Application for Licensure Information

The Arkansas State Board of Chiropractic Examiners offers an examination and new doctor orientation twice a year in January and July. The new doctor orientation is a pre-requisite to licensure.

• Must be 21 years of age.
• $150 application fee (Check or money order made payable to the ASBCE.)
• $22.00 background check fee (Check or money order made payable to the ASBCE.)
• $50 orientation fee (Can combine with application and background check fee for one check or money order for $222 made payable to the ASBCE.)
• Copy of Chiropractic diploma, or date you will graduate
• Official Chiropractic transcript (Sent directly from college) to show 120 classroom hours of physiological therapeutics and not less than 4,400 fifty minute resident class hours or not less than 4 years of 9 academic months.
• Official Undergraduate transcript(s) (Sent directly from college) Applicant must have not less than a total of sixty (60) semester hour credits, of which a minimum of thirty (30) semester hour credits must be in science subjects such as biology, zoology, chemistry, math, or other like subjects, with no less than a “C” average.
• Official National Board Transcript (Sent directly from NBCE) to include scores for Part I, Part II, Part III (minimum score of 375), Part IV (optional, minimum score of 375), and Physiological Therapeutic
• Letter of recommendation (must be from a doctor of five years experience and printed on their letterhead)
• Criminal Background check (includes completed, signed, and notarized release form, a copy of your driver’s license,  and check or money order in the amount of $22.00 made payable to the Arkansas State Board of Chiropractic Examiners, can be combined with other fees as listed above.)
• Verification of licensure in good standing from all other state(s) where you are licensed – if applicable.
• Jurisprudence exam – to be mailed to applicant upon receipt of completed application.

Incomplete applications are kept on file for one year. All application fees are non-refundable.

All application materials, other than the National Board Part IV score, must be received by the Executive Director of the ASBCE with a postmark of no later than 45 days prior to the examination date. The National Board Part IV score must be in the hands of the Executive Director of the ASBCE with the postmark no later than 7 days before the examination date.

Applicants without NBCE Part IV Score
ACA 17-81-305 states that, “In lieu of the practical examination set out in Section 17-81-306, with the exception of (a) (1) (A) in that section, the applicant may present the board with evidence of passing the National Board Part IV with a minimum score of 375 which shall be accepted by the board as a passing grade.

The examination includes the following subjects:

1. Practice management, ethics and jurisprudence.
2. Physical and clinical diagnosis.
   
3. Chiropractic examination procedures.
4. Chiropractic adjustive and manipulative therapeutics.
5. X-ray interpretations.
6. Chiropractic philosophy.
   

For the Arkansas State practical exam, passed shall mean an overall average of all subjects of seventy five percent (75%) or greater with no subject grade falling below sixty percent (60%).

Applicants that have NOT graduated Chiropractic College
An approved applicant will be permitted to sit for this Board’s examination provided the applicant’s date of graduation from Chiropractic College precedes the date of the next regularly-scheduled examination by no more than six (6) months.

Upon graduation you must request that the college mail to our office an official transcript and a copy of your diploma. Your license will be held until proof of graduation is received.

Temporary License Information

You may apply for a temporary license once a COMPLETED application for licensure is on file with the Arkansas State Board of Chiropractic Examiners.  Temporary license applications are voted on by the full Board.

Supervised Temporary License
After a temporary license holder has received approval from the Board, he may perform any acts or practices that a licensed Arkansas Chiropractor may do, as long as it is under the supervision of the supervising Chiropractor who must remain on the premises when these acts or practices are being performed.

Upon satisfactory evidence being submitted to the Board as to an applicant’s ability and integrity and when no regular examination will be held within thirty (30) days from the date of an application for a temporary license, the board may, if approved by at least two-thirds of the membership of the Board, issue to the applicant a permit to practice until the next regular meeting of the Board.

Supervising Doctor Requirements:

• Have an active Chiropractic license of 3 years or longer.
• Not have had any disciplinary action levied against him by any Board in the past 5 years.
• Have no more than two (2) temporary license holders under his direct supervision at one time.

Unsupervised Temporary License
The Board may at its discretion, issue a temporary license to a Doctor of Chiropractic who holds a current license in another state, to practice in Arkansas until his next scheduled examination and exempt him/her from any supervisory requirement.