North Dakota Podiatry Licensing: Reciprocity and the Oral Practical Exam

North Dakota has a small podiatry board and a short statute, North Dakota Century Code chapter 43-05, and both shape what licensing there is like. The law allows a license without examination for experienced podiatrists from reciprocating states. The board's process requires every applicant to appear in person, and the board holds one regularly scheduled meeting a year. Planning around that calendar is most of the work.

Who can be licensed without examination?

Section 43-05-14 lets the board license a podiatrist of another state or Canadian province without examination if:

1. the other jurisdiction grants like privileges to North Dakota podiatrists;
2. it maintains equal statutory requirements for practicing podiatric medicine;
3. you pay the fee, which the statute caps at $500;
4. you have practiced legally and actively for at least two years immediately before applying;
5. you show the current status of your license in the other jurisdiction;
6. you have had no license suspended or revoked and no disciplinary action, and have not engaged in conduct that would warrant it (the board may still license you with conditions if it decides the public is protected); and
7. you submit, for the five years before applying, the name and address of your professional liability insurer and the number, date and disposition of any malpractice settlement or award to a plaintiff relating to the quality of your podiatric treatment.

The two-year practice requirement is shorter than North Carolina's five or Connecticut's four, but the like-privileges and equal-requirements tests depend on your home state's law. Our endorsement overview compares year counts across states.

Which requirements apply to every applicant?

Section 43-05-11 requires an applicant who is at least 18, of good moral character and a graduate of a board-approved podiatric medical school. Graduates after July 1, 1991, must show completion of a clinical residency; the statute names no minimum length. Section 43-05-12 requires a passing score on each section of the NBPME licensing exam, or another exam the board accepts. Since April 1, 2026, scores go to boards from your own Meazure Learning Connect account; see where APMLE scores come from now.

The board's license application page adds the practical details: an original application with a notarized signature, a $300 nonrefundable application fee, every supporting document the application lists, and payment by personal check, money order or cashier's check. The board does not accept credit or debit cards.

What happens at the board appearance?

Section 43-05-12(1) says an applicant "shall appear in person before the board or its designated representative to complete an oral practical examination and show that the applicant satisfies the requirements for licensure." The board may accept a national clinical exam prepared and graded by NBPME instead of the oral practical exam, and it sets the procedures and subject matter for the personal presentation.

The board's application page describes how this works in practice: you appear personally at the board's next regularly scheduled meeting, where the board approves or denies the license. Its board requirements page says the board holds one regularly scheduled meeting per year. Nobody can appear for you, and the date is the board's.

If you fail the examination and are refused a license, section 43-05-13 allows one re-examination within a year for an added $300 fee. A second failure ends the original application.

Can you practice before the meeting?

Yes, with a temporary license. The board's application page says that if an applicant wants a license before the next board meeting, the President may approve a temporary license allowing practice until the personal appearance can be made. It expires on the date of the next regularly scheduled meeting. The temporary license fee is $300, on top of the $300 application fee, and the full licensure fee is prorated for the rest of the year. For a group recruiting a podiatrist to North Dakota, this is the step that makes the start date workable.

Residents use a different permit. Section 43-05-12(2) allows a temporary permit for a podiatrist in a clinical residency or preceptorship for up to 12 months, with a fee capped at $250. See residency, training and limited licenses.

Why is North Dakota's scope unusual?

Section 43-05-01(5) defines podiatric medicine broadly: the foot, the ankle and related soft tissue structures below the tibial tuberosity that govern the foot and ankle, excluding extra-articular bone injuries above the distal metaphyseal scar. It includes "the amputation of the toes, parts of the foot, or foot in its entirety, indicated as medically necessary." Whole-foot amputation is something Texas makes a crime and Washington, Massachusetts and Florida exclude, so North Dakota's scope is broad by comparison. Podiatrists may also perform admission history and physical exams where they hold credentials and privileges, and may assist in nonpodiatric surgery. See amputation limits by state and the scope by state page.

How does renewal work?

Licenses renew every year. Section 43-05-15 caps the annual fee at $750 and treats a license as expired if the fee is not paid within six months of the renewal date. The board's CME page requires at least 60 hours of study in the 36 months before renewal, or 20 hours for each calendar year of licensure for anyone licensed less than 36 months, waived for the first year.

How can we help with North Dakota?

If your home state reciprocates, North Dakota is our Podiatrist License by Endorsement service, $799. We check the like-privileges and equal-requirements tests against your state's law, prepare the application for you to sign before a notary, assemble the five-year malpractice insurer and claims disclosure, request your license verification, and prepare the temporary license request so you can start before the annual meeting. Jurisprudence and State Exam Logistics ($249) covers preparation and travel planning for the appearance and oral practical exam, which you attend in person. You pay the board by check directly. See the North Dakota state page for current requirements.