Your First Chiropractic License as a New Graduate

Your first chiropractic license is mostly a sequencing problem. Pass NBCE Parts I through IV, plus Physiotherapy if your state wants it; pass that state's law exam; and get transcripts, fingerprints and the application to the board in the right order. Some states let you start in your final year. The single best decision most new graduates can make is to take the full NBCE set, including Physiotherapy, even if the first state does not require all of it, because the next state probably will.

Which NBCE exams will I need?

For an exam-route license, most states we have checked require Parts I, II, III and IV. Florida, Texas, California, Montana, Nevada, Nebraska and Alaska also require Physiotherapy. New York requires Parts I to IV but not Physiotherapy. Arizona accepts Part III or Part IV with Parts I and II. Each state's list is in our state license index.

The NBCE's 2026 fee schedule:

• Part I, Part II and Part III: $710 each.
• Part IV: $1,585.
• Physiotherapy: $450.

That is $4,365 for the full set at first attempt, before travel to Colorado for Part IV and before any state fees.

How does the new Part IV affect timing?

Since April 10, 2026, Part IV is given at the NBCE Assessment Center in Greeley, Colorado, which the NBCE says offers appointments 48 weeks a year. You become eligible once you have passed Part I and are within six months of graduation, with your registrar's online authorization. Appointments can be booked up to six months ahead, and scheduling closes 17 days before each test date. The NBCE says October through December are the most popular months, so a December graduate who wants to test that fall should book as soon as eligible. The NBCE's FAQ estimated about four weeks for a score. Details in NBCE Part IV: which states require it.

For Physiotherapy, the NBCE requires 120 hours of physiotherapy instruction completed before the application deadline. Check that your coursework is documented before you apply. Physiotherapy can be taken on its own or alongside other NBCE exams.

Can I apply for a license before I graduate?

In some states. Florida lets a student in the final year of a CCE-accredited program file the application, take all required exams, submit fingerprints and pay fees; the student must graduate before the board certifies them for licensure (Fla. Stat. § 460.406(5)). Florida's Laws and Rules exam, which the NBCE delivers, requires only Part I to sit.

Other states hold the law exam until later. Texas will not let an applicant take its jurisprudence exam until all required NBCE parts are complete (22 Tex. Admin. Code § 72.7(e)), and California's board exam must be taken after graduation (16 CCR § 349(b)(6)).

What does the state application need?

A typical first-license file:

• The application and fee. Texas's application fee is $200 and includes an online jurisprudence education course (22 Tex. Admin. Code § 72.1). California's is $371 (16 CCR § 321). Florida's application fee is $100 and its initial license fee $300 (Fla. Admin. Code R. 64B2-12.002, 64B2-12.005).
• NBCE transcript, sent directly by the NBCE. Your first transcript is free; additional ones are $25 each. The NBCE notes most states do not need it until Parts I through IV are complete. See sending NBCE scores to a new board.
• College transcripts for your pre-chiropractic study and DC program. Texas wants 90 transferable credit hours outside the DC program; New York wants 90 semester hours with a 2.75 GPA. See transcripts and CCE accreditation.
• Fingerprints, through the vendor and code the board specifies. See fingerprints and background checks.
• The state law exam, often at 75 percent. See state jurisprudence exams.
• Disclosure answers about any criminal history. If you are worried about an old matter, Texas issues criminal history evaluation letters to students for $150 (22 Tex. Admin. Code § 72.12).

Can I retake an NBCE part I fail?

Build slack into the plan. For Part IV, the NBCE's Advancement and Development FAQ said a candidate waits about four weeks for a score and can then apply to retest right away, and its modeling projected that a retest could be scheduled within two to three months. The NBCE's Part IV page adds that you may retake it without re-establishing eligibility. A failed Part IV in November can therefore push a license into the new year, which matters if a job offer has a start date. The NBCE transcript a board receives shows only your most recent passing scores, so a failed attempt does not appear there, but if an application asks about every attempt, answer it fully.

Which state should my first license be in?

The one where you will practice first. But think one move ahead: endorsement routes in other states usually want years of practice and a clean record, and some want specific exams. Texas endorsement needs three years of practice immediately before applying; Florida's MOBILE Act route needs two years of active practice in the last four; Arizona's universal recognition needs one year of licensure. Practice years start counting only once you are licensed and working, so the sooner your first license issues, the sooner the second becomes easier. See choosing a state after chiropractic school.

Can I work while my first license is pending?

Only where the law says so. Florida's exam-route applicants who have met the requirements and passed the state exam receive written notice that lets them practice for up to 45 days, or until the licensing fee is received, while the certificate issues (Fla. Stat. § 460.406(4)). Otherwise, no patient care until the license shows active. If an employer's start date assumes a license date, do not treat patients early to meet it; the board can weigh unlicensed practice against your application.

What comes after the license?

• CE and renewal. Renewal cycles and CE hours vary by state. Texas, for example, renews every two years on your birth month. See CE requirements by state.
• Payer enrollment. A license is not a billing number. See Medicare and payer enrollment after licensing; our sister company White Glove Credentialing handles enrollment.
• Scope add-ons. Some states require a separate certificate or registration before a DC offers services such as acupuncture or physical medicine modalities. We file those registrations; the board defines the scope.

Which records should I keep from school?

Licensing does not end with the first license, and the documents that are easy to get now are hard to get in ten years. Keep copies of your DC and undergraduate transcripts, course catalogs from your years in school, your physiotherapy coursework records, your NBCE score reports, and your Certificate of Attainment. Later applications ask for them, and Florida, for example, may require SPEC from an applicant whose degree is more than 10 years old, a decision that turns on exactly these records. See older NBCE scores and degrees.

Where the market stands

The Bureau of Labor Statistics counts 61,700 chiropractor jobs in 2025 and projects 9 percent growth from 2025 to 2035, with a 2025 median pay of $79,200 a year. It notes that a DC program typically takes about four years on top of at least three years of undergraduate study, and that all states require chiropractors to be licensed. The Council on Chiropractic Education currently lists 19 accredited DC programs.

How we help new graduates

Most new DCs can file a first license on their own. Where we help is when the plan involves more than one state, an unusual history, or a start date that matters. Our Chiropractic Licensure Readiness Review ($149) maps the exams and documents for each state you are considering, and our Full State License Application ($749 per state) runs the file to approval. NBCE and board fees are separate, and the board decides.