Chiropractic professionals must stay up to date with their state-specific requirements for maintaining their licenses. The chiropractic license requirements by state can vary significantly. These requirements often include completing a certain number of chiropractic continuing education (CE) hours, which helps chiropractors stay informed about the latest developments in healthcare, treatments, and regulations.
Let’s take a closer look at some common requirements across different states, how CE courses play a role, and what to expect as part of your license renewal process.
Why Continuing Education Matters for Chiropractors
Continuing education is key for chiropractors to maintain their licenses and stay current in their profession. Each state’s board of chiropractic examiners sets specific requirements that must be met during each license renewal cycle, often ranging from 12 to 40 hours of CE every one or two years.
The goal of continuing education is to help chiropractors stay informed about new treatments, ethical practices, and the latest regulations in healthcare. By fulfilling the CE requirements, chiropractors can make sure they bring the best possible care to their patients.
Chiropractic Continuing Education Requirements by State
While CE requirements vary by state, there are some common trends. Most states require a combination of general education in chiropractic practices along with mandatory hours in specific topics such as ethics, risk management, or patient communication. Here are a few examples of state requirements:
- Arizona Chiropractic Continuing Education Requirements: Chiropractors licensed in Arizona must complete 12 hours of continuing education annually. Arizona accepts 12 hours of online continuing education per renewal period. Starting in 2025, chiropractic licenses will expire the last day of the licensees’ birth month. All actively licensed chiropractic physicians are required to complete two hours of record keeping in every even numbered year.
- California Chiropractic Continuing Education Requirements: Chiropractors in California are required to complete 24 hours of CE every two years. 12 of these hours may be taken online. At least two of these hours must cover ethics and law, A minimum of 4 hours must include any one of or a combination of, history taking and Physical Examination Procedures, Chiropractic Adjustive Techniques or Chiropractic Manipulation Techniques, or Proper Ethical Billing and Coding and the rest can be in general chiropractic subjects.
- Florida Chiropractic Continuing Education Requirements: Chiropractors in Florida must complete 40 CE hours every two years, with specific mandates for 1 hour of risk management, 2 hours on medical errors, 2 hours Laws and Rules, 6 hours of Record Keeping/Documentation and Coding, and 2 hours of Ethics and Boundaries.
- Georgia Chiropractic Continuing Education Requirements: Chiropractors in Georgia need to complete 40 hours of CE biannually. 20 of these hours may be taken online. Mandatory requirements include 4 hours of ethics or risk management and 1 hour of GA Jurisprudence.
- Illinois Chiropractic Continuing Education Requirements: Illinois chiropractors must complete 150 hours every 3 years. Illinois accepts 150 hours of Online Continuing Education courses per renewal period. 60 hours must be Formal CME, and 90 hours must be Informal CME. Special course requirements include 1 Hour Sexual Harassment Prevention Training, 1 Hour Dementia Training, and 1 Hour Implicit Bias Training.
- Maryland Chiropractic Continuing Education Requirements: Chiropractors in Maryland are required to take 48 hours of continuing education every 2 years. Mandatory requirements include 3 hours in communicable disease and sanitary procedures, 3 hours in risk management, 1 hour in Maryland jurisprudence and 1 hour in diversity education.
- New Jersey Chiropractic Continuing Education Requirements: New Jersey chiropractors must complete 30 hours of CE every 2 years. 12 hours are accepted from online course continuing education providers. Special requirements include the following: 2 hours shall be completed in the study of State laws and rules governing chiropractic professional ethics or record keeping and documentation as it pertains to the practice of Chiropractic in New Jersey and 2 hours of nutrition education.
- Nevada Chiropractic Continuing Education Requirements: Nevada chiropractors need to complete 36 hours per 2 years. Nevada accepts 36 hours of online continuing education per renewal period.
- New York Chiropractic Continuing Education Requirements: New York chiropractors must complete 36 CE hours every three years, including topics Of the 36 hours required, at least one-third (12 hours) must be in the areas of patient communications, record keeping, and matters of law and/or ethics which contribute to professional practice in chiropractic and the health and safety, and/or welfare of the public. The balance may be in chiropractic technique, diagnosis, clinical interventions/evidence-based models, neurological testing, philosophy and principles of chiropractic, basic and clinical sciences and other sciences related to chiropractic practice or other topics which contribute to professional and clinical skills in accordance with the practice of chiropractic as defined in section 6551 of the Education Law.
- Pennsylvania Chiropractic Continuing Education Requirements: Pennsylvania chiropractors are required to take 24 hours of continuing education every 2 years. Pennsylvania Chiropractic licensees are permitted to take all 24 hours of continuing education online. A Mandatory requirement each renewal period is a 2 hour course for the Act 31 Pennsylvania Child Abuse Reporting requirement. TheWiseDC.com offers this approved 2 hour Child Abuse Reporting course for license renewal to meet the requirement for all health-related licensees/certificate holders who are considered “mandatory reporters” under section 6311 of the Child Protective Services Law (23 P.S. § 6311). As a condition of biennial renewal, all health-related licensees are required to complete 2 hours of training on the topic of child abuse recognition and reporting by an approved provider.
- Massachusetts Chiropractic Continuing Education Requirements: Massachusetts chiropractors need to complete 12 hours of continuing education annually. Chiropractic licensees in Massachusetts are permitted to take all 12 hours of CE online.
- Texas Chiropractic Continuing Education Requirements: Chiropractors in Texas are required to complete 16 CE hours annually. A licensee may only take up to 10 hours of online courses each year. Texas chiropractic licensees shall attend any course designated as a “Board Required Course” in a live format including a minimum of 4 hours of Board-required courses, which include 3 hours relating to the Board’s rules, code of ethics, and documentation and 1 hour in chiropractic practice risk management.
- Virginia Chiropractic Continuing Education Requirements: Virginia chiropractors must complete 60 hours per 2 years. Virginia accepts 60 hours of online continuing education per renewal period. TheWiseDC.com online courses are considered Type I or Type II hours.
Maximizing Your CE with Online Options
With busy schedules, finding the time to attend in-person CE courses can be challenging. Fortunately, many states allow chiropractors to meet their continuing education requirements online. Online chiropractic CE courses offer the flexibility to study on your own time, from anywhere.
Online courses also come with the benefit of being tailored to each state’s specific requirements. Whether you need ethics training, risk management, or clinical updates, the courses are designed to help you meet your state’s mandates.
Meeting chiropractic license requirements by state doesn’t have to be stressful. At The Wise DC, our course offerings are tailored to meet your needs and guarantee you have everything required to maintain your license and deliver excellent care.
Ready to complete your continuing education hours? Explore our wide range of online CE courses today and make sure you’re fully prepared for your next license renewal. We’re here to help you succeed.
