Pennsylvania's LDN License

Pennsylvania licenses dietitians as Licensed Dietitian-Nutritionists (LDNs), and the board that does it is a surprise to many applicants: the State Board of Nursing. The LDN rules sit in the nursing chapter of the Pennsylvania Code, 49 Pa. Code 21.701 and following, and they say the Board "provides for licensure of dietitian-nutritionists" and "regulates the practice of LDNs" (21.702).

For most RDNs the Pennsylvania file is straightforward. Two items catch out-of-state applicants: a child abuse training requirement that applies to everyone, and a renewal cycle tied to a fixed date rather than to your license anniversary.

What are the qualifications for a Pennsylvania LDN?

Section 21.721 lists them:

• good moral character;
• a bachelor's or higher degree from a Board-approved program, which the Board defines as a program approved by ACEND or the American College of Nutrition (21.722(a));
• a planned, continuous preprofessional experience of at least 900 hours under appropriate supervision; and
• a passing score on one of two exams the Board approves: the CDR Registration Examination for Registered Dietitians, or the exam of the Certification Board for Nutrition Specialists (21.722(b)).

An RDN meets the degree, experience and exam pieces through the same training that led to the RD. The rules also say a candidate should take the exam for the first time within one year of finishing the education program, but that limit does not apply to someone already licensed as a dietitian-nutritionist in another state or country.

Why does every applicant need child abuse training?

Pennsylvania's LDN rules build in child abuse training from the start. To obtain an LDN license, "an applicant shall complete at least 3 hours of training in child abuse recognition and reporting" (21.721(c)). The training must come from an approved provider, and it is easy to miss if you are coming from a state without a similar rule.

The requirement continues at renewal: at least 2 of each biennium's 30 CPE credits must be in approved child abuse recognition and reporting training (21.724(a)).

Which fees does the Board charge?

The fees are in 49 Pa. Code 21.705:

• application for licensure, $95;
• biennial renewal, $71;
• verification of licensure, $45, or $50 with history; and
• reactivation of an inactive or lapsed license after five years or longer, $50.

Exam fees go to CDR or the Certification Board for Nutrition Specialists, not to the Board. Because the amounts are written into the rule, the Pennsylvania file is easy to budget. Our post on dietitian license fees across states puts them in context.

How does Pennsylvania's endorsement rule work?

Pennsylvania has a separate licensure-by-endorsement rule under 63 Pa.C.S. 3111, written for all of the State Board of Nursing's professions and applied to dietitian-nutritionists (49 Pa. Code 21.1102). It is built for people whose qualifications came from another jurisdiction. The applicant must:

1. hold a current license, certificate, registration or permit in good standing in a jurisdiction whose standards are substantially equivalent to Pennsylvania's;
2. submit a copy of that jurisdiction's law or rules on licensure and scope of practice, including the enactment date, translated if not in English;
3. document at least 3,600 hours of practice, no more than 1,800 per year, in a substantially equivalent jurisdiction for at least two of the five years before applying;
4. show English proficiency;
5. have no discipline from the issuing jurisdiction, although the Board has discretion; and
6. complete three hours of child abuse recognition and reporting training from a provider approved by the Department of Human Services.

The Board may also require a personal interview, which can be held by video for good cause. For most RDNs with an ACEND degree and the CDR exam, the standard application under 21.721 is simpler, because the qualifications already match Pennsylvania's. The endorsement rule matters more for internationally educated dietitians and nutritionists with unusual training. Our guide to license by endorsement compares the approaches.

When does an LDN license renew?

LDN renewals run for two years "from October 1 through September 30" (21.723(a)), so the deadline is the same for every licensee. To renew, an LDN:

• completes the renewal application, disclosing any dietetics-nutrition license held in another state, territory or country;
• pays the $71 fee;
• documents 30 CPE credits completed in the two calendar years before renewal, including the 2 child abuse hours; and
• discloses discipline by any licensing board and criminal charges or convictions from the previous biennial period, unless already reported.

One CPE credit equals a 50-minute hour. The Board accepts activities from sponsors such as the Academy, ACN, state dietetic associations that are members of the Academy or ACN, and approved programs, and it lists activities it will not accept, including office management and professional reading with no test or certificate. Keep documentation for at least five years (21.724(c)). A licensee with a verified hardship can ask for a CPE waiver at least 60 days before the end of the period.

Does Pennsylvania require a license for telehealth?

Pennsylvania's LDN credential protects the title rather than barring unlicensed practice outright, so the question for a telehealth RDN is whether you use the LDN title with Pennsylvania clients and whether your employer or payer requires the license. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics' March 2026 telehealth chart lists licensure for Pennsylvania and points to the state's telemedicine chapter. Pennsylvania is not a member of the Dietitian Licensure Compact, so Pennsylvania residents cannot use it, and no state issues compact privileges yet. See the where-the-client-is rule for telehealth RDNs.

How can we help with a Pennsylvania LDN?

Our License by Endorsement (RDN) service, $599 per state, covers the standard application for an RDN: we prepare the Board's forms for your review, point you to an approved child abuse training provider, collect CDR and license verifications, and track the file. If you need the 3,600-hour endorsement route or another non-standard path, the Full State License Application is $749. Jurisprudence & State Requirement Support, $249 per state, tracks the child abuse training at licensure and renewal; you complete the training yourself. You sign, pay the Board and submit. Board and exam fees are separate. The Pennsylvania state page has the summary.