that a doctor of chiropractic who has met the requirements of one of the following may be accepted for licensure. If you graduated after January 31, 1996, you shall document successful completion of Parts I through IV. If you graduated from January 31, 1991, to January 31, 1996, you shall document successful completion of Parts I, II, and III. If you graduated from July 1, 1965, to January 31, 1991, you shall document successful completion of Parts I, II, and III, or Parts I and II and the Special Purpose Examination for Chiropractic (SPEC), and document evidence of licensure in another state for at least two years immediately preceding application. If you graduated before July 1, 1965, you shall document successful completion of the SPEC and document evidence of licensure in another state for at least two years immediately preceding application. The statute states that the examination of chiropractic candidates shall include the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners Examinations and such other examinations as determined by the Board (§ 54.1-2931 B). The board's Chiropractor page asks applicants to request from the NBCE a certified copy of grades on the National Board examination or the SPEC.The regulation writes Parts I through IV; the board's instructions (revised 01/25) write Parts I, II, III, and IV and have no comma after 1996.Source: https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincodefull/title18/agency85/chapter20/partIV/ · https://www.license.dhp.virginia.gov/apply/Forms/medicine/Chiro_instruct_forms.pdf · https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title54.1/chapter29/section54.1-2931/ · https://www.dhp.virginia.gov/Boards/Medicine/ApplicantResources/ApplyforLicense/Chiropractor/ · checked 2026-10-05
State-specific exam
not published None published. The board's pages, its application instructions, and Code of Virginia §§ 54.1-2913.1, 54.1-2930 and 54.1-2931 and 18VAC85-20 Parts III and IV name no Virginia state-specific chiropractic examination. The statute states that the chiropractic examination shall include the NBCE examinations and such other examinations as determined by the Board (§ 54.1-2931 B). The regulation's chiropractic provision (18VAC85-20-140 D) names NBCE parts and the SPEC and no other examination.Read on 2026-10-05: the board's Chiropractor application page; the board's application instructions; the board's Laws & Regulations page; the board's Practitioner FAQ and About-the-Board FAQ; Code of Virginia § 54.1-2930, § 54.1-2931 and § 54.1-2913.1; 18VAC85-20 Parts III and IV.Source: https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title54.1/chapter29/section54.1-2931/ · https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincodefull/title18/agency85/chapter20/partIV/ · https://www.dhp.virginia.gov/Boards/Medicine/ApplicantResources/ApplyforLicense/Chiropractor/ · https://www.license.dhp.virginia.gov/apply/Forms/medicine/Chiro_instruct_forms.pdf · https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title54.1/chapter29/section54.1-2913.1/ · https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title54.1/chapter29/section54.1-2930/ · https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincodefull/title18/agency85/chapter20/partIII/ · https://www.dhp.virginia.gov/Boards/Medicine/PractitionerResources/LawsRegulations/ · https://www.dhp.virginia.gov/Boards/Medicine/PractitionerResources/FAQ/ · https://www.dhp.virginia.gov/Boards/Medicine/AbouttheBoard/FAQ/ · checked 2026-10-05
Jurisprudence requirement
not published None published. The board's pages, its application instructions, Code of Virginia §§ 54.1-2930 and 54.1-2931, and 18VAC85-20 Parts I, III, IV, V and VI name no law, rules or jurisprudence examination for chiropractic licensure.Read on 2026-10-05: the board's Chiropractor application page; the board's application instructions; the board's Laws & Regulations page; the board's Practitioner FAQ and About-the-Board FAQ; Code of Virginia § 54.1-2930 and § 54.1-2931; 18VAC85-20 Parts I, III, IV, V and VI.Source: https://www.dhp.virginia.gov/Boards/Medicine/ApplicantResources/ApplyforLicense/Chiropractor/ · https://www.license.dhp.virginia.gov/apply/Forms/medicine/Chiro_instruct_forms.pdf · https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincodefull/title18/agency85/chapter20/partIV/ · https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title54.1/chapter29/section54.1-2930/ · https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title54.1/chapter29/section54.1-2931/ · https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincodefull/title18/agency85/chapter20/partI/ · https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincodefull/title18/agency85/chapter20/partIII/ · https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincodefull/title18/agency85/chapter20/partV/ · https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincodefull/title18/agency85/chapter20/partVI/ · https://www.dhp.virginia.gov/Boards/Medicine/PractitionerResources/LawsRegulations/ · https://www.dhp.virginia.gov/Boards/Medicine/PractitionerResources/FAQ/ · https://www.dhp.virginia.gov/Boards/Medicine/AbouttheBoard/FAQ/ · checked 2026-10-05
