Oregon Dietitian Licensing

Oregon licenses dietitians under ORS 691.405 to 691.485. The Health Licensing Office issues the license "in consultation with the Board of Licensed Dietitians," a seven-member board within the Office that includes four licensed dietitians with at least five years of practice, a physician trained in clinical nutrition and two public members (ORS 691.485).

What does Oregon's license protect?

Oregon's statute is worded around the title. ORS 691.415, headed "License required," says: "A person who is not licensed under ORS 691.435 may not practice or attempt to practice as a licensed dietitian using in connection with the name of the person the words or letters L.D., or Licensed Dietitian."

That is narrower than the practice bans in states like Ohio, Maryland or Minnesota, which prohibit practicing dietetics without a license in plain terms. Oregon's section ties the prohibition to practicing as a licensed dietitian using the LD title. Before relying on that reading for Oregon clients, check the Health Licensing Office's rules and any position it has published, and check whether your employer or payer requires the license regardless. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics' March 2026 telehealth chart lists Oregon as a state that provides for licensure and shows no telehealth-specific statute requiring separate action. See title protection, certification and licensure.

How does an RDN get licensed in Oregon?

The standard qualifications in ORS 691.435 are an application, the fees the Office sets under ORS 676.576, a bachelor's or higher in human nutrition, dietetics, foods and nutrition or food systems management from a board-approved course of study, "a planned, continuous program of dietetic experience" of 900 hours under the supervision of a licensed dietitian, and an exam the Office prescribes.

Most RDNs use ORS 691.445 instead. The Office, in consultation with the board, "may waive the examination requirement and grant a dietitian license" to an applicant who files the application, pays the fees and shows either:

1. "current registration as a dietitian with a credentialing body approved by the board"; or
2. current licensure in another state or territory whose requirements for dietitians "are not less than those required" by Oregon's statute.

Both are discretionary ("may"), and the first depends on the board's approval of the credentialing body. Confirm with the Office which credentials it currently accepts before you apply. Our guide to license by endorsement compares other states' versions.

How do renewal and fees work?

Renewal requires a completed application, the renewal fee set under ORS 676.576, and "satisfactory evidence of having completed any required continuing education credits on or before the expiration date of the license as specified by office rule" (ORS 691.465). The statute leaves the fee amounts, renewal cycle and CE hours to the Health Licensing Office's rules, so get them from the Office directly rather than from a secondary list.

Do payers change the answer for Oregon?

They can. Medicare's medical nutrition therapy rule defines a registered dietitian or nutrition professional as someone "licensed or certified as a dietitian or nutrition professional by the State in which the services are performed," and accepts CDR registration in place of a state credential only "in a State that does not provide for licensure or certification" (42 CFR 410.134). Oregon provides for licensure. If you bill Medicare for medical nutrition therapy delivered to Oregon patients, plan on the Oregon license whatever your reading of ORS 691.415. See Medicare MNT and dietitian licensure.

Which questions should you put to the Health Licensing Office?

• Which credentialing bodies the board currently approves for the exam waiver under ORS 691.445.
• The current application, license and renewal fees under ORS 676.576.
• The length of the license period and the continuing education required at renewal.
• How the Office applies ORS 691.415 to out-of-state dietitians serving Oregon clients by telehealth.

Get the answers in writing and keep them with your file.

Is Oregon in the Dietitian Compact?

No. Oregon has not enacted the compact, so Oregon residents cannot use it, and no state issues compact privileges yet in any case. An Oregon RDN serving clients elsewhere needs a credential in each state that requires one. See how many state licenses a telehealth RDN needs.

How can we help with an Oregon license?

Start with whether you need it. Our Dietitian Licensing Readiness Review ($149, one time) looks at your Oregon clients, your titles and your payers and gives you a yes or no for Oregon alongside your other states. If you apply, our License by Endorsement (RDN) service, $599 per state, confirms with the Office which waiver route it will accept, prepares the application for your review and tracks the file. You sign, pay the Office and submit. State fees are separate. The Oregon state page has the summary.