Wis. Stat. § 446.02 — WI Code / Chapter 446 / Section 446.02
Chiropractic regulated.
Status: in_force

(1) Except as provided in sub. (9) , no person may engage in the practice of chiropractic or attempt to do so or hold himself or herself out as authorized to do so, unless such person satisfies all of the following:

(a) Is licensed by the examining board.

(b) Submits evidence satisfactory to the examining board that the person meets the requirements of continuing education for license renewal as the examining board may require, which requirements shall include current proficiency in the use of an automated external defibrillator achieved through instruction provided by an individual, organization, or institution of higher education approved under s. 46.03 (38) to provide such instruction. The person shall include the approval number assigned under sub. (5) (b) to each educational program completed by the person to satisfy the requirements of this paragraph. During the time between initial licensure and commencement of a full 2-year licensure period new licensees shall not be required to meet continuing education requirements. Any person who has not engaged in the practice of chiropractic for 2 years or more, while holding a valid license under this chapter, and desiring to engage in such practice, shall be required by the examining board to complete a continuing education course at a school of chiropractic approved by the examining board or pass a practical examination administered by the examining board or both.

(2)

(a) The examining board shall grant a license to engage in the practice of chiropractic to a qualified person who submits an application for the license to the department on a form provided by the department, accompanied by satisfactory evidence of completion of the educational requirements established in the rules promulgated under par. (b) , passes the examinations described under sub. (3) and pays the license fee specified in s. 440.05 (1) .

(b) The examining board shall promulgate rules establishing educational requirements for obtaining a license under par. (a) . The rules shall require that an application for the license that is received by the department after June 30, 1998, be accompanied by satisfactory evidence that the applicant satisfies all of the following:

1. Has a bachelor’s degree from a college or university accredited by an accrediting body listed as nationally recognized by the secretary of the federal department of education.

2. Has graduated from a college of chiropractic approved by the examining board.

3. Has current proficiency in the use of an automated external defibrillator achieved through instruction provided by an individual, organization, or institution of higher education approved under s. 46.03 (38) to provide such instruction.

4. Has successfully completed the examinations required under sub. (3) .

(c)

1. The examining board shall issue a certificate to a chiropractor who is licensed under this chapter, who submits satisfactory evidence that the chiropractor has completed 48 hours of postgraduate study in nutrition that is approved by the examining board, and who pays a one-time certificate fee of $25, except that no certificate fee is required under this subdivision for an individual who is eligible for the veterans fee waiver program under s. 45.44 .

2. The examining board shall approve under subd. 1. a program of postgraduate study in nutrition provided by a program sponsor, as defined in s. 446.028 (1) , if the program of postgraduate study in nutrition satisfies all of the requirements established by the examining board by rule for such a program.

(3) The examining board shall require each applicant for licensure to successfully complete the following examinations:

(b) Parts I, II, III, and IV of the examination administered by the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners. An applicant successfully completes Part III of that examination if the applicant scores at least 375 on that part. An applicant successfully completes Part IV of that examination if the applicant scores at least 375 on that part.

(c) An examination approved by the examining board that tests the applicant’s knowledge of the laws of this state relating to the practice of chiropractic, including the provisions of this chapter and any rules promulgated by the examining board under this section.

(3g)

(a) The examining board may grant a license to practice chiropractic to an individual who is licensed in good standing to practice chiropractic in another state or territory of the United States or in another country if the applicant presents the license to the examining board, pays the fee specified in s. 440.05 (2) and meets the requirements established in rules promulgated under par. (b) .

(b) The examining board shall promulgate rules establishing additional requirements for obtaining a license under par. (a) , including a requirement that each person licensed under this subsection has current proficiency in the use of an automated external defibrillator achieved through instruction provided by an individual, organization, or institution of higher education approved under s. 46.03 (38) to provide such instruction.