Scope: what is included
published Code of Virginia § 54.1-2900 defines the practice of chiropractic as the adjustment of the 24 movable vertebrae of the spinal column, and assisting nature for the purpose of normalizing the transmission of nerve energy. The practice includes requesting, receiving and reviewing a patient's medical and physical history, and documenting in the patient's record the patient's condition and symptoms, the examination and evaluation of the patient made by the doctor of chiropractic, and treatment provided to the patient by the doctor of chiropractic. It further includes recommending or directing patients on the use of vitamins, minerals, or food supplements. It also includes performing the physical examination of an applicant for a commercial driver's license or commercial learner's permit, if you have applied for and received certification as a medical examiner under 49 C.F.R. Part 390, Subpart D and registered with the National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners.Source: https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title54.1/chapter29/section54.1-2900/ · checked 2026-10-05
  • "Practice of chiropractic" means the adjustment of the 24 movable vertebrae of the spinal column, and assisting nature for the purpose of normalizing the transmission of nerve energy, but does not include the use of surgery, obstetrics, osteopathy, or the administration or prescribing of any drugs, medicines, serums, or vaccines. law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title54.1/chapter29/section54.1-2900/
  • "Practice of chiropractic" includes (i) requesting, receiving, and reviewing a patient's medical and physical history, including information related to past surgical and nonsurgical treatment of the patient and controlled substances prescribed to the patient, and (ii) documenting in a patient's record information related to the condition and symptoms of the patient, the examination and evaluation of the patient made by the doctor of chiropractic, and treatment provided to the patient by the doctor of chiropractic. law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title54.1/chapter29/section54.1-2900/
  • "Practice of chiropractic" further includes recommending or directing patients on the use of vitamins, minerals, or food supplements. law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title54.1/chapter29/section54.1-2900/
  • "Practice of chiropractic" also includes performing the physical examination of an applicant for a commercial driver's license or commercial learner's permit pursuant to § 46.2-341.12 if the practitioner has (a) applied for and received certification as a medical examiner pursuant to 49 C.F.R. Part 390, Subpart D and (b) registered with the National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners. law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title54.1/chapter29/section54.1-2900/
Scope: what is excluded
published Code of Virginia § 54.1-2900, in the definition of the practice of chiropractic.Source: https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title54.1/chapter29/section54.1-2900/ · checked 2026-10-05
Continuing education
published To renew an active license biennially, you shall attest to completion of at least 30 hours of continuing learning activities within the two years immediately preceding renewal. The hours shall be in Type 1 activities or courses offered by an accredited sponsor or organization sanctioned by the profession. Type 1 hours in chiropractic shall be clinical hours approved by a college or university accredited by the Council on Chiropractic Education or any other organization approved by the board. You are exempt for the first biennial renewal following initial licensure in Virginia. You shall retain all supporting documentation for six years following renewal. These provisions are in 18VAC85-20-235, and the board's chiropractic continuing-education page carries the same text. The board may grant extensions and exemptions in the circumstances 18VAC85-20-235 E–G set out. By statute, the Board may require any licensee to complete up to two hours of the required Type 1 hours in a specific subject area (§ 54.1-2928.3). Any licensee of the Board shall complete bias reduction training, which shall be required for every biennial renewal; the statute directs the Board to promulgate regulations for it (§ 54.1-2928.4, 2026 Acts). The statute and the board's pages do not state whether those regulations are yet in effect. The board's homepage announces a human trafficking continuing-education requirement; the homepage does not state whether it applies to chiropractors.The board's Guidance Documents page lists guidance document 85-4, Continuing Education for chiropractors acceptable to the Board.Source: https://www.dhp.virginia.gov/Boards/Medicine/PractitionerResources/ContinuingEducation/Chiropractic/ · https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincodefull/title18/agency85/chapter20/partVI/ · https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title54.1/chapter29/section54.1-2928.3/ · https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title54.1/chapter29/section54.1-2928.4/ · https://www.dhp.virginia.gov/Boards/Medicine/PractitionerResources/GuidanceDocuments/ · https://www.dhp.virginia.gov/Boards/Medicine/ · checked 2026-10-05
