United States · ExamHow is registered dietitian licensure different from the RD credential?
The RD credential is national. CDR’s requirements are the same everywhere, and once you have it you can use it in any state. A state license is set by that state’s law: who needs one, what it lets you do and how you renew it all differ. Some states only license medical nutrition therapy, while others license any nutrition and dietetics services.
Some states make it quicker for RDs. Through endorsement, your RD credential cuts the paperwork. Some states give a temporary or provisional license, usually under supervision, while you wait to pass the exam. If you see clients in other states, including by telehealth, CDR and the Academy recommend a license in each state where your clients are.
Registered dietitian licensure in five states
From each state’s own board, as of October 2026. Other states have their own boards and rules.
| State | Who licenses | Where the RD and CDR exam fit |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR), dietitians program | A current CDR registration meets the education, experience and exam requirements, and the CDR exam is the one Texas accepts. You also pass the Texas Jurisprudence Examination. The application fee is $108, and the license lasts two years. |
| Florida | Dietetics and Nutrition Practice Council, Florida Department of Health | The CDR exam is Florida’s licensure exam. If you hold a current CDR credential, you apply by examination with waiver. Temporary permits cover up to a year while your application is reviewed. |
| North Carolina | North Carolina Board of Dietetics/Nutrition | RDNs apply as Category A for the LDN license. Category B is a provisional license for people who’ve finished their program and are preparing for the RD exam. A license is needed to provide medical nutrition therapy or use titles such as LDN. |
| South Carolina | Panel for Dietetics, SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (LLR) | If you’re currently registered with CDR, you can apply for licensure by registration, with a copy of your signed CDR card. |
| New York | NYSED Office of the Professions | New York certifies the titles Certified Dietitian, Certified Nutritionist and Certified Dietitian-Nutritionist (CDN). CDR’s RD exam is one of two exams it accepts. You must be at least 18. |
How do you check a dietitian’s license?
On the state board’s own lookup. Texas, North Carolina and South Carolina each have one. A state license and a CDR registration are checked in different places: CDR’s Verify tool shows the RD credential, not a license.
The Dietitian Licensure Compact
The compact will let an RD with an active, unencumbered license in a member home state practice in other member states with a compact privilege, instead of applying for each license. CDR expects the first privileges to be issued sometime in 2027. It won’t help if your home state has no licensure, and only member states take part.
Sources: CDR · TDLR · Florida Department of Health and 8 more. Checked October 2026.
- CDR: Practice tips, CDR certification vs state licensure (PDF, revised September 2023) ↗
- CDR: Dietitian Licensure Compact ↗
- TDLR: Dietitians ↗
- TDLR: Dietitian license application ↗
- Florida Department of Health: Dietitian/nutritionist licensing ↗
- NC Board of Dietetics/Nutrition ↗
- NC Board of Dietetics/Nutrition: Types of licensure ↗
- SC LLR: Panel for Dietetics ↗
- SC LLR: Dietetics licensure requirements ↗
- NYSED: Dietetics and nutrition license requirements ↗
- CDR: RDN credential FAQ ↗
Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.
Explore