Sec. 20-27. License.

(a) Required. No person shall engage in the practice of chiropractic in this state until he has obtained a license.

(b) Examination. Qualifications. No person shall receive a license until he has passed an examination prescribed by the Department of Public Health, with the advice and consent of the Board of Chiropractic Examiners, except as hereinafter provided. Any person desiring to practice chiropractic shall make application to the department upon such form as the department adopts. Applications shall be in writing, signed by the applicant and shall contain a statement of the educational advantages of the applicant, his experience in matters pertaining to a knowledge of the care of the sick, the length of time applied and the school in which he studied chiropractic, any collateral branch of study and the length of time engaged in clinical practice and any diploma, certificate or degree which has been conferred upon such applicant. Each applicant shall present to the department satisfactory evidence that he graduated from an approved high school or possessed educational qualifications equivalent to those required for graduation from such school before beginning the study of chiropractic and that he graduated with the degree of doctor of chiropractic from an accredited college of chiropractic approved by said board with the consent of the Commissioner of Public Health, as provided herein, that, if he graduated prior to July 1, 1932, he has been a resident student in such an approved chiropractic college or colleges during three graded courses of six months each, each of which courses shall have included not less than nine hundred class hours, that, if he graduated after July 1, 1932, he has been a resident student in such an approved chiropractic college or colleges during four graded courses of eight months each, totaling not less than three thousand six hundred hours, and that, if he graduated after July 1, 1955, he has been a resident student in such an approved chiropractic college or colleges during four graded courses of eight months each, totaling not less than four thousand hours. On and after July 1, 1960, each applicant shall present to said department satisfactory evidence that before beginning the study of chiropractic he has completed at least two academic years or sixty semester hours of study leading to a baccalaureate degree in a college or university approved by said board with the consent of the Commissioner of Public Health. Said department shall issue a license to each applicant who passes the examination and who has met all other requirements of this chapter and any regulations adopted hereunder. There shall be paid to the department by each applicant a fee of five hundred sixty-five dollars. The examination shall be administered by the Department of Public Health under the supervision of the board. Passing scores shall be established by the department with the consent of the board.

(c) Licensure without written examination. The Department of Public Health may grant a license without written examination to any currently practicing, competent licensee from any other state having licensure requirements substantially similar to, or higher than, those of this state, who (1) is a graduate of an accredited school of chiropractic approved by said board with the consent of the Commissioner of Public Health, (2) presents evidence satisfactory to the department that he has completed a course of two academic years or sixty semester hours of study in a college or scientific school approved by the board with the consent of the Commissioner of Public Health, and (3) successfully passes the practical examination provided for in subsection (a) of section 20-28. In addition, the department may issue a license without written or practical examination to a chiropractor who holds a current valid license in good standing issued after examination by another state or territory that maintains licensing standards that, except for examination, are commensurate with this state's standards and who has worked continuously as a licensed chiropractor in an academic or clinical setting for a period of not less than five years immediately preceding the date of application for licensure without examination. There shall be paid to the department by each such applicant a fee of five hundred sixty-five dollars. No license shall be issued under this section to any applicant against whom professional disciplinary action is pending or who is the subject of an unresolved complaint. The department shall inform the board of the applications it receives for licenses under this section.

(d) Issuance of license. List of approved schools. Any person who has passed the prescribed examination shall receive from said department a license, which license shall include a statement that the person named therein is qualified to practice chiropractic. Any person practicing chiropractic in this state under a license granted by the Board of Chiropractic Examiners previous to July 1, 1927, shall, upon filing such license, together with the statement provided for, with the Department of Public Health, receive from said department a license. Said board shall file, annually, with the Department of Public Health, a list of accredited chiropractic colleges or institutions approved by said board with the consent of the Commissioner of Public Health.

(1949 Rev., S. 4380; 1949, 1955, S. 2197d; 1959, P.A. 616, S. 8; 1969, P.A. 126, S. 1, 2; June, 1971, P.A. 8, S. 43, 44; 1972, P.A. 294, S. 24; P.A. 75-268, S. 3; P.A. 77-614, S. 364, 365, 610; P.A. 78-303, S. 30, 136; P.A. 80-358, S. 2; 80-484, S. 21, 174, 176; P.A. 81-471, S. 11, 71; P.A. 83-17, S. 1, 3; P.A. 89-251, S. 75, 203; P.A. 93-381, S. 9, 39; P.A. 94-174, S. 7, 12; P.A. 95-257, S. 12, 21, 58; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3, S. 184; P.A. 10-117, S. 13.)

History: 1959 act doubled fees for certificates of approval, deleted requirement that deposit of $15 accompany application for the same and eliminated $2 fee for certificate of registration; 1969 act deleted references to duplicate certificates and statements in Subsecs. (b) and (d) and deleted provisions re disposition of duplicates with town clerks in physicians' towns of residence or towns where physicians intend to reside; 1971 act increased certificate fee in Subsec. (b) from $50 to $150 and in Subsec. (c) from $100 to $150; 1972 act made technical change, deleting reference to duplicate statements in Subsec. (d); P.A. 75-268 deleted provisions in Subsec. (c) which forbade granting of certificate to person failing to meet conditions set forth in repealed Sec. 20-3; P.A. 77-614 replaced department of health with department of health services, required commissioner's consent for examination and deleted references to secretary-general of board of examiners, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 78-303 made technical changes; P.A. 80-358 specified that chiropractic colleges must be “accredited” rather than “reputable” and must be “approved” rather than “recognized” by the board; P.A. 80-484 essentially transferred powers of board re applications, examination and licensure to department, retaining board in advisory role and revising provisions as necessary, deleted requirement that applications be sworn, that applicant be of good moral character and that he be a resident or intends to be one, replaced certificates with licenses and added provisions in Subsec. (b) re establishment of passing scores by department and in Subsec. (c) re applicants against whom disciplinary action pending or who are subject of unresolved complaint and re informing board of number of applications received; P.A. 81-471 changed “certificates” to “licenses” in Subsec. (c) as of July 1, 1981; P.A. 83-17 amended Subsec. (c) to authorize the granting of a license to a licensee from another state without a “written” examination, deleted the requirement that a certificate of proficiency in basic sciences be submitted and added requirement that such licensee pass a practical examination; P.A. 89-251 increased the fee from $150 to $450; P.A. 93-381 replaced department and commissioner of health services with department and commissioner of public health and addiction services, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 94-174 deleted language which provided that the accredited college of chiropractic be accredited at the time of application, effective June 6, 1994; P.A. 95-257 replaced Commissioner and Department of Public Health and Addiction Services with Commissioner and Department of Public Health, effective July 1, 1995; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3 amended Subsecs. (b) and (c) to increase fees from $450 to $565; P.A. 10-117 amended Subsec. (c) to permit licensure without written or practical examination to chiropractor holding a valid license in another state or territory, issued after examination, who has worked continuously in academic or clinical setting for not less than 5 years prior to date of application.

Notation

See Sec. 19a-88 re annual renewal of licenses.

See Sec. 19a-89 re notification of change in office or residence address.

Cited. 211 C. 508; 220 C. 86.

Compared with Sec. 20-37. 14 CS 199. The court may refuse to compel commissioner to issue a certificate of registration if certificate issued by the board was falsely obtained. 19 CS 462.