Tennessee requires licenses for most nutrition treatment starting in 2028

The law generally requires a license to provide nutrition treatment for disease and limits who may use protected professional titles. Dietitians may treat complex conditions. Nutritionists may treat stable conditions within their competence in outpatient settings, but cannot provide treatment in hospitals or settings requiring intensive care. Doctors are exempt. Other licensed health professionals may provide nutrition treatment as part of their profession, and students may practice under qualified supervision. Other exceptions cover specified federal workers, nutrition educators who do not treat disease, and workers providing services through the women, infants, and children nutrition program. People may provide wellness coaching and non-medical nutrition advice if they avoid protected titles and do not claim to be licensed or qualified to provide nutrition treatment for disease. Obesity treatment programs may qualify for an exception through written professional approval or professional oversight. Providers must avoid protected titles; care under the oversight route cannot require independent professional judgment. These practice and title rules take effect January 1, 2028.

Applicants must meet the qualifications for a dietitian or nutritionist license, with alternative routes and transition rules. The rules cover Tennessee license applicants. Combined dietitian/nutritionist licenses held on January 1, 2028, convert to dietitian licenses at renewal if holders remain in good standing with active or retired status. Dietitians may qualify through current registered dietitian credentials or an approved graduate program, at least 1,000 supervised hours, and the required exam. Nutritionists need a qualifying graduate degree, specified science coursework, and at least 1,000 supervised hours. Those hours must include at least 200 each in nutrition assessment, treatment, and tracking results. Nutritionists must also pass an accepted exam or hold current certified nutrition specialist credentials. The licensing board must find applicants competent to practice safely. Required supervised practice must finish within five years of completing education, unless the board grants a limited extension for extraordinary circumstances. Applicants relying on exams passed more than five years earlier must show 75 continuing education hours for each five-year period since the exam. People who applied before January 1, 2028, may qualify under earlier requirements, but must follow this law when renewing on or after that date.

Certain out-of-state dietitians and nutritionists may provide remote nutrition treatment to Tennessee patients without a Tennessee license. The exception covers remote nutrition treatment for patients located in Tennessee. The practitioner must hold a license or certification in good standing in another state or United States territory. One route requires consultation with a Tennessee-licensed nutrition treatment practitioner who already has a treatment relationship with the patient. Other routes allow treatment of an existing patient temporarily in Tennessee or temporary or short-term follow-up care for an existing patient to keep treatment going. The remote-care exception takes effect January 1, 2028.