(3r) The examining board may promulgate rules providing for the granting of a temporary permit to practice chiropractic to an individual who is licensed to practice chiropractic in another state or territory of the United States or in another country, and establishing requirements for practicing chiropractic under a temporary permit. Any rules promulgated under this subsection shall require an individual seeking a temporary permit under this subsection to submit evidence satisfactory to the examining board that the individual has current proficiency in the use of an automated external defibrillator achieved through instruction provided by an individual, organization, or institution of higher education approved under s. 46.03 (38) to provide such instruction.

(4) The renewal date for all licenses granted by the examining board is specified under s. 440.08 (2) (a) , and the renewal fee for such licenses is determined by the department under s. 440.03 (9) (a) .

(5)

(a) The examining board shall keep a complete record of all applications, examinations, licenses, fees and proceedings.

(b) The examining board shall assign a unique approval number to each continuing education program approved by the examining board under s. 446.028 .

(6) No person may practice chiropractic in this state under any other given name or any other surname than that under which he or she was originally licensed or registered to practice chiropractic in this or any other state in any instance in which the examining board, after a hearing, finds that practicing under the changed name operates to unfairly compete with another practitioner or to mislead the public as to identity or to otherwise result in detriment to the profession or the public. This subsection does not apply to a change of name resulting from marriage or divorce.

(6m) No chiropractor may provide counsel, direction, guidance, advice, or a recommendation to a patient regarding the health effects of vitamins, herbs, or nutritional supplements unless the chiropractor has been issued a certificate under sub. (2) (c) 1. This subsection does not apply to a chiropractor licensed under this chapter who is a certified dietitian, as defined in s. 448.70 (1m) .

(7)

(a) Except as provided in pars. (b) and (d) , a chiropractor who is licensed under this chapter may delegate to a person who is not licensed under this chapter the performance of adjunctive services if the services are performed by any of the following under the direct, on-premises supervision of the chiropractor:

1. A chiropractic technician.

2. A health care professional.

3. An individual who has completed a training program for medical assistants accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies, a national or state medical association, or another entity approved by the examining board.

(b) A chiropractor may not delegate to a person who is not licensed under this chapter the making of a diagnosis, the performance of a chiropractic adjustment, the analysis of a diagnostic test or clinical information or any practice or service that the examining board, by rule, prohibits a chiropractor from delegating to a person who is not licensed under this chapter.

(c) A chiropractor who delegates the performance of a service that is adjunctive to the practice of chiropractic to a person who is not licensed under this chapter shall verify, according to standards and procedures established by the examining board by rule, that the person has adequate education, training and experience to perform the delegated service safely, and is responsible for that person’s performance of the delegated service.

(d) A chiropractor may delegate X-ray services only to a chiropractic radiological technician or a health care professional acting within the scope of his or her license, registration, or certification.

(7d)

(a) A chiropractor shall evaluate each patient before commencing treatment of the patient to determine whether the patient has a condition that is treatable by the practice of chiropractic. The evaluation shall be based upon an examination that is appropriate to the patient. To conduct the evaluation, the chiropractor shall utilize chiropractic science, as defined by the examining board by rule, and the principles of education and training of the chiropractic profession.

(b) A chiropractor shall discontinue the practice of chiropractic on a patient if, at any time after the evaluation under par. (a) or during or following treatment of the patient, the chiropractor determines or reasonably believes that the patient’s condition is not treatable by the practice of chiropractic, or will not respond to further practice of chiropractic by the chiropractor, except that a chiropractor may provide maintenance, supportive, and wellness care to the patient if the patient is being treated by another health care professional.

(c) A chiropractor who discontinues the practice of chiropractic as required in par. (b) shall inform the patient of the reason for discontinuing the practice of chiropractic and shall refer the patient to a physician licensed under subch. II of ch. 448 . A chiropractor may continue to provide maintenance, supportive, and wellness care to a patient referred under this paragraph who requests these services from the chiropractor. A referral under this paragraph shall describe the chiropractor’s findings. If the referral is written, the chiropractor shall provide the patient with a copy and shall maintain a copy in the patient’s records. If the referral is oral, the chiropractor shall communicate the referral directly to the physician, shall notify the patient about the referral, and shall make a written record of the oral referral. The written record of the oral referral shall include the name of the physician to whom the patient was referred and the date of the referral. The chiropractor shall maintain a copy of the written record of the oral referral in the patient’s records.

