Sec. 10.26.02.03. Application for License

A. To qualify for a license, an applicant shall:

(1) Submit a completed application on a form supplied by the Board;

(2) Provide at the applicant's expense, in English, all documentation required by §§B, C, and D of this regulation or copies of original documents with English translations;

(3) Pay the necessary fees established in COMAR 10.26.01;

(4) Submit a current signed passport-size photograph; and

(5) Meet with the Board to review the application if requested by the Board.

B. To prove that the applicant is 18 years old, or older, the applicant shall provide a certified copy of an official government or institutional record, if requested by the Board.

C. To prove good moral character, the applicant shall provide names and addresses of three individuals who can attest to the applicant's reputation for honesty and credibility, as follows:

(1) Two of these individuals shall have known the applicant for the 5-year period directly preceding the application for licensure; and

(2) The third individual shall be a practicing acupuncturist in Maryland or in a state within the United States that has licensing requirements at least equivalent to those of this State.

D. The applicant shall provide documentary evidence of having met one of the following standards for education, training, or demonstrated experience:

(1) Graduation from a course of training of at least 1,800 hours in acupuncture, including 300 clinical hours, that is:

(a) Approved by the Maryland Higher Education Commission,

(b) Accredited by the ACAOM; or

(c) Found by the Board to be equivalent to a course approved by the ACAOM; or

(2) Achievement of a:

(a) Diplomate in Acupuncture from the NCCAOM; or

(b) Passing score on an examination that is determined by the Board to be equivalent to the examination given by the NCCAOM.

E. An applicant shall demonstrate proof of proficiency in the written and oral communication of the English language by providing documentary evidence that:

(1) The applicant has completed at least 60 classroom credits from an English-speaking undergraduate school or English-speaking professional school; or

(2) The applicant has achieved a passing score on the TOEFL within the 2 years preceding license application.

F. Proof of proficiency in the English language does not apply to an individual who was in possession of a valid Maryland acupuncture license by March 1, 1996, or had applied by that date and subsequently met all requirements for licensure.