The Minnesota Board of Chiropractic Examiners requires primary source verification directly from any institutions providing education and/or certification. The Board relies on such credentials prior to granting licensure in the state of Minnesota. A review of credentials includes (but may not be limited to): historical and educational information; a review of the nationalized data bank for discipline against chiropractors in the United States (when applicable); pre-professional transcripts; professional transcripts; National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (or equivalent) Examination transcripts; and license verification from other states (when applicable.) Transcripts and verification must be transmitted directly from the issuing authority to the Board.  The Board will not accept any education transcripts, license certifications or examination results that passed through the candidates possession at any time.  

As of January 1, 2018, all applicants for licensure must undergo a fingerprint based Criminal Background Check (CBC) through the BCA and FBI as part of the application process. The related fee will be included along with your application fee. 

As of May 23, 2019, any license that has lapsed for more than one year, shall also complete a fingerprint based Criminal Background Check (CBC) as part of the application or reinstatement process. The related fee will be included along with your application fee.  

See the CBC tab for more information.

In order to be authorized to practice chiropractic in the State of Minnesota, a person must receive a license from the Board by meeting the following requirements:*

• Completion of 1/2 of all academic credits required for a baccalaureate degree in appropriate subject matter (including related sciences)
• Graduation from a college of chiropractic which is accredited by the Council on Chiropractic Education or another agency appropriately approved by the U.S. Department of Education
• Successful completion of the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners Part I, Part II, Part III, Physiotherapy, and Part IV Practical Examinations **
• Successful completion of the Board Jurisprudence Examination
• Complete a Criminal Background Check (see CBC tab for more information)
• Completion of an application for licensure
• Payment of application fees

* These requirements are subject to change through appropriate legislative or rulemaking procedures. The material above is purely informational. The specific requirements for licensure can be found in Minnesota Statutes 148.06, and Minnesota Rules 2500.0700, 2500.0720, and 2500.1000

** Portions of the academic requirements, such as Part IV of the National Board exam, may be waived if the board determines that the applicant has the qualifications equivalent to those required of other applicants.  See "Transfer from Another State" below.

The following persons may be exempt from the license requirement per Minnesota Statute 148.105, Subd 5:

(1) a student practicing under the direct supervision of a preceptor while the student is enrolled in and regularly attending a recognized chiropractic college or chiropractic program;

(2) a student who is in continuing training and performing the duties of an intern or resident or engaged in postgraduate work considered by the board to be the equivalent of an internship or residency in any institution approved for training by the board;

(3) a doctor of chiropractic licensed in another state or jurisdiction who is in actual consultation in Minnesota;

(4) a doctor of chiropractic licensed in another state or jurisdiction who is in this state for the sole purpose of providing chiropractic services at a competitive athletic event. The doctor of chiropractic may practice chiropractic only on participants in the athletic event;

(5) a doctor of chiropractic licensed in another state or jurisdiction whose duties are entirely of a research, public health, or educational character and while directly engaged in such duties, and who is employed in a scientific, sanitary, or teaching capacity by: (i) an accredited institution; (ii) a public or private school, college, or other bona fide educational institution; (iii) a nonprofit organization which has tax-exempt status in accordance with the Internal Revenue Code, section 501(c)(3), and is organized and operated primarily for the purpose of conducting scientific research; or (iv) the state department of health;

(6) a doctor of chiropractic licensed in another state or jurisdiction who treats the doctor of chiropractic's home state patients or other participating patients while the doctor of chiropractic and those patients are participating together in outdoor recreation in this state as defined by section 86A.03, subdivision 3; and

(7) a person licensed in another state or jurisdiction who is a commissioned officer of, a member of, or employed by the armed forces of the United States, the United States Public Health Service, the Veterans Administration, any federal institution, or any federal agency while engaged in the performance of official duties within this state.

1. The applicant shall have earned at least one-half of all academic credits required for awarding of a baccalaureate degree from the University of Minnesota, or other university, college or community college of equal standing, in subject matter determined by the board*, ** 
   
   
2. Passed a four-year resident course of at least eight months each in a school or college of chiropractic or in a chiropractic program that is accredited by the Council on Chiropractic Education, is accredited by an agency approved by the United States Office of Education or their successors as of January 1, 1988, or is approve by a Council on Chiropractic Education member organization of the Council on Chiropractic International.*

The following steps are for individuals who have never held a Minnesota Doctor of Chiropractic License.

