← The business of practice, every jurisdiction · California licensure
What California’s statute, administrative rules and chiropractic board publish on eight topics of running a practice, quoted as published, each with its citation as printed, its source and the date we read it. Read on 9 October 2026.
Advertising · Titles and claims · Prepaid care and financial arrangements · Discounts, free services and inducements · Record retention · Assistants and delegation · Corporate practice and ownership · Telehealth
Constructive educational publicity is encouraged, but the use by any licensee of advertising which contains misstatements, falsehoods, misrepresentations, distorted, sensational or fabulous statements, or which is intended or has a tendency to deceive the public or impose upon credulous or ignorant persons, constitutes grounds for the imposition of any of the following disciplinary penalties:§311. · www.chiro.ca.gov · regulations.pdf · read 9 October 2026
(a) Suspension of said licensee's right to practice in this State for a period not exceeding one (1) year.§311. · www.chiro.ca.gov · regulations.pdf · read 9 October 2026
(b) Placing said licensee upon probation.§311. · www.chiro.ca.gov · regulations.pdf · read 9 October 2026
(c) Taking such other action, excepting the revocation of said licensee's license, in relation to disciplining said licensee as the board in its discretion may deem proper.§311. · www.chiro.ca.gov · regulations.pdf · read 9 October 2026
(p) The use of advertising relating to chiropractic which violates section 17500 of the Business and Professions Code;§317. · www.chiro.ca.gov · regulations.pdf · read 9 October 2026
A duly licensed chiropractor may also advertise the use of the modalities authorized by this section as a part of a course of chiropractic treatment, but is not required to use all of the diagnostic and treatment modalities set forth in this section.§302. · www.chiro.ca.gov · regulations.pdf · read 9 October 2026
A chiropractor may not hold himself or herself out as being licensed as anything other than a chiropractor or as holding any other healing arts license or as practicing physical therapy or use the term “physical therapy” in advertising unless he or she holds another such license.§302. · www.chiro.ca.gov · regulations.pdf · read 9 October 2026
(x) The offer, advertisement, or substitution of a spinal manipulation for vaccination.§317. · www.chiro.ca.gov · regulations.pdf · read 9 October 2026
Any person who advertises or promotes, in any manner, the words “doctor” or “chiropractor”, the letters, prefixes or suffixes “Dr.” or “D.C.”, or any other word, title or letters indicating or implying that he or she is engaged in the practice of chiropractic, or who represents or holds himself or herself out as a doctor of chiropractic without having, at the time of so doing, a valid, unrevoked, or unsurrendered license, is in violation of the Chiropractic Initiative Act.§310.2. · www.chiro.ca.gov · regulations.pdf · read 9 October 2026
(7) A duly licensed chiropractor may only practice or attempt to practice or hold himself or herself out as practicing a system of chiropractic.§302. · www.chiro.ca.gov · regulations.pdf · read 9 October 2026
Any person who shall practice or attempt to practice chiropractic, or any person who shall buy, sell or fraudulently obtain a license to practice chiropractic, whether recorded or not, or who shall use the title "chiropractor" or "D.C." or any word or title to induce, or tending to induce belief that he or she is engaged in the practice or chiropractic, without first complying with the provisions of this act; "(or any licensee under this act who uses the word "doctor" or the prefix "Dr." without the word "chiropractor," or "D.C." immediately following his or her name) or the use of the letters "M.D." or the words "doctor of medicine," or the term "surgeon," or the term "physician," or the word "osteopath," or the letters "D.O." or any other letters, prefixes or suffixes, the use of which would indicate that he or she was practicing a profession for which he or she held no license from the State of California, or any person who shall violate any of the provisions of this act, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof shall be punished by a fine of not less than one hundred dollars ($100) and not more than seven hundred fifty dollars ($750), or by imprisonment in the county jail for not more than six months, or by both fine and imprisonment.§ 15. · www.chiro.ca.gov · initiative_act.shtml · read 9 October 2026
(s) The employment or use of persons known as cappers or steerers to obtain business;§317. · www.chiro.ca.gov · regulations.pdf · read 9 October 2026
(t) The offering, delivering, receiving or accepting of any rebate, refund, commission, preference, patronage, dividend, discount or other consideration as compensation or inducement for referring patients to any person;§317. · www.chiro.ca.gov · regulations.pdf · read 9 October 2026
