License Renewal Information
The license to practice acupuncture must be renewed every two years, as well as your place of practice wall license. When an initial license is issued the fee is prorated, and the license is issued for a period of 13-24 months in order to place the license in the birthdate renewal cycle. The expiration date is the last day of the licensee's birth month. A renewal reminder is sent to the licensee two months before the expiration date.
The license renewal fee is $500 every two (2) years. The wall license renewal fee is $50. In order to continue to practice acupuncture the renewal fee must be paid online or postmarked before the expiration date. A delinquent fee of $150 will be assessed if not paid by the expiration date.
When renewing an initial license that has been issued for less than two (2) years, below is the number of board-approved continuing education hours that must be completed based on the number of months the license was issued:
| Period of Initial Licensure | Required CE Hours |
|---|---|
| 13 to 16 months | 35 |
| 17 to 20 months | 40 |
| 21 to 23 months | 45 |
Thereafter, all acupuncturists renewing their license on active status are required to complete 50 hours of board approved continuing education courses and attest to such under penalty of perjury.
At least 50% of continuing education units must be live (in-person or live webinars). The remaining units may be independent/home study courses (self-paced or pre-recorded instruction), or all hours may be earned as live. In addition, no more than five (5) hours of continuing education may be earned from courses in Category 2. Please note that although CE courses in Category 2 may be approved for more than 5 hours of credit, only 5 hours of credit may be reported for each renewal period. Each acupuncturist is required to retain records of all continuing education courses attended for a minimum of four (4) years. It is not required to submit a listing of completed CE courses or certificates as part of the renewal application. The Board will request documentation of CE completion if the licensee is selected for a random CE audit.
If a licensee is not currently practicing in California and wishes to place his or her license on "Inactive Status," he or she must submit the Inactive application. Inactive licensees are required to submit the same renewal fee amount as 'active' licensees ($500 for a 2-year renewal period); however 'inactive' licensees are not required to complete the CE requirement. If the licensee would like to reactivate the license, they must complete the required Continuing Education hours and submit the Active application.
Licensees on Inactive status are required to pay the $500 renewal fee although not required to complete any CE hours.
A license (active or inactive) which is not renewed within three (3) years of its expiration date CANNOT BE RENEWED. Licensee would be required to take and pass the CALE again to obtain a new license.
