Frequently Asked Questions

Question:

What areas of nutrition and dietetics require licensure?

Answer:

North Carolina’s law, set forth in North Carolina General Statutes is a mandatory licensure law, which became effective on July 1, 1992. This means that everyone who practices dietetics, as defined in the law, must be licensed, unless specifically exempted. The areas defined as dietetic practice or nutrition care services are:

Assessing the nutritional needs of individuals and groups, and determining resources and constraints in the practice setting.
Establishing priorities, goals, and objectives that meet nutritional needs and are consistent with available resources and constraints.
Providing nutrition counseling in health and disease.
Developing, implementing, and managing nutrition care systems.
Evaluating, making changes in, and maintaining appropriate standards of quality in food and nutrition services.

Nutrition care services do not include the retail sale of food products or vitamins. The Dietetics Practice Act sets minimum standards. Agencies, hospitals, nursing homes, etc. are free to add additional requirements to job descriptions and requirements, e.g. R.D., length of experience, type of experience.

What areas of nutrition and dietetics require licensure? Who can become licensed as a dietitian? What titles are restricted by the law? What are the penalties for violations of the law? What about the R.D.? Who is exempt from licensure and regulation by the North Carolina Board of Dietetics/Nutrition What other states require a license to practice dietetics/nutrition? How often am I required to renew my license? Do I need to renew my license if I am currently unemployed? What can happen if I forget to renew my license? What should I do if my license card is lost or stolen? What documentation of continuing education is required to maintain a license? Who is eligible for a provisional license? What are the requirements for supervision of persons claiming exemption from licensure such as dietetic technicians registered or certified dietary managers? What nutrition care services can unlicensed assistive personnel such as dietary managers or dietetic technicians registered provide? What nutrition care services can the student dietitian or student dietetic technician provide?