1. Register an Online Account with the board
2. Submit an Online Application and Payment
3. Arrange for Official Transcripts from your undergraduate, graduate, and all other schools to be sent directly from the institution to the MBCE
4. Arrange for the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE) to send an official transcript of your scores to the MBCE
5. Complete a fingerprint based Criminal Background Check
6. If licensed elsewhere (in any licensed profession), arrange to have a license verification sent directly from the regulatory agency to the MBCE
7. After all other steps have been completed, you will be approved to take the Board's Jurisprudence examination, the final step

Apply Online

The Minnesota Board of Chiropractic Examiners (MBCE) approves eligible applicants for licensure on the 1st of every month.  All items listed above, as well as any additional items the MBCE deems necessary, are due by midnight on the fourth business day prior to the end of the month.  (No exceptions.)

October, November, and December applicants:  
If you are applying for licensure at the end of the calendar year, and would prefer to be licensed on January 1 of the next year, to avoid a renewal payment on December 31; you must notify the MBCE in writing prior to issuance of your license

Applicants who have a lapsed Minnesota DC license, please visit our website at "Reinstate Your License" to view requirements for the reinstatement of your Minnesota license.  

Note, any license that is lapsed for longer than one year will require completion of a fingerprint based Criminal Background Check (CBC) through the FBI and BCA.  See the CBC tab. 

Your application will be reviewed by a Board Committee. Assuming there are no special considerations (that is evaluation of previous discipline, or something of that nature,) your application will be processed as any other new license application. If there are previous issues related to investigations or discipline, that information will have to be supplied to the Board committee for the review. If they recommend approval, then the application will continue processing. Part of this processing includes the taking of a jurisprudence examination (an examination on Minnesota's laws regarding chiropractic practice.) The applicable laws, and the jurisprudence exam will be automatically sent to you, when the committee approves processing. You must complete the examination (and attached affidavit) and return them to the Board.

No, but you will be required to provide complete disclosure of the problem to the Board's committee for review. If the committee recommends normal processing, than that is what will occur. If the committee recommends denial, then the full Board will be required to take action. It should be noted that even if the Board denies approval by transfer, the candidate may still have the ability to become licensed through the normal application and examination channels.

There are too many variables (most in the hands of the applicant) to give a precise timeline. However, once all materials are available to the Board, they are reviewed by the next regularly scheduled committee meeting (usually within the month.) An application which has all materials, including the committee review (with recommendation for continued processing), completed by three business days prior to the end of the month, will be licensed on the 1st day of the following month.

Below is a list of some of the fees you may encounter as a Doctor of Chiropractic in Minnesota.   

• Doctor of Chiropractic Application Fee = $300.00
• Criminal Background Check Fee (upon application or reinstatement) = $32.00
• Active License Renewal Fee = $250.00
• Inactive License Renewal Fee = $187.50
• CE Audit Penalty Fees
      $100.00 (first offense)
      $200.00 (second offense)
      $900.00 (third and additional offenses)

• DC Application for Inactive Status
• DC Application for Active from Inactive
• DC Application to Voluntarily Retire
• DC Application for Retired to Emeritus
• DC Application for Active from Retired

Active and Inactive licenses must be renewed annually on or before December 31 of each year. Renewal notices are emailed mid-November, when the renewal system has been opened.  To ensure that the Renewal Notices and Renewal Reminders are received, and per Minn. R. 2500.1150, Doctors of Chiropractic must keep the Board advised of their current address and email within 30 days of any change.

License renewal requires completion of the appropriate continuing education prior to completion of the online renewal. Failure to renewal prior to December 31, will result in the expiration of the license as of January 1 and penalty fees per Minn. R. 2500.1100. Continued failure to renew the expired license will result in the license to be terminated and will require reinstatement with additional requirements. Contact the Board office for more information. 

NOTE: SPECIAL PROVISIONS PERTAINING TO A WAIVER OF SUCH REQUIREMENTS FOR MILITARY PERSONNEL WHO ARE, OR HAVE RECENTLY BEEN, ACTIVELY DEPLOYED MAY BE FOUND AT Minn. Stat. 326.55 and Minn. Stat. 326.56