{"application_form_url":null,"application_portal_url":null,"board_contact_url":null,"board_email":"mailto:ST-NURSE@pa.gov","board_fax":"(717) 783-0822","board_mailing_address":"State Board of Nursing<br>P.O. Box 2649<br>Harrisburg, PA 17105-2649","board_name":"Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing","board_parent_org":"Pennsylvania Department of State","board_phone":"(717) 783-7142","board_physical_address":"One Penn Center<br>2601 N. 3rd Street<br>Harrisburg, PA 17110","board_source_url":null,"board_url":null,"canonical_url":"https://statelicensingreference.com/pennsylvania-dietitian","ce_requirements_url":null,"common_delays":[{"description":"Out-of-state prints can add 2-4 weeks to your timeline.","title":"Fingerprinting delays"},{"description":"Have all your documents ready before starting the application to avoid processing delays.","title":"Missing or incomplete documents"},{"description":"Double-check that your name matches across all documents exactly. Mismatches are a common reason for delays.","title":"Application errors"}],"compact_member":false,"compact_name":"N/A","compact_privilege_fee":"N/A","created_at":"2026-04-09T17:05:34.583742+00:00","credential_type":"Licensed Dietitian-Nutritionist (LDN)","description":"Apply for a Pennsylvania Licensed Dietitian-Nutritionist (LDN) credential through the State Board of Nursing. $95 application fee. Complete requirements, processing times, and official links.","endorsement_application_url":null,"endorsement_fees":{"app_fee":"$95","background_check_fee":"$0 (included in application)","jurisprudence_exam_fee":"$0","total_estimated_cost":"$95"},"endorsement_steps":[{"description":"Apply through the Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing. The application fee is $95.","title":"Submit Your Application","url":null},{"description":"Pennsylvania requires official verification of your active out-of-state license. This must be sent directly to the board from your current state board or its official online verification system before your file can be considered complete.","title":"Provide License Verification","url":null},{"description":"Must be sent directly from your degree-granting university to the State Board of Nursing.","title":"Request Official College Transcripts","url":null},{"description":"Verification of a passing score on the CDR or BCNS exam, sent directly from the testing agency.","title":"Submit Your Examination Verification","url":null},{"description":"A certificate proving completion of the mandatory 3-hour Pennsylvania child abuse recognition and reporting course.","title":"Provide Child Abuse CE Certificate","url":null},{"description":"Pennsylvania requires a criminal background check for all applicants. Out-of-state applicants can use IdentoGO Out-of-State Live Scan (adds ~$39.95 fee) OR FD-258 hard card via mail (tip: moisturize hands for days prior to reduce smudge rejects). Completing prints outside Pennsylvania can add 2-4 weeks to your processing time.","title":"Complete Fingerprinting and Background Screening","url":null},{"description":"Plan for a processing timeline of about 4 to 8 Weeks once your file is complete.","title":"Await Board Processing","url":null},{"description":"Go to the Pennsylvania Licensing System (PALS) at pals.pa.gov and register for a new user account if you do not already have one.","title":"Create a PALS Account","url":null},{"description":"Request your official college or university transcript, verifying a bachelor's or master's degree in human nutrition, food and nutrition, dietetics, or food systems management, to be sent directly to the Pennsylvania State Board of Medicine.","title":"Arrange for Official Transcripts","url":null},{"description":"Follow the instructions provided within the PALS system to complete the required Pennsylvania Criminal History Record Check (CHRC) as part of your application.","title":"Complete Criminal History Record Check","url":null}],"exam_registration_url":null,"faqs":[{"@type":"Question","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"The initial application fee for a Licensed Dietitian-Nutritionist in Pennsylvania is $95. After issuance, it costs $71 to renew the license biennially."},"name":"How much does it cost to get an LDN license in Pennsylvania?"},{"@type":"Question","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Unlike many states with dedicated dietetics boards, Pennsylvania regulates Licensed Dietitian-Nutritionists under the State Board of Nursing within the broader Department of State."},"name":"Which Pennsylvania board issues the dietitian license?"},{"@type":"Question","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"To renew biennially, you must complete 30 hours of continuing professional education. Of those 30 hours, 2 hours must strictly be a Board-approved course in child abuse recognition and reporting."},"name":"What are the continuing education requirements for Pennsylvania dietitians?"}],"fee_payment_url":null,"fingerprint_delay_weeks":"2-4 weeks from the fingerprint appointment to the Board receiving and processing the clearances.","fingerprint_fee":"$24.95","fingerprint_method_in_state":"IdentoGO Live Scan (digital fingerprinting at a physical center).","fingerprint_method_out_of_state":"IdentoGO Cardscan (applicant obtains ink prints on an FD-258 card locally and mails them to IdentoGO for digital conversion).","fingerprint_required":true,"fingerprint_url":null,"fingerprint_vendor":"IdentoGO by IDEMIA","fingerprint_vendor_url":"https://uenroll.identogo.com/","initial_fee_amount":95.0,"initial_fee_breakdown":"$95 Application Fee","last_updated":"2026-02-25","last_verified":"2026-02-25","license_duration":"2 Years","licensing_pathway":"endorsement","payload_url":"https://statelicensingreference.com/api/pennsylvania-dietitian.json","processing_time":"4 to 8 Weeks","profession":"Dietitian","provisional_info":"Pennsylvania does not grant temporary permits, but Act 41 allows the Board to issue provisional licenses to practitioners coming from other jurisdictions who need time to fulfill specific PA requirements.","reciprocity_info":"Pennsylvania does not currently participate in interstate licensure compacts for nutritionists. Out-of-state applicants must apply via endorsement through the PALS system and provide verification of their active, good-standing license from their home state, along with proof of passing a Board-approved exam.","renewal_cycle":"Biennial (Every 2 years)","renewal_fee_amount":71.0,"renewal_portal_url":null,"required_documents":[{"description":"Must be sent directly from your degree-granting university to the State Board of Nursing.","name":"Official College Transcripts"},{"description":"Verification of a passing score on the CDR or BCNS exam, sent directly from the testing agency.","name":"Examination Verification"},{"description":"A certificate proving completion of the mandatory 3-hour Pennsylvania child abuse recognition and reporting course.","name":"Child Abuse CE Certificate"}],"slug":"pennsylvania-dietitian","state_name":"Pennsylvania","state_slug":"pennsylvania","statutes_url":null,"steps":[{"@type":"HowToStep","name":"Fulfill Education & Experience Standards","position":1,"text":"Complete a Bachelor's degree (or higher) from a regionally accredited institution with a major in human nutrition, food and nutrition, dietetics, or food systems management, and complete a minimum of 900 hours of continuous supervised preprofessional experience."},{"@type":"HowToStep","name":"Pass Written Examination","position":2,"text":"Pass a Board-approved examination, such as the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) or the Board for Certification of Nutrition Specialists (BCNS) examination."},{"@type":"HowToStep","name":"Take the Child Abuse Recognition Course","position":3,"text":"Pennsylvania law mandates that all health-related licensees complete 3 hours of Board-approved training in child abuse recognition and reporting before applying for an initial license."},{"@type":"HowToStep","name":"Submit the Online Application","position":4,"text":"Create an account on the Pennsylvania Licensing System (PALS), complete the LDN application, upload your child abuse training certificate, and pay the non-refundable $95 fee."}],"temp_license_available":false,"temp_license_duration":"N/A","temp_license_fee":"N/A","temp_license_processing_time":"N/A","updated_at":"2026-04-12T09:09:10.103102+00:00","verify_license_url":null}