Florida Board of Chiropractic Medicine » Dry Needling Certification- Licensing, Renewals & Information

Click on the appropriate tab below to see the Initial Licensing Requirements, Process, Fees, Statutes and Administrative Rules for a Certified Chiropractic Physician’s Assistant.

Apply Online →← Returning Login Login Help →Change Profession

Requirements

Effective June 26, 2024, Chiropractic Physicians must be certified to perform Dry Needling. To qualify for Dry Needling Certification you must submit documentation to verify you meet the following requirements, listed in section 460.4085, Florida Statutes:

Completion of 40 hours of in-person continuing education on the topic of dry needling for Chiropractic Physicians not certified in Chiropractic Acupuncture and 24 hours of such in-person continuing education for Chiropractic Physicians certified in Chiropractic Acupuncture, and passage of a written and practical examination. Online or distance-based courses do not qualify as approved hours to meet the Dry Needling Certification requirements.
Course content must be approved by one or more of the following entities:
- An entity accredited in accordance with s. 460.408
- The board (verify course approval through CEBroker)
- The American Chiropractic Association
- The International Chiropractic Association
- Providers of Approved Continuing Education (verify course approval through PACE)
- The American Medical Association
- The American Osteopathic Association

Completion of at least 10 patient sessions of dry needling performed under the supervision of a licensed chiropractic physician, allopathic or osteopathic physician, or physical therapist holding a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree who has actively performed dry needling for at least 1 year. A chiropractic physician must provide satisfactory documentation to the board demonstrating that he or she has met the supervision and competency requirements of this paragraph and does not need additional supervised sessions to perform dry needling.

At the request of a licensee, the board may do any of the following:

Review coursework completed before July 1, 2024, to be approved to satisfy the coursework requirements of this section.
Waive some or all of the hours or requirements of subsection (1) if the licensee presents satisfactory proof of completing coursework that constitutes adequate training of dry needling or of the components of education and training required for dry needling.
Determine whether the licensee has received adequate training to be eligible to perform dry needling.

Review sections 460.4085, Florida Statutes and 64B2-17.004, Florida Administrative Code for more information regarding Dry Needling Certification for Chiropractic Physicians.

Process

The following steps apply to individuals who hold a Florida Chiropractic Physician license, that is active and in good standing and wish to obtain the Dry Needling Certification:

Submit the application for Dry Needling Certification.
Submit documentation to verify completion of adequate education and training to be eligible to perform dry needling.
In addition to the continuing education/training requirements specified in the Florida Statutes and Florida Administrative Code, the documentation must include a determination by the instructor that the Chiropractic Physician being trained in dry needling demonstrates the requisite competency and psychomotor skills to safely perform dry needling, and has completed 10 patient sessions of dry needling under one of the following circumstances:
1. (a) While licensed as a Chiropractic Physician in another state or while serving as a Chiropractic Physician in the United States Armed Services; or
2. (b) Under supervision as defined herein, where the supervisor has documented that the supervised physician has met the supervision and competency requirements and needs no additional supervised sessions to perform dry needling. It is the responsibility of the supervised physician to maintain all documents.
Pursuant to s. 460.4085, F.S., an applicant may provide proof of completion of coursework that substantially complies with the training requirements established by the Board, which may be used to satisfy the hourly requirements of Section 460.4085(1)(a), F.S. on an hour per hour basis. However, in no case may the requirement to pass a written and practical examination be waived.