New Jersey 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.

Links to State Boards, Statutes and Regulations

• Board/Agency Website
• Statute: Enter '45:16B-1' in the search box at the top left. The desired link should be in the first few search results. To see additional parts of the statute, click 'Next Doc' directly above the main display window.
• Regulation: Currently Being Drafted

Statute and Regulation Details

Background info and terminology

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

45:16B-9 Eligibility for licensure.

a. To be eligible to be licensed as a dietitian nutritionist, an applicant shall be at least 18 years of age; be of good moral character; and submit a completed application as required by the board, and submit any fees as required by the board. The applicant shall meet one of the following criteria: provide evidence of current, valid registration as a registered dietitian nutritionist with the Commission on Dietetic Registration; or submit proof of completion for all of the following educational, supervised practice experience, and examination requirements:

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

Licensing of out-of-State practitioner.

11. Upon payment to the board of a fee and the submission of a written application on forms provided by it, the board shall license without examination a nutritionist or dietitian who is licensed, registered or certified by another state or possession of the United States or the District of Columbia which has standards substantially equivalent to those of this State.

Temporary/Provisional Licensure (or Certification)

45:16B-14 Application, fee for temporary license.

14. a. Upon payment to the board of a fee and the submission of a written application on forms provided by it, the board shall issue a temporary license to a person who has applied for licensure pursuant to P.L.2019, c.331 (C.45:16B-1 et al.) and who, in the judgment of the board, is eligible for examination. A temporary license shall be available to an applicant with the applicant's initial application for examination and the applicant may practice only under the supervision of a supervisor specified in section 9 of P.L.2019, c.331 (C.45:16B-9), consistent with State law. A temporary license shall expire automatically upon failure of the licensure examination but may be renewed until the date of the next examination at which time it shall automatically expire and be surrendered to the board.

b. Upon payment to the board of a fee and the submission of a written application on forms provided by it, the board may issue without examination a temporary license authorizing one to provide medical nutrition therapy and to hold oneself out as a dietitian nutritionist or nutritionist in this State to a person who provides evidence that the person is in the State on a temporary basis to assist in a medical emergency or engage in a special project or teaching assignment relating to the practice of dietetics and nutrition and the provision of medical nutrition therapy. A temporary license shall expire one year from its date of issuance, but may be renewed by the board for an additional one year period. This temporary license shall be surrendered to the board upon its expiration.

Exceptions/Exemptions

45:16B-8 Licensure required to provide medical nutrition therapy, exceptions.

8. A person shall not provide medical nutrition therapy, whether compensated or not, unless the person holds a valid license issued pursuant to P.L.2019, c.331 (to practice in this State, except that nothing in P.L.2019, c.331 shall be construed to:

(1) prohibit a person licensed to practice pursuant to Title 45 of the Revised Statutes from engaging in the practice or teaching of dietetics and nutrition within the scope of that person's license or any other person licensed to practice or certified to teach in this State under any other law from engaging in the practice or teaching for which that person is licensed, regulated, or certified;

(2) prohibit a student, trainee, or other individual working under the supervision of an individual who is legally authorized to provide nutrition care services for the purpose of treatment or management of disease or medical condition and who meets the criteria outlined in section 9 of P.L.2019, c.331 (C.45:16B-9) while fulfilling an experience requirement or pursuing a course of study to meet requirements for licensures;

(3) prohibit any person from practicing dietetics and nutrition within the scope of the person's official duties when employed by a department, agency, bureau, division, or other unit of the federal government, serving in the Armed Forces of the United States, or employed by any State institution or facility;

(4) prohibit any person who does not hold himself or herself out to be a licensed dietitian nutritionist or licensed nutritionist from furnishing nutrition information, providing evaluation, guidance, information, and education as to the use of food, food materials, or dietary supplements, or from engaging in the explanation to persons as to the use of food or food products including dietary supplements;

(5) prohibit any person providing medical weight control from doing so through a program of instruction that has been approved in writing by a licensed dietitian nutritionist or licensed nutritionist in this State, a dietitian nutritionist or nutritionist licensed in another state that has licensure requirements substantially equivalent to those of this State, as determined by the board, a dietitian registered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration, a nutritionist certified by the Board for Certification of Nutrition Specialists, a Diplomate of the American Clinical Board of Nutrition, or is part of a plan of care overseen by a New Jersey State licensed health care provider who is legally authorized to provide nutrition care services for the purpose of treatment or management of a disease or medical condition;

(6) prohibit a nutrition and dietetic technician from providing nutrition services under the supervision of a licensed dietitian nutritionist or licensed nutritionist;

(7) prohibit an individual from providing nutrition care services while under the direct supervision of a New Jersey State licensed health care provider who is legally authorized to provide nutrition care services for the purpose of treatment or management of a disease or medical condition; or

(8) prohibit any individual from providing nutrition information, guidance, encouragement, individualized nutrition recommendations, behavior change management, coaching, assessments, weight control services, or other nutrition care services that do not constitute medical nutrition therapy as defined in section 3 of P.L.2019, c.331 (C.45:16B-3), provided that the individual does not hold himself or herself out as a licensed dietitian nutritionist or licensed nutritionist or as a provider of medical nutrition therapy.

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.