{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/54.1-2956.9.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/54.1-2956.9.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/54.1-2956.9.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/54.1-2956.9.html"}],"law_id":84422,"edition_id":1,"section_id":84422,"structure_id":14243,"section_number":"54.1-2956.9","catch_line":"Unlawful to practice acupuncture without license; unlawful designation as acupuncturist; Board to regulate acupuncturists","history":"1991, c. 643; 1993, c. 753; 1996, c. 470; 1999, c. 779; 2000, c. 814.","full_text":"It shall be unlawful for a person to practice or to hold himself out as practicing as an acupuncturist unless he holds a license as such issued by the Board. A person licensed to practice acupuncture, when using the title “acupuncturist,” shall include therewith the designation Lic.Ac. or L.Ac.\n\t\tIn addition, it shall be unlawful for any person who is not licensed under this chapter, whose licensure has been suspended or revoked, or whose licensure has lapsed and has not been renewed to use in conjunction with his name the words “licensed acupuncturist” or to otherwise by letters, words, representations, or insignias assert or imply that he is licensed to practice acupuncture.\n\t\tThe Board of Medicine shall prescribe by regulation the qualifications governing the licensure of acupuncturists. Such regulations shall not restrict the practice of this profession to practitioners regulated by the Board on June 30, 1992, to practice the healing arts. The regulations shall at a minimum require that, prior to performing acupuncture, any acupuncturist who is not licensed to practice medicine, osteopathy, chiropractic or podiatry shall either (i) obtain written documentation that the patient had received a diagnostic examination from a licensed practitioner of medicine, osteopathy, chiropractic or podiatry with regard to the ailment or condition to be treated or (ii) provide to the patient a written recommendation for such a diagnostic examination. The regulations may include requirements for approved education programs, experience, and examinations. The regulations shall exempt from the requirement for Test of Spoken English (TSE) or the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) any foreign speaking acupuncturist who speaks the language of the majority of his clients.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":302611,"text":"It shall be unlawful for a person to practice or to hold himself out as practicing as an acupuncturist unless he holds a license as such issued by the Board. A person licensed to practice acupuncture, when using the title “acupuncturist,” shall include therewith the designation Lic.Ac. or L.Ac.\n\t\tIn addition, it shall be unlawful for any person who is not licensed under this chapter, whose licensure has been suspended or revoked, or whose licensure has lapsed and has not been renewed to use in conjunction with his name the words “licensed acupuncturist” or to otherwise by letters, words, representations, or insignias assert or imply that he is licensed to practice acupuncture.\n\t\tThe Board of Medicine shall prescribe by regulation the qualifications governing the licensure of acupuncturists. Such regulations shall not restrict the practice of this profession to practitioners regulated by the Board on June 30, 1992, to practice the healing arts. The regulations shall at a minimum require that, prior to performing acupuncture, any acupuncturist who is not licensed to practice medicine, osteopathy, chiropractic or podiatry shall either (i) obtain written documentation that the patient had received a diagnostic examination from a licensed practitioner of medicine, osteopathy, chiropractic or podiatry with regard to the ailment or condition to be treated or (ii) provide to the patient a written recommendation for such a diagnostic examination. The regulations may include requirements for approved education programs, experience, and examinations. The regulations shall exempt from the requirement for Test of Spoken English (TSE) or the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) any foreign speaking acupuncturist who speaks the language of the majority of his clients.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":14243,"edition_id":1,"name":"Licensure and Certification of Other Practitioners of the Healing Arts","identifier":"4","label":"article","depth":4,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12759,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:47:26","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:47:26","permalink":{"id":242191,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14243,"identifier":"4","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/4","url":"\/54.1\/III\/29\/4\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12759,"edition_id":1,"name":"Medicine and Other Healing Arts","identifier":"29","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12758,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","permalink":{"id":241933,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12759,"identifier":"29","token":"54.1\/III\/29","url":"\/54.1\/III\/29\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12758,"edition_id":1,"name":"Professions and Occupations Regulated by Boards Within the Department of Health Professions","identifier":"III","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12754,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","permalink":{"id":241105,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12758,"identifier":"III","token":"54.1\/III","url":"\/54.1\/III\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12754,"edition_id":1,"name":"Professions and Occupations","identifier":"54.1","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","permalink":{"id":239313,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12754,"identifier":"54.1","token":"54.1","url":"\/54.