Minnesota 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
• Regulation

Statute and Regulation Details

Background info and terminology

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

148.624 Licensure; Renewal.

Subdivision 1. Dietetics. The board shall issue a license as a dietitian to a person who files a completed application, pays all required fees, and certifies and furnishes evidence satisfactory to the board that the applicant:

(1) meets the following qualifications:

(i) has received a baccalaureate or postgraduate degree from a United States regionally accredited college or university with a major in dietetics, human nutrition, nutrition education, food and nutrition, or food services management;

(ii) has completed a documented supervised preprofessional practice experience component in dietetic practice of not less than 900 hours under the supervision of a registered dietitian, a state licensed nutrition professional, or an individual with a doctoral degree conferred by a United States regionally accredited college or university with a major course of study in human nutrition, nutrition education, food and nutrition, dietetics, or food systems management. Supervised practice experience must be completed in the United States or its territories. Supervisors who obtain their doctoral degree outside the United States and its territories must have their degrees approved by the board as equivalent to the doctoral degree conferred by a United States regionally accredited college or university; and

(iii) has successfully completed the registration examination for dietitians administered by the commission; or

(2) has a valid current registration with the commission which gives the applicant the right to use the term "registered dietitian" or "RD."

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

148.628 Reciprocity

The board may issue a license to an applicant who is licensed as a dietitian or nutritionist in another state or the District of Columbia, provided that in the judgment of the board the standards for licensure in that state are not less stringent than the requirements set forth in sections 148.621 to 148.633.

Temporary/Provisional Licensure (or Certification)

148.624 Licensure; Renewal

Subd. 5.Expedited and temporary licensing for former and current members of the military.

(a) Applicants seeking licensure according to this subdivision must be:

(1) an active duty military member;

(2) the spouse of an active duty military member; or

(3) a veteran who has left service in the two years preceding the date of license application, and has confirmation of an honorable or general discharge status.

(b) A qualified applicant under this subdivision must provide evidence of:

(1) a current valid license in another state without history of disciplinary action by a regulatory authority in the other state; and

(2) a current criminal background study without a criminal conviction that is determined by the board to adversely affect the applicant's ability to become licensed.

(c) A temporary license issued under this subdivision is effective for six months from the initial temporary licensure date.

(d) During the temporary license period, the individual shall complete the licensed dietitian or nutritionist application for licensure.

(e) In order to remain licensed after the expiration of the temporary license, an individual must meet the full licensure requirements.

(f) The fee for the temporary license is $250.

Exceptions/Exemptions

148.632 Exemptions; Voluntary Licensing.

Subdivision 1. Persons excepted from the licensing requirement. Nothing in sections 148.621 to 148.633 prevents or restricts the activities of:

(1) any person pursuing a degree in dietetics or nutrition at an accredited college or university who is practicing under the supervision of a licensed dietitian or licensed nutritionist and in accordance with accepted scientific knowledge and standards of practice, provided that the person is designated by a title which clearly indicates the person's status as a student or trainee;

(2) any person in the process of fulfilling the professional experience requirements in dietetics or nutrition necessary for licensure who is practicing under the supervision of a licensed dietitian or licensed nutritionist and in accordance with accepted scientific knowledge and standards of practice, provided that the person is designated by a title which clearly indicates the person's status as a trainee;

(3) any person licensed to practice medicine, nursing, optometry, psychology, pharmacy, dentistry, or chiropractic, when nutrition practice is incidental to the practice of the person's profession and the person does not hold out as a dietitian or nutritionist unless so licensed;

(4) any person, including a registered dietetic technician, dietetic technician, or other paraprofessional working in a program supervised by a licensed dietitian or nutritionist, if the person's activities are within the scope of the person's education and training and in accordance with accepted scientific knowledge and standards of practice in nutrition or dietetics and the person does not hold out as a dietitian or nutritionist unless so licensed;

(5) any person who provides weight control services, provided the nutrition program has been reviewed by, consultation is available from, and no program change can be initiated without prior approval by an individual licensed under sections 148.621 to 148.633, a dietitian licensed in another state that has licensure requirements considered by the board to be at least as stringent as the requirements for licensure under sections 148.621 to 148.633, or a registered dietitian, and provided that the person does not hold out as a dietitian or nutritionist unless so licensed;

(6) any home economist with a baccalaureate or graduate degree from an accredited college or university, if the person's activities are within the scope of the person's education and training and in accordance with accepted scientific knowledge and standards of practice and the person does not hold out as a dietitian or nutritionist;

(7) any person employed by a federal, state, county, or municipal agency, elementary or secondary school, regionally accredited institution of higher education, or nonprofit agency, if the person's activities are within the scope of the person's employment and the person does not hold out as a dietitian or nutritionist unless so licensed;

(8) any person who furnishes nutrition information on food, food materials, or dietary supplements or engages in the explanation to customers about foods or food products in connection with the marketing and distribution of those products provided that the person does not hold out as a dietitian or nutritionist unless so licensed;

(9) any person who is recognized in the community as a provider of nutritional advice, including a curandero or medicine man or woman, and who advises people according to or based on traditional practices provided the person does not hold out as a dietitian or nutritionist unless so licensed;

(10) any animal nutritionist who does not meet the requirements of sections 148.621 to 148.633, provided that the person's activities are limited to the nutritional care of animals. Animal nutritionists may continue to use the title nutritionist so long as they provide nutrition services only to animals;

(11) any person who provides nutrition services without remuneration to family members; or

(12) any person involved in dietary or nutritional counseling pursuant to a research study supervised by a Minnesota institution of higher learning or state agency which has been approved by an institutional review board to ensure the informed consent and safety of study participants.

Subd. 2.Voluntary licensing.

The licensing of persons employed by facilities licensed under chapters 144 and 144A is voluntary. Nothing in sections 148.621 to 148.633 prevents or restricts the activities of persons employed by these institutions.

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.