(7m)

(a) A chiropractor shall create and maintain a patient record for every patient the chiropractor examines or treats. A patient record created and maintained under this paragraph shall contain complete and comprehensive health care information, as defined by the examining board by rule.

(b) A chiropractor shall preserve a patient record created and maintained under par. (a) for at least 3 years after the chiropractor makes his or her last entry or notation in the patient record or for any longer period that is otherwise required by law.

(8) Every practicing chiropractor shall have in effect professional liability insurance. The examining board shall promulgate rules establishing the minimum amount of insurance required under this subsection.

(9) No license under this chapter is required for any of the following:

(a) A student or graduate of a college of chiropractic who practices chiropractic, in a program for the clinical training of students and graduates that is reviewed and approved by the examining board, under the supervision of a chiropractor who is approved by the examining board to supervise the clinical training of the student or graduate and who is licensed under this chapter and is responsible for the student’s or graduate’s practice in an infirmary, clinic, hospital or private chiropractic office that is connected or associated for training purposes with a college of chiropractic approved by the examining board.

(b) An individual who is licensed to practice chiropractic in another state or territory of the United States and who practices chiropractic under the jurisdiction of the U.S. armed forces, as defined in s. 40.02 (57m) , federal public health service or U.S. department of veterans affairs.

(c) An individual who is licensed to practice chiropractic in another state or territory of the United States or in another country and who holds a temporary permit that is granted under the rules promulgated under sub. (3r) .

(d) A person who performs adjunctive services that are delegated to the person under sub. (7) .

(e) A naturopathic doctor or limited-scope naturopathic doctor acting within the scope of his or her license under ch. 466 .

(10)

(a) A chiropractor may waive all or a portion of an insured patient’s copayments, coinsurance, or deductibles due to a chiropractor who engages in the practice of chiropractic on behalf of the insured patient if all of the following are satisfied:

1. The chiropractor receives from and maintains written documentation of the patient’s financial hardship, as defined by the examining board by rule.

2. The chiropractor accurately reports to the patient’s insurer the actual fee charged, if any, to the patient. If the chiropractor waives all or a portion of the patient’s copayments, coinsurance, or deductibles due to the chiropractor, the chiropractor may not seek payment from the insurer for any portion of the copayment, coinsurance, or deductible waived by the chiropractor unless the claim for the services related to the copayment, coinsurance, or deductible is reduced by an equal amount. In this subdivision and in par. (b) , “insurer” has the meaning given in s. 600.03 (27) .

(b) A chiropractor who violates par. (a) shall refund the insurer for all payments received from the insurer that are related to the day on which a patient’s payment was waived or reduced or for the course of treatment for which the patient’s payment was waived or reduced.

(10m) A licensed chiropractor who has a valid federal motor carrier safety administration medical examiner certification credential issued under 49 CFR 390.109 may conduct medical examinations for the federal motor carrier safety administration pursuant to 49 USC 31149 and 49 CFR parts 390 and 391 .

(11) The examining board shall promulgate rules implementing s. 446.08 .

History: 1975 c. 39 , 199 , 383 ; 1977 c. 29 , 418 ; 1979 c. 98 , 162 , 337 ; 1981 c. 380 ; 1991 a. 39 ; 1993 a. 31 ; 1995 a. 94 , 166 ; 2001 a. 70 ; 2005 a. 25 ; 2007 a. 20 , 104 ; 2009 a. 28 ; 2011 a. 32 , 209 ; 2013 a. 20 , 345 ; 2017 a. 180 , 288 , 331 ; 2021 a. 130 ; 2021 a. 238 ss. 27 , 28 , 44 ; 2021 a. 253 ; 2023 a. 186 ; 2025 a. 20 , 129 .