United States · ExamIs the RDN credential different from RD?
No. Using RDN is optional. Any RD can switch to it at no extra cost and without a separate recertification. CDR’s registration ID cards show both RD and RDN.
CDR’s legal counsel found that RDN doesn’t affect state licensure. States use their own titles, such as LDN or CDN, and a state license is a separate thing from your CDR credential.
Keeping your credential: the fee and CPEUs
- A yearly registration maintenance fee: $80 for RDs as of October 2026, due August 31. CDR has scheduled a rise to $90 on June 1, 2027.
- Unpaid by August 31, a $50 late fee is added in September. Unpaid by September 30, your registration lapses.
- At least 75 CDR-approved continuing professional education units (CPEUs) in each five-year cycle, including 1 in ethics or health equity.
- Cycles end May 31. If you pass the exam after June 2, your first cycle runs longer than five years.
You record CPEUs in CDR’s Professional Development Portfolio, in three steps: a learning plan, an activity log and a self-assessment. Activities must be done by May 31 of your last cycle year, and you can submit until June 30.
How to verify an RD or RDN credential
Use Verify, in the credentialing menu on cdrnet.org, to check that someone is registered. If a person’s fee goes unpaid and the credential lapses, CDR can’t verify it until it’s reinstated.
CDR doesn’t issue licenses. To check a state license, use that state’s board lookup instead, such as Texas’s TDLR license search.
Sources: CDR and 4 more. Checked October 2026.
- CDR: RDN credential FAQ ↗
- CDR: Registered Dietitian (RD) or Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) ↗
- CDR: Registration maintenance fees ↗
- CDR: Professional Development Portfolio guide ↗
- CDR: Practice tips, CDR certification vs state licensure (PDF, revised September 2023) ↗
Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.
Explore