TIMING: Per 21 NCAC 17 .0109, any license issued in a calendar year, will be issued through March 31st of the following calendar year, no matter how many months are left in any given year. For example, please be aware that if you are issued a license in December, it will only be issued through March 31st of the following year, before which you would need to renew the license.
EXPIRATION: Per 21 NCAC 17 .0104(f) applications expire and will be canceled automatically after four months of inactivity. Please be prepared to complete the application requirements that will be detailed in an email sent to you immediately following the submission of your application. Please check your junk/spam folders for instructions from gateway@ncbdn.org.
As of July 1, 2018, per NC General Statute § 90-357.6 and § 143B-966, all new applicants for any category of licensure are subject to a criminal background check. This will appear as a checklist item and requires your action to initiate it. The background check component of the licensure application can take up to four (4) weeks to process, and takes YOUR action to initiate by getting fingerprinted. Instructions for completing the criminal background check process are posted here. THROUGHOUT this process, please ensure you check your email AND spam/junk filters; you will be updated only via email throughout the progression of your application.
What category of licensure is applicable to me?
Category A: Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist (RDN) Licensed Dietitian/Nutritionist (LDN) Application
Category A applicants are Registered Dietitians who are currently registered with the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) OR are already provisionally licensed as a PLDN and are seeking to convert a Category B Provisional license to Category A. All out of state applicants who are Registered Dietitians should apply under Category A, not Reciprocity via Category D. The fee for an initial Category A license is $248 ($60 non-refundable application fee + $150 issuance fee + $38 criminal background check fee). All licenses issued in a calendar year are issued through March 31st of the following year, regardless of the date of issuance. Annual renewal fees of $95 are due between January 1 and March 31 of each year. > Click here to register and apply online <
Category B: Provisional Licensed Dietitian/Nutritionist (PLDN) Application
Category B PLDN applicants have completed an ACEND-accredited academic program, an ACEND-accredited supervised practice program, and have received an “Eligibility to Test” email from the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR). Applicants for a Category B (PLDN license) have not yet taken the CDR exam, but do need to provide a Didactic Program Verification Statement, a Supervised Internship Verification Statement (or a Coordinated Program Verification Statement, if applicable), a Supervisor Verification Statement (Form B-2), a copy of their unofficial transcripts, a copy of a government-issued photo ID, as well as a copy of their CDR Eligibility to Test email. The fee for an initial Category B PLDN license is $133 ($60 non-refundable application fee + $35 issuance fee + $38 criminal background check fee). Once licensed, provisional (PLDN) licensees then have 12 months to pass the CDR RD exam in order to be eligible to upgrade to a full Category A (LDN) license for the balance of the issuance fee, which is $115. Provisional LDN (PLDN) licenses expire after one (1) year. > Click here to register and apply online <
Category C: Non-RD LDN Application
Category C applicants hold a baccalaureate or higher degree from a regionally accredited college or university with a major course of study in an area of nutrition described in N.C.G.S. § 90-357.5(1)(a). Regardless of the course of study, one’s program must meet the competency requirements of an ACEND-accredited didactic program in dietetics. The NCBDN will review potential applicants’ education and notify applicants of eligibility status for Category C licensure. This includes subsequent completion of a supervised practice experience that meets the competency requirements of an ACEND accredited supervised practice experience, and is not less than 1,000 hours under the supervision of a professional defined in N.C.G.S. § 90-357.5(1)(b). Additionally, applicants must successfully complete the registration examination for dietitian nutritionists administered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration. Successful Category C applicants are granted the LDN (Licensed Dietitian/Nutritionist) credential. Please contact the NCBDN if interested in a Category C license.
Category D: Non-RD's Only, Reciprocity Application (RDN's apply via Cat A; CNS's apply via Cat F)
Category D applicants are seeking licensure by reciprocity, and have qualifications that do not otherwise fit into another Category listed on this page. Registered Dietitian/Nutritionists should apply under Category A. Certified Nutrition Specialists should apply under Category F. Only states with equivalent licensing requirements, as determined by the Board, will be considered. Please contact the NCBDN if interested in a Category D license.
Category F: Licensed Nutritionist (LN) Application (Guidance PDF - 
Category F, LN applicants have completed a master’s or doctoral degree in nutrition or a master’s or doctoral degree in a field of clinical health care, at a regionally accredited institution that meets the minimum course requirements defined in N.C.G.S. § 90-357.5(c)(1); a Board approved 1000-hour supervised practice program that meets the statutory minimum competency requirements defined in N.C.G.S. § 90-357.5(c)(2) under the supervision of a professional provided in this section; and passed either the Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS) exam or Diplomate of the American Clinical Board of Nutrition (DACBN) exam. Applicants for a Category F LN license will need to provide the following documents: official transcripts, copy of a government-issued photo ID, NCBDN's Form A-3 Supervised Practice Experience Candidate Report and tracking form (sample tracking log available as Form A7), NCBDN's Form A-4 Supervisor Approval Application(s) for each supervisor named on A3, NCBDN's Form A-5 Supervised Practice Experience Supervisor’s Report(s) for each supervisor named on A3, and NCBDN's Form A-6 Coursework Worksheet (all NCBDN forms available on our website under "Forms & Resources".) Note, this Board does not accept forms from the Board for Certified Nutrition Specialists (the BCNS) at this time. The fee for an initial Category F LN license is $248 ($60 non-refundable application fee + $150 issuance fee + $38 criminal background check fee). All licenses issued in a calendar year are issued through March 31st of the following year, regardless of date of issuance. Annual renewal fees of $95 are due between January 1 and March 31 of each year. > Click here to register and apply online <
Category G: Provisional Licensed Nutritionist (PLN) Application
Category G, (Provisional LN) applicants have completed a master’s or doctoral degree in nutrition or a master’s or doctoral degree in a field of clinical health care, at a regionally accredited institution, that meets the minimum course requirements defined in N.C.G.S. § 90-357.5(c)(1); a Board approved 1000-hour supervised practice program that meets the statutory minimum competency requirements defined in N.C.G.S. § 90-357.5(c)(2) under the supervision of a professional provided in this section; and made application to the Board for Certified Nutrition Specialists to take the CNS exam, or have made application to the American Clinical Board of Nutrition to take the Diplomate of the American Clinical Board of Nutrition exam. Applicants for a Category G (PLN license) have not yet taken the exam(s) noted above, but will need to provide the following documents to support this application: official transcripts, copy of a government issued photo ID, Form B-2 the Supervisor Verification Statement, Form A-3 Supervised Practice Experience Candidate Report and tracking form, Form A-4 Supervisor Approval Application(s) for each supervisor named on A3, Form A-5 Supervised Practice Experience Supervisor’s Report(s) for each supervisor named on A3, and Form A-6 Coursework Worksheet (available on our website under "Forms & Resources"). The fee for an initial Category G PLN license is $133 ($60 non-refundable application fee + $35 issuance fee + $38 criminal background check fee). Once licensed, provisional (PLN) licensees then have 12 months to pass the CNS or DACBN exam in order to be eligible to upgrade to a full Category F (LN) license for the balance of the issuance fee, which is $115. Provisional LN (PLN) licenses expire after one (1) year. > Click here to register and apply online <
*Please note, the above descriptions only include the statutory requirements for licensure. Category C and D have additional requirements which must be met before licensure will be granted. Please contact the NCBDN office for details.
