Delaware
This state has a law currently in place; read below to see whether your background qualifies you to practice. Please note bills and amendments can be introduced at any time, so check the Get Involved area below to see what bills we're actively monitoring in this state. If action on a specific bill is needed, additional materials will be posted to this page.
CURRENT LAW
Requirements for State Licensure/Certification:
Get Involved
Nutrition care in other Health Professions
According to the state law, acupuncture incorporates ancillary techniques including oriental dietary therapy and supplements. "Oriental dietary therapy is defined as recommending, advising or furnishing nonfraudulent information about herbs, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, carbohydrates, sugars, enzymes, food concentrates, foods, other food supplements, or dietary supplements." Note that the use of oriental dietary therapy is an authorized treatment only as an ancillary care to the primary acupuncture care.
The State Chiropractic Scope of Practice Law states that adjunctive treatments that aid in the effectiveness and quality of chiropractic care are permisable. The law explicitely includes diet and nutritional programs as a permissable adjunctive treatment modality to chiropractic care. Note that nutrition is permissable only as an adjunct to and in support of a perscribed chiropractic treatment plan.
Currenlty health coaches are not licensed in any states in the United States. If there is an exclusive scope of practice nutrition licensing law (red or orange on the map) in a state, then it is illegal for health coaches to provide nutrition counseling unless they obtain a nutrition license, or fall under an explicit exemption, which is rare. Practicing health coaches MUST review the scope of the nutrition law in their state including all exceptions and exemptions to assess whether they are legally able to use nutrition tools in their practice. Seeking legal advice may help to determine whether laws governing nutrition care would be violated by the use of nutrition tools in a coaching practice.
Currenlty herbalists are not licensed in any states in the United States. If there is an exclusive scope of practice nutrition licensing law (red or orange on the map) in a state, then it is illegal for herbalists to provide nutrition counseling unless they obtain a nutrition license, or fall under an explicit exemption, which is rare. Practicing herbalists MUST review the scope of the nutrition law in their state including all exceptions and exemptions to assess whether they are legally able to use nutrition tools in their practice. Seeking legal advice may help to determine whether laws governing nutrition care would be violated by the use of nutrition tools in an herbalist practice.
There is currently no licensure law for naturopathic doctors in this state. If there is an exclusive scope of practice nutrition licensing law (red or orange on the map) in this state, then it is illegal for naturopathic doctors to provide nutrition counseling unless they obtain a nutrition license, or fall under an explicit exemption, which is rare. Practicing naturopathic doctors MUST review the scope of the nutrition law including all exceptions and exemptions to assess whether they are legally able to use nutrition tools in their practice. Seeking legal advice may help to determine whether laws governing nutrition care would be violated by the use of nutrition tools in a naturopathic practice.
Currenlty personal trainers are not licensed in any states in the United States. If there is an exclusive scope of practice nutrition licensing law (red or orange on the map) in a state, then it is illegal for personal trainers to provide nutrition counseling unless they obtain a nutrition license, or fall under an explicit exemption, which is rare. Practicing personal trainers MUST review the scope of the nutrition law in their state including all exceptions and exemptions to assess whether they are legally able to use nutrition tools in their practice. Seeking legal advice may help to determine whether laws governing nutrition care would be violated by the use of nutrition tools in a personal trainer practice.
Currenlty retailers are not licensed in any states in the United States. If there is an exclusive scope of practice nutrition licensing law (red or orange on the map) in a state, then it is illegal for retailers to provide nutrition counseling unless they obtain a nutrition license, or fall under an explicit exemption, which is rare. Retailers MUST review the scope of the nutrition law in their state including all exceptions and exemptions to assess whether they are legally able to use nutrition tools in their work. Seeking legal advice may help to determine whether laws governing nutrition care would be violated by the use of nutrition tools at a retail location.
Currenlty weight loss specialists are not licensed in any states in the United States. If there is an exclusive scope of practice nutrition licensing law (red or orange on the map) in a state, then it is illegal for weight loss specialists to provide nutrition counseling unless they obtain a nutrition license, or fall under an explicit exemption, which is rare. Practicing weight loss specialists MUST review the scope of the nutrition law in their state including all exceptions and exemptions to assess whether they are legally able to use nutrition tools in their practice. Seeking legal advice may help to determine whether laws governing nutrition care would be violated by the use of nutrition tools in a specialists practice.