32-921. Application for license; qualifications of applicant; fee; background investigations

A. A person who wishes to practice chiropractic in this state shall submit a complete application to the board at least forty-five days before the next scheduled examinations on a form and in the manner prescribed by the board.

B. To be eligible for an examination and licensure, the applicant shall:

1. Be a person of good character and reputation.

2. Be a graduate of a chiropractic college that both:

(a) Is accredited by or has status with the council on chiropractic education or is accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the United States department of education or the council on postsecondary accreditation.

(b) Teaches a resident course of four years of not less than nine months each year, or the equivalent of thirty-six months of continuous study, and that comprises not less than four thousand credit hours of resident study required to receive a degree of doctor of chiropractic (D.C.).

3. Be physically and mentally able to practice chiropractic skillfully and safely.

4. Have a certificate of attainment for part I and part II and a score of three hundred seventy-five or more on part III or IV of the examination conducted by the national board of chiropractic examiners.

C. The board may refuse to give an examination or may deny licensure to an applicant who:

1. Fails to qualify for an examination or licensure under subsection B of this section.

2. Has had a license to practice chiropractic refused, revoked, suspended or restricted by a regulatory board in this or any other jurisdiction for any act that constitutes unprofessional conduct pursuant to this chapter.

3. Is currently under investigation by a regulatory board in this or any other jurisdiction for an act that constitutes unprofessional conduct pursuant to this chapter.

4. Has surrendered a license to practice chiropractic in lieu of disciplinary action by a regulatory board in this or any other jurisdiction for an act that constitutes unprofessional conduct pursuant to this chapter.

5. Has engaged in any conduct that constitutes grounds for disciplinary action pursuant to section 32-924 or board rules.

D. On making application, the applicant shall pay to the executive director of the board a nonrefundable fee of not more than three hundred twenty-five dollars as established by the board. The board shall keep a register of all applicants and the result of each examination.

E. In order to determine an applicant's eligibility for examination and licensure, the board may require the applicant to submit a full set of fingerprints to the board. The board shall submit the fingerprints to the department of public safety for the purpose of obtaining a state and federal criminal records check pursuant to section 41-1750 and Public Law 92-544. The department of public safety may exchange this fingerprint data with the federal bureau of investigation. The board shall charge each applicant a fee that is necessary to cover the cost of the investigation. The board shall forward this fee to the department of public safety.