# COMAR Title 10 — Maryland Department of Health

## Subtitle 43 — Board of Chiropractic Examiners

### Chapter 04 — Licensure by Credentials for Chiropractors

**Authority:** Health Occupations Article, §§3-302.1 and 3-305, Annotated Code of Maryland

**Administrative History:** Effective date: December 17, 1984 (11:25 Md. R. 2134)

**Administrative History:** Regulation .01 amended effective June 13, 2011 (38:12 Md. R. 705)

**Administrative History:** Regulation .02A amended effective October 22, 2007 (34:21 Md. R. 1915)

**Administrative History:** Regulation .02B amended effective August 6, 2001 (28:15 Md. R. 1398); January 6, 2014 (40:26 Md. R. 2164)

**Administrative History:** Regulation .02C adopted effective January 6, 2014 (40:26 Md. R. 2164)

**Administrative History:** Regulation .03B amended effective October 22, 2007 (34:21 Md. R. 1915)

**Administrative History:** Regulation .03C, D adopted effective April 13, 2015 (42:7 Md. R. 570)

**Administrative History:** Regulation .04 amended effective August 6, 2001 (28:15 Md. R. 1398)

**Administrative History:** Subtitle name amended to be, Board of Chiropractic Examiners, effective January 2, 2017 (43:26 Md. R. 1446)

**Administrative History:** Regulation .01A amended effective January 2, 2017 (43:26 Md. R. 1446)

#### Regulation .01 Preface and Scope.

*COMAR 10.43.04.01*

A. Preface. The Board of Chiropractic Examiners has established guidelines for licensure by credentials. This method of licensure is a special privilege granted by present statute, and is secured for those candidates who possess the necessary credentials required to practice chiropractic in the State. The requirements for licensure are stringent in order to insure the public is adequately protected and that licensure may be granted only to those who qualify by virtue of clinical competency and professional expertise.

B. Scope. This chapter applies to all chiropractors seeking licensure by credentials in Maryland. Since licensure by credentials is a privilege, the Board reserves the right to accept or deny this method of licensure based on Regulation .02 of this chapter.

#### Regulation .02 Eligibility.

*COMAR 10.43.04.02*

A. A chiropractor is eligible for licensure by credentials if the applicant has graduated and received the degree Doctor of Chiropractic (D.C.) from a chiropractic college accredited by the Council on Chiropractic Education (C.C.E.) or its successor.

B. The applicant shall:

  (1) Be of good moral character and have submitted to the Board three letters of recommendation, one of which shall be sent by the state licensing board in which the applicant is currently licensed;

  (2) Meet all the qualifications set forth in the Health Occupations Article, §3-302, Annotated Code of Maryland;

  (3) Be currently licensed in another state by virtue of passing an examination that is similar to the examination for which the applicant is seeking licensure by credentials;

  (4) Have been in active clinical practice in the state for which the applicant was licensed by examination for the 5 years preceding application or has had full-time faculty status at a chiropractic college accredited by the Council on Chiropractic Education or its successor for at least 5 years before application; and

  (5) Take and pass the Maryland jurisprudence and the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE) Special Purposes Examination for Chiropractic (SPEC) examinations with minimum scores of 75 percent.

C. A SPEC exam is not required for an applicant who has passed parts I through IV of the NBCE Examination with a minimum score of 75 percent.

#### Regulation .03 Application Procedures.

*COMAR 10.43.04.03*

A. An applicant shall submit the necessary information as set forth in the Health Occupations Article, §3-303, Annotated Code Maryland.

B. The Board may investigate the applicant to insure compliance with all provisions of this chapter.

C. An applicant shall submit to the Board satisfactory evidence of having completed a State and national criminal history records check in accordance with Health Occupations Article, §3–302.1, Annotated Code of Maryland.

D. The Board may not issue a license or registration if the criminal history records information required under §C of this regulation has not been received.

#### Regulation .04 Requirements of Licensure.

*COMAR 10.43.04.04*

At the Board's discretion, an applicant shall appear before the Board and demonstrate clinical competency in a manner and time to be determined by the Board.

#### Regulation .05 Fees.

*COMAR 10.43.04.05*

A. The fee for licensure by credentials shall be the same as that for licensure by examination.

B. Additional fees may be assessed by the Board for investigatory purposes.

C. The application fee is non-refundable.