Iowa Statutes

Medical nutrition therapy is a medical treatment. Like other non-physician practitioners providing medical treatments, registered dietitian nutritionists generally can practice MNT because of licensure and certification laws, which provide authority for RDNs to provide this medical service. It is with this understanding that the Academy strongly recommends — unless there is an applicable exception or exemption or a state does not provide for licensure or certification requirements — practitioners hold licensure or certification in all states where the practitioner's clients or patients are located when services are provided.

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Statute and Regulation Details

Background info and terminology

Licensure (or Certification) by Endorsement of RDN Credential/Exemptions

N/A

Licensure (or Certification) by Reciprocity or Endorsement of Another License

645—81.7(152A) Licensure by endorsement. (Regulations)

An applicant who has been a licensed dietitian under the laws of another jurisdiction shall file an application for licensure by endorsement with the board office. The board may receive by endorsement any applicant from the District of Columbia or another state, territory, province or foreign country who:

1. Submits to the board a completed application;
2. Pays the licensure fee;
3. Shows evidence of licensure requirements that are similar to those required in Iowa;
4. Provides a copy of the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) registration card or an alternate form of verification of passing the registration examination, as stated in 81.4(4)"a"; and
5. Provides verification of license from the jurisdiction in which the applicant has most recently been licensed, sent directly from the jurisdiction to the board office. The applicant must also disclose any public or pending complaints against the applicant in any other jurisdiction. Web-based verification may be substituted for verification direct from the jurisdiction's board office if the verification provides:
   • Licensee's name;
   • Date of initial licensure;
   • Current licensure status; and
   • Any disciplinary action taken against the license.

Temporary/Provisional Licensure (or Certification)

N/A

Exceptions/Exemptions

152A.3 Exemptions.

The following are not subject to this chapter:

1. Licensed physicians and surgeons, nurses, chiropractors, dentists, dental hygienists, pharmacists or physical therapists who make dietetic or nutritional assessments, or give dietetic or nutritional advice in the normal practice of their profession or as otherwise authorized by law.
2. Dietetics students who engage in clinical practice under the supervision of a dietitian as part of a dietetic education program or a competency-based supervised experience program approved by the accreditation council for education in nutrition and dietetics of the academy of nutrition and dietetics.
3. Dietitians who serve in the armed forces or the public health service of the United States or are employed by the United States department of veterans affairs, provided their practice is limited to that service or employment.
4. Dietitians who are licensed in another state, United States possession, or country, or have received at least a baccalaureate degree and are in this state for the purpose of:
   1. Consultation, provided the practice in this state is limited to consultation.
   2. Conducting a teaching clinical demonstration in connection with a program of basic clinical education, graduate education, or postgraduate education which is sponsored by a dietetic education program or a competency-based supervised experience program approved by the accreditation council for education in nutrition and dietetics of the academy of nutrition and dietetics.
5. Individuals who do not call themselves dietitians but routinely, in the course of doing business, market or distribute weight loss programs or sell nutritional products and provide explanations for customers regarding the use of the programs or products relative to normal nutritional needs.
6. Individuals who provide routine education and advice regarding normal nutritional requirements and sources of nutrients, including, but not limited to, persons who provide information as to the use and sale of food and food materials including dietary supplements.

Updated August 2023

Disclaimer: This page is not intended to constitute legal or career advice. All information, content and materials are for general informational purposes only and may not represent the most up-to-date legal or other information. This website contains links to other third-party websites, which are only for the convenience of the reader, user or browser. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and its members do not recommend or endorse the contents of the third-party sites, nor does such information necessarily constitute a legally binding interpretation of state policy. The ultimate authority to interpret each state's requirements is the licensing board or agency of that state.