(v) Entering into an agreement to waive, abrogate, or rebate the deductible and/or co-payment amounts of any insurance policy by forgiving any or all of any patient's obligation for payment thereunder, when used as an advertising and/or marketing procedure, unless the insurer is notified in writing of the fact of such waiver, abrogation, rebate, or forgiveness in each such instance.§317. · www.chiro.ca.gov · regulations.pdf · read 9 October 2026
In all insurance billings where a waiver of a deductible or a co-payment is intended as an advertising and/or marketing procedure, the chiropractor's statement and insurance billing shall contain the following statement:§317. · www.chiro.ca.gov · regulations.pdf · read 9 October 2026
I/WE WAIVE CO-PAYMENT AND/OR DEDUCTIBLES. IT IS MY/OUR INTENTION TO DO THE FOLLOWING: (Indicate one choice below)§317. · www.chiro.ca.gov · regulations.pdf · read 9 October 2026
Licensees may advertise that they will perform certain designated routine professional services free or at a discount if such advertising claims are truthful. However, no charge shall be made for any other professional services rendered or commodities provided to a patient during any office visit in which free or discounted services are offered or provided unless, prior to the accrual of any charges, the patient shall have been informed of the cost of such additional services and/or commodities and shall have agreed to pay for them.§319. · www.chiro.ca.gov · regulations.pdf · read 9 October 2026
For the purposes of this section, no separate charge shall be made for the professional evaluation of diagnostic tests or procedures which are provided free or without cost, or at a discount, whether such professional evaluation is made at the time of the initial office visit or at any later time.§319. · www.chiro.ca.gov · regulations.pdf · read 9 October 2026
(a) Chiropractic Patient Records. Each licensed chiropractor is required to maintain all active and inactive chiropractic patient records for five years from the date of the doctor's last treatment of the patient unless state or federal laws require a longer period of retention.§318. · www.chiro.ca.gov · regulations.pdf · read 9 October 2026
Active chiropractic records are all chiropractic records of patients treated within the last 12 months. Chiropractic patient records shall be classified as inactive when there has elapsed a period of more than 12 months since the date of the last patient treatment.§318. · www.chiro.ca.gov · regulations.pdf · read 9 October 2026
All chiropractic patient records shall be available to any representative of the Board upon presentation of patient's written consent or a valid legal order. Active chiropractic patient records shall be immediately available to any representative of the Board at the chiropractic office where the patient has been or is being treated. Inactive chiropractic patient records shall be available upon ten days notice to any representative of the Board. The location of said inactive records shall be reported immediately upon request.§318. · www.chiro.ca.gov · regulations.pdf · read 9 October 2026
Unlicensed individuals are not permitted to diagnose, analyze, or perform a chiropractic adjustment. An “unlicensed individual” is defined as any person, including a student or graduate of a chiropractic institution, who does not hold a valid California chiropractic license. An exemption is hereby created for student doctors participating in board approved preceptorship programs.§312. · www.chiro.ca.gov · regulations.pdf · read 9 October 2026
(a) Unlicensed individuals may take the history of a patient. However, this activity is separate from the consultation which at all times must be conducted by the licensed doctor.§312. · www.chiro.ca.gov · regulations.pdf · read 9 October 2026
(c) Unlicensed individuals may administer physical therapy treatments as an adjunct to chiropractic adjustment, provided the physical therapy treatment is conducted under the adequate supervision of a licensed Doctor of Chiropractic. Adequate supervision shall include all of the following:§312. · www.chiro.ca.gov · regulations.pdf · read 9 October 2026
(1) The doctor shall be present in the same chiropractic facility with the unlicensed individual at least fifty percent of any work week or portion thereof the said individual is on duty unless this requirement has been waived by the board. The doctor shall be readily available to the said individual at all other times for advice, assistance and instruction.§312. · www.chiro.ca.gov · regulations.pdf · read 9 October 2026
(2) The doctor shall initially examine and prepare a written treatment program for a patient prior to the providing of physical therapy treatment by the unlicensed individual.§312. · www.chiro.ca.gov · regulations.pdf · read 9 October 2026
(3) The doctor shall provide periodic reevaluation of the treatment program and of the individual's performance in relation to the patient. “Periodic reevaluation” shall mean at least once every thirty days the patient is under active care.§312. · www.chiro.ca.gov · regulations.pdf · read 9 October 2026