Endorsement or reciprocity
published Virginia law sets out several routes for applicants licensed or certified elsewhere. Each route in the statute is discretionary (the Board may issue or accept), and none is described as reciprocity. Under § 54.1-2927 A, the Board, in its discretion, may issue certificates or licenses upon endorsement by boards or other appropriate authorities of other states or territories or the District of Columbia with which reciprocal relations have not been established, if your credentials are satisfactory and the examinations and passing grades required by such other boards are fully equal to those required by the Virginia Board. Under the same subsection, the Board may issue certificates or licenses to holders of national board certificates if their credentials, schools of graduation and national board examinations and results are acceptable to the Board. In lieu of any or all parts of the examinations it prescribes, the Board may accept a certificate issued by a state board during or after 1970 attesting to your satisfactory completion of all requirements to practice medicine, osteopathy, podiatry or chiropractic in that state, if you have a current and unrestricted license to practice in another state and a current specialty certificate acceptable to the Board (§ 54.1-2913.1(2)). Under § 54.1-2936.1 (2026 Acts), the Board may issue a license to practice chiropractic to an applicant who meets all of its conditions: a degree in chiropractic from an institution outside the United States accredited by the appropriate national or regional accrediting organization recognized in that country; a current, unrestricted license to practice chiropractic issued by a foreign jurisdiction whose educational and professional standards are substantially equivalent to those of the Commonwealth, as determined by the Board, or such a license previously held and not revoked, suspended, or otherwise restricted as a result of disciplinary action; at least two years of active chiropractic practice; no history of professional discipline, impairment, or criminal conviction that would pose a risk to the health and safety of patients; legal authorization to reside and work in the United States; and passing NBCE Parts I, II, and III and the Special Purposes Examination for Chiropractic. The regulation's general licensure-by-endorsement section (18VAC85-20-141) requires, among other things, current certification by one of a list of specialty bodies; the list names no chiropractic body, and the section does not state whether it applies to chiropractors. If you are licensed in another state or jurisdiction, the board's Chiropractor page asks for jurisdiction clearance (license verification) and an NPDB self-query. Under 18VAC85-20-140 D 3 and D 4, if you graduated before July 1, 1965, or from July 1, 1965, to January 31, 1991, you shall also document licensure in another state for at least two years immediately preceding application (see NBCE parts).Source: https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title54.1/chapter29/section54.1-2927/ · https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title54.1/chapter29/section54.1-2913.1/ · https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title54.1/chapter29/section54.1-2936.1/ · https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincodefull/title18/agency85/chapter20/partIV/ · https://www.dhp.virginia.gov/Boards/Medicine/ApplicantResources/ApplyforLicense/Chiropractor/ · checked 2026-10-05
Summary
published In Virginia, chiropractors are licensed by the Board of Medicine, which also licenses other professions, and no person shall practice chiropractic without its license (§ 54.1-2929). Every applicant shall meet the educational requirements of 18VAC85-20-121 or 18VAC85-20-122 (18VAC85-20-120); under 18VAC85-20-121, which covers graduates of approved institutions, if you matriculated on or after July 1, 1975, you shall be a graduate of a chiropractic college accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the Council of Chiropractic Education or any other organization approved by the board; the board's pages, the statute and the regulation sections cited name no pre-chiropractic education requirement. A doctor of chiropractic who meets one of the graduation-date routes in 18VAC85-20-140 D may be accepted for licensure: if you graduated after January 31, 1996, you shall document successful completion of NBCE Parts I through IV; earlier graduation dates carry other parts or the SPEC, and if you graduated before July 1, 1965, or from July 1, 1965, to January 31, 1991, you shall also document licensure in another state for at least two years immediately preceding application. The sources cited name no state-specific exam, while the statute provides that the chiropractic examination shall include the NBCE examinations and such other examinations as determined by the Board (§ 54.1-2931 B); they name no jurisprudence exam. The statute's exceptions section and its temporary license for interns and residents name no provision letting a chiropractic student or unlicensed graduate practice before licensure; the regulation on temporary licenses to interns and residents (18VAC85-20-220) names the Council on Chiropractic Education among the accrediting bodies it lists and does not state whether a chiropractic intern or resident may hold such a license; and the board's instructions tell applicants not to begin practice until notified of approval. Code of Virginia § 54.1-2900 defines the practice of chiropractic and what it does not include. To renew an active license biennially, you shall attest to completion of at least 30 hours of continuing learning activities within the two years immediately preceding renewal, and you are exempt for the first biennial renewal following initial licensure in Virginia. By statute, any licensee of the Board shall also complete bias reduction training for every biennial renewal, and the Board shall promulgate regulations requiring that the continuing education requirements for renewal of licensure shall include completion of such bias reduction training (§ 54.1-2928.4); the statute and the board's pages do not state whether those regulations are yet in effect. Each route in the statute for applicants licensed or certified elsewhere is discretionary, with its own conditions, and none is described as reciprocity.Source: https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title54.1/chapter29/section54.1-2929/ · https://www.dhp.virginia.gov/Boards/Medicine/ · https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincodefull/title18/agency85/chapter20/partIII/ · https://www.license.dhp.virginia.gov/apply/Forms/medicine/Chiro_instruct_forms.pdf · https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title54.1/chapter29/section54.1-2930/ · https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincodefull/title18/agency85/chapter20/partV/ · https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincodefull/title18/agency85/chapter20/partVI/ · https://www.dhp.virginia.gov/Boards/Medicine/ApplicantResources/ApplyforLicense/Chiropractor/ · https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincodefull/title18/agency85/chapter20/partIV/ · https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title54.1/chapter29/section54.1-2931/ · https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title54.1/chapter29/section54.1-2913.1/ · https://www.dhp.virginia.gov/Boards/Medicine/PractitionerResources/LawsRegulations/ · https://www.dhp.virginia.gov/Boards/Medicine/PractitionerResources/FAQ/ · https://www.dhp.virginia.gov/Boards/Medicine/AbouttheBoard/FAQ/ · https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title54.1/chapter29/section54.1-2901/ · https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title54.1/chapter29/section54.1-2937/ · https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title54.1/chapter29/section54.1-2900/ · https://www.dhp.virginia.gov/Boards/Medicine/PractitionerResources/ContinuingEducation/Chiropractic/ · https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title54.1/chapter29/section54.1-2928.4/ · https://www.dhp.virginia.gov/Boards/Medicine/PractitionerResources/GuidanceDocuments/ · https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title54.1/chapter29/section54.1-2927/ · https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title54.1/chapter29/section54.1-2936.1/ · https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincodefull/title18/agency85/chapter20/partI/ · https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title54.1/chapter29/section54.1-2928.3/ · checked 2026-10-05

Recorded limit. The Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards publishes a record for each board at https://www.fclb.org/. That site returned HTTP 403 to us when checked on 2026-10-04, so its record could not be read.

The board is the authority on everything here. Requirements change. Confirm anything you intend to act on with the board directly.

Cite this entry. Virginia licensure. In The Kaleidoscope. ChiroTrack. Last verified 5 October 2026. https://kaleidoscope.thechirotrack.com/licensure-virginia.html. Accessed ________.

Corrections to this entry: none · If this is your institution: how this entry was sourced, and how to correct it