Naturopathic Licensing

Minnesota has just licensed naturopathic doctors through a bill signed into law this July. The law will go into effect in 2009.

Currently there are 18 states, districts and territories licensing naturopathic doctors in the US – Alaska, Arizona, California, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Maine, Minnesota*, Montana, New Hampshire, Oregon, Utah, Vermont, Washington, and the United States Territories: Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands. Naturopathic doctors are also licensed in the Canadian provinces of Manitoba, Ontario and Saskatchewan.


Massachusetts has a bill (bill number S2820)in its house that would license naturopathic doctors. If you reside in or have contacts in Massachusetts - urge them to contact their Speaker of the House and ask the bill be brought to the floor for a vote.

Use this link to contact the Speaker of the House. Remember, calls must come from Massachusetts residents only.


Licensing of naturopathic doctors is very important. Licensing assures that those calling themselves naturopathic doctors have an educational background equivalent to other doctors. It protects the public ensuring a high degree of training amongst health care providers and creates a legally defined scope of practice for the naturopathic doctors in that state.

Continued expansion of naturopathic licensing is important for the growth of natural medicine and its integration as a health care option for the general public.

Take a look at this video. Dr. Andrew Weil and other experts discuss the importance of licensing naturopathic doctors.