(4) The doctor shall perform and record an evaluation of the patient and his or her response to treatment at the termination thereof.§312. · www.chiro.ca.gov · regulations.pdf · read 9 October 2026
Unlicensed individuals who exceed the permitted scope of practice set forth in this regulation shall be in violation of Section 15 of the Chiropractic Act and shall be prohibited from applying for a California chiropractic license for such time as may be determined by the board. Student doctors participating in board approved preceptorship programs are not to be considered “unlicensed individuals” when working in said program.§312. · www.chiro.ca.gov · regulations.pdf · read 9 October 2026
No unlicensed individual may own a chiropractic practice regardless of the form in which the practice is established (individual ownership, partnership, corporation, etc.). This does not preclude a layperson from owning the facilities in which the practice is conducted, and the equipment provided. It does prohibit a layperson from being in a position of making and/or influencing decisions relating to diagnosis, or treatment of patients which are matters requiring chiropractic licensure.§312.1. · www.chiro.ca.gov · regulations.pdf · read 9 October 2026
In the event of the death of a chiropractic licensee, or the legal declaration of the mental incompetency of the licensee to practice, the unlicensed heirs or trustees of the chiropractor must dispose of the practice within six (6) months. At all times during that period the practice must be supervised by a licensed chiropractor. The board will consider a petition to extend this period if it is submitted within four (4) months after the death or the declaration of incompetence of the licensee, including identification of any extenuating circumstances that will prevent compliance.§312.2. · www.chiro.ca.gov · regulations.pdf · read 9 October 2026
(a) The shares of a chiropractic corporation may be issued only to a licensed person and may be transferred only to a licensed person or to the issuing corporation.§367.9. · www.chiro.ca.gov · regulations.pdf · read 9 October 2026
(e) No applicant corporation shall hold itself out or engage in nor shall it render any professional services unless and until a Certificate of Registration has been issued.§367.5. · www.chiro.ca.gov · regulations.pdf · read 9 October 2026
(b) Each chiropractic corporation shall file a special report, on a form provided by the Board, within 30 days of any change of the officers, directors, shareholders, employees rendering professional services, and articles of incorporation.§367.10. · www.chiro.ca.gov · regulations.pdf · read 9 October 2026
Nothing in the laws or rules relating to chiropractic corporations alters the duties and responsibilities of a licensed person to and professional relationships with his clients and others; nor do such laws or rules in any way impair the disciplinary powers of the State Board of Chiropractic Examiners over licensed persons; nor do such laws or rules impair any other law or rule pertaining to the standards of professional conduct of licensed persons.§367.3. · www.chiro.ca.gov · regulations.pdf · read 9 October 2026
Shown only where the jurisdiction publishes a provision specific to chiropractic.
not found Not read on 9 October 2026: www.chiro.ca.gov · opinion_20140210.pdf · scan; text layer is OCR. Not found in what we read on 9 October 2026. Pages read: www.chiro.ca.gov · initiative_act.shtml · www.chiro.ca.gov · regulations.pdf · www.chiro.ca.gov · index.shtml · www.chiro.ca.gov · faqs.shtml · www.chiro.ca.gov · prop_regs.shtml · www.chiro.ca.gov · guidelines.pdf · www.chiro.ca.gov · opinions_cases.shtml · www.chiro.ca.gov · opinion_20010201.pdf · www.chiro.ca.gov · opinion_19760826.pdf · www.chiro.ca.gov · opinion_19760121.pdf · www.chiro.ca.gov · tain_vs_bce.pdf · www.chiro.ca.gov · crees_vs_bce.pdf · www.chiro.ca.gov · people_vs_fowler.pdf · www.chiro.ca.gov · medboard_vs_bce.pdf. Searched the text of the Chiropractic Initiative Act, the board's consolidated rules and regulations (16 CCR §301 to §390.6), the board's laws, proposed-regulations and FAQ pages, its disciplinary guidelines and three of the four opinions it posts (the fourth is a scan with an OCR text layer) and the four court cases, for telehealth, telemedicine, electronic and remote; no chiropractic-specific provision on care delivered at a distance was found. The general telehealth statute in the Business and Professions Code is not cited by these documents and was not read. Absence in what we read is not absence in the jurisdiction's law. Absence in what we read is not absence in the jurisdiction’s law.The jurisdiction is the authority on everything here. These pages quote what the statute, the rules and the board publish and the date we read them; they do not interpret it. Laws and rules change. Confirm anything you intend to act on with the board.