Licensure, Registration, and Renewal Requirements
Initial licensure
Michigan chiropractic applicants must graduate from a chiropractic college accredited by the Council on Chiropractic Education, pass the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners examinations required by the board, pass the Michigan jurisprudence examination, and submit a complete LARA application with fees and character-and-fitness information. There is no separate chiropractic “registration” credential; the license is the practice credential. Business entity registration is a separate corporate filing, not a professional license.
Renewal and lapse
- Chiropractic licenses are renewed biennially and expire on October 31 of odd-numbered years.
- Renewal requires the board-required continuing education, including the ethics component, and a renewal attestation.
- Practicing after expiration is unlicensed practice, even if renewal is filed days later.
- Late renewal may require a late fee and evidence of CE; a long lapse can trigger additional reinstatement requirements.
Worked example
A chiropractor’s license expires October 31, 2025. The licensee treats patients on November 3 and renews on November 15. The November 3 treatment occurred without a valid license. The late fee does not retroactively cure the lapse, and the board may pursue unlicensed-practice and disciplinary allegations.
Traps that cost marks
Do not assume CE completed after expiration cures a lapse. Do not confuse a professional license with a business registration or DEA registration. Do not assume NBCE passage alone satisfies Michigan requirements; the jurisprudence examination and application process are separate.