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":83532,"structure_id":14243,"section_number":"54.1-2942","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/54.1-2942\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/4\/54.1-2942","metadata":false},{"id":78472,"structure_id":14243,"section_number":"54.1-2949","catch_line":"License required","url":"\/54.1-2949\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/4\/54.1-2949","metadata":false},{"id":81411,"structure_id":14243,"section_number":"54.1-2950","catch_line":"Requisite training and educational achievements of assistants","url":"\/54.1-2950\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/4\/54.1-2950","metadata":false},{"id":64376,"structure_id":14243,"section_number":"54.1-2950.1","catch_line":"Advisory Board on Physician Assistants; 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fees","url":"\/54.1-2957.8\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/4\/54.1-2957.8","metadata":false},{"id":65541,"structure_id":14243,"section_number":"54.1-2957.9","catch_line":"Regulation of the practice of midwifery","url":"\/54.1-2957.9\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/4\/54.1-2957.9","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":86528,"structure_id":14243,"section_number":"54.1-2956.8:2","catch_line":"Requisite training and educational achievements of radiologist assistants, radiologic technologists, and radiologic technologists, limited","url":"\/54.1-2956.8_2\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/4\/54.1-2956.8_2","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":64164,"structure_id":14243,"section_number":"54.1-2957","catch_line":"Licensure and practice of advanced practice registered nurses; certified nurse midwives; independent practice of certified nurse midwives","url":"\/54.1-2957\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/4\/54.1-2957","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/54.1-2956.9\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1991. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 643 of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year. Unfortunately, the 1991 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online. It has been modified 4 times. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. Those modifications are as follows: in 1993, chapter 753; in 1996, chapter 470<\/a>; in 1999, chapter 779<\/a>; in 2000, chapter 814<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":242329,"object_type":"law","relational_id":84422,"identifier":"54.1-2956.9","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/4\/54.1-2956.9","url":"\/54.1-2956.9\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/54.1-2956.9\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/4\/54.1-2956.9","dublin_core":{"Title":"Unlawful to practice acupuncture without license; unlawful designation as acupuncturist; Board to regulate acupuncturists","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 54.1-2956.9","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

It shall be unlawful for a person to practice or to hold himself out as practicing as an acupuncturist unless he holds a license as such issued by the Board<\/span>. A person licensed to practice acupuncture, when using the title “acupuncturist,” shall include therewith the designation Lic.Ac. or L.Ac.\n\t\tIn addition, it shall be unlawful for any person who is not licensed under this chapter, whose licensure has been suspended or revoked, or whose licensure has lapsed and has not been renewed to use in conjunction with his name the words “licensed acupuncturist<\/span>” or to otherwise by letters, words, representations, or insignias assert or imply that he is licensed to practice acupuncture.\n\t\tThe Board<\/span> of Medicine shall prescribe by regulation the qualifications governing the licensure of acupuncturists<\/span>. Such regulations shall not restrict the practice of this profession to practitioners regulated by the Board<\/span> on June 30, 1992, to practice the healing arts<\/span>. The regulations shall at a minimum require that, prior to performing acupuncture, any acupuncturist who is not licensed to practice medicine, osteopathy, chiropractic or podiatry shall either (i) obtain written documentation that the patient had received a diagnostic examination from a licensed practitioner of medicine, osteopathy, chiropractic or podiatry with regard to the ailment or condition to be treated or (ii) provide to the patient a written recommendation for such a diagnostic examination. The regulations may include requirements for approved education programs, experience, and examinations. The regulations shall exempt from the requirement for Test of Spoken English (TSE) or the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) any foreign speaking acupuncturist who speaks the language of the majority of his clients.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nUNLAWFUL TO PRACTICE ACUPUNCTURE WITHOUT LICENSE; UNLAWFUL DESIGNATION AS\nACUPUNCTURIST; BOARD TO REGULATE ACUPUNCTURISTS (\u00a7 54.1-2956.9)\n\nIt shall be unlawful for a person to practice or to hold himself out as\npracticing as an acupuncturist unless he holds a license as such issued by the\nBoard. A person licensed to practice acupuncture, when using the title\n“acupuncturist,” shall include therewith the designation Lic.Ac. or\nL.Ac.\n\t\tIn addition, it shall be unlawful for any person who is not licensed under\nthis chapter, whose licensure has been suspended or revoked, or whose licensure\nhas lapsed and has not been renewed to use in conjunction with his name the\nwords “licensed acupuncturist” or to otherwise by letters, words,\nrepresentations, or insignias assert or imply that he is licensed to practice\nacupuncture.\n\t\tThe Board of Medicine shall prescribe by regulation the qualifications\ngoverning the licensure of acupuncturists. Such regulations shall not restrict\nthe practice of this profession to practitioners regulated by the Board on June\n30, 1992, to practice the healing arts. The regulations shall at a minimum\nrequire that, prior to performing acupuncture, any acupuncturist who is not\nlicensed to practice medicine, osteopathy, chiropractic or podiatry shall either\n(i) obtain written documentation that the patient had received a diagnostic\nexamination from a licensed practitioner of medicine, osteopathy, chiropractic\nor podiatry with regard to the ailment or condition to be treated or (ii)\nprovide to the patient a written recommendation for such a diagnostic\nexamination. The regulations may include requirements for approved education\nprograms, experience, and examinations. The regulations shall exempt from the\nrequirement for Test of Spoken English (TSE) or the Test of English as a Foreign\nLanguage (TOEFL) any foreign speaking acupuncturist who speaks the language of\nthe majority of his clients.\n\nHISTORY: 1991, c. 643; 1993, c. 753; 1996, c. 470; 1999, c. 779; 2000, c. 814.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}