The Overview

If you're a licensed naturopathic doctor in California, the state board that oversees your license just got a four-year lease on life. California's Naturopathic Doctors Act, SB 1303, became law when Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed it Sept. 20. Without the law, the California Board of Naturopathic Medicine was set to expire Jan. 1, 2027; it now runs through Jan. 1, 2031. ​

What the Law Does

The law keeps the California Board of Naturopathic Medicine operating, changes how renewal fees work, adds a fictitious-name permit requirement, and makes it a crime to practice or hold oneself out as practicing naturopathic medicine without a license.

On fees, the existing $1,000-to-$1,200 renewal fee range now applies only to active licenses. Inactive-license holders will pay half the current active-license renewal fee. The board may also accept a voluntary license cancellation on written request, as long as it is not being used to sidestep an enforcement action.

Naturopathic doctors who practice under a fictitious, false, or assumed name must now obtain a fictitious-name permit from the board; the application fee is $100 and the renewal fee is $50.

The law also tightens the unlicensed-practice rules: it is now a crime to practice or hold oneself out as practicing naturopathic medicine without a license, though using the title "naturopath" alone is not a violation as long as the person discloses they are not a licensed naturopathic doctor and follows the disclosure rules in the Medical Practice Act.

Legislative Status

Sen. Aisha Wahab (D-CA-10) sponsored the bill. During the Assembly process, she accepted amendments recommended by the Assembly Business and Professions Committee that removed provisions that would have expanded naturopathic doctors' role in workers' compensation, according to Business Insurance.

The Senate passed it 39-0 on May 27. The Assembly passed it 74-0 on Aug. 30, and the Senate concurred in Assembly amendments 39-0 the same day. The law takes effect Jan. 1, 2027.

At an April Senate committee hearing, Meredith Bull, representing the California Naturopathic Doctors Association, expressed support for the bill, thanking the board and committee for their work on the sunset review, according to a Digital Democracy hearing transcript.

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