Title 34 — Title 34

(a) The term “chiropractic,” when used in this article, is hereby defined as the science and art of locating and removing without the use of drugs or surgery any interference with the transmission and expression of nerve energy in the human body by any means or methods as taught …

The State Board of Chiropractic Examiners shall have the right to regulate the advertising of chiropractic services by chiropractors or permit holders within the limits prescribed by this article and the rules and regulations governing the practice of chiropractic in this state. …

Chiropractors who have complied with the provisions of this article shall have the right to treat patients according to specific chiropractic methods and shall observe state, county, and municipal public health regulations, reporting to the proper health officers the same as othe…

Nonlicensed Owner of Chiropractic Practice. (a) It shall be unlawful for any person to practice chiropractic unless he or she shall have first obtained a valid license as provided in this article and possesses all the qualifications prescribed by the terms of this article. Any pe…

When it appears to the State Board of Chiropractic Examiners that any person is violating any of the provisions of this article, the board may in its own name bring an action in the circuit court for an injunction, and the court may enjoin any person from violating this article r…

(a) For the purposes of this section, the following words shall have the following meanings: (1) CHIROPRACTOR. A person licensed to practice chiropractic in this state. (2) CHIROPRACTIC AGREEMENT or AGREEMENT. A contract between a chiropractor and a patient or his or her legal re…

Duties. (Amended by Act 2026-288) [Effective until October 1, 2026.] AMENDED BY ACT 2026-288, EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 1, 2026. SEE ACT FOR REVISED LANGUAGE. (a) There is established a State Board of Chiropractic Examiners. The board shall be composed of nine members. Eight members of t…

(a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (1) A primary goal of the provision of health care is to prioritize patient safety and wellness. (2) The board is in the best position to determine the practice of chiropractic that prioritizes patient safety and wellne…

The members of the board shall be elected or appointed, as provided in Section 34- 24-140, for a term of four years and the terms shall be staggered. In the event that there are two or more board members serving from the same congressional district based on redistricting, the mem…

Each member of the board shall be entitled to receive a per diem at the rate of 80 percent of the rate established by Section 34-24-54 for each day or any portion thereof that the member of the board is in attendance at a meeting of the board or any function of the board, plus an…

(a) All examination fees, certification fees, renewal fees, and other similar funds received by the board under this article shall be deposited into the State Treasury to the credit of the State Board of Chiropractic Examiners, and all such funds are appropriated to the board to …

Regulations; Bond. The members of the State Board of Chiropractic Examiners shall convene within 30 days after their election or appointment and elect a president, vice-president, and secretary-treasurer from among their members, and thereafter the board shall elect, annually, af…

Individuals in Certain Educational Programs; Licensure Requirements. (a) The State Board of Chiropractic Examiners may establish a preceptorship and extern program whereby chiropractic students enrolled in their last year at board- approved chiropractic colleges accredited by the…

The State Board of Chiropractic Examiners, by rule of the board, may set, charge, and collect reasonable fees for services provided by the board, including, but not limited to, the following services: (1) Applications for approval of continuing education seminars. (2) Verificatio…

288) [Effective until October 1, 2026.] AMENDED BY ACT 2026-288, EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 1, 2026. SEE ACT FOR REVISED LANGUAGE. (a) Any person wishing the right to practice chiropractic shall make application to the State Board of Chiropractic Examiners in the form as the board may pre…

Office. (a) Each applicant, who matriculated into a chiropractic college after January 1, 1973, must pass parts one and two of the examination administered by the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners or other national examination as approved by the board. In addition, each ap…

(a) Every person who desires to practice chiropractic within the State of Alabama shall file an application prescribed by the board. Notwithstanding the method of obtaining licensure or any particular requirement set forth herein, every person as a prerequisite to licensure must …

Notwithstanding any section of this article or any other law to the contrary, the board shall issue a license to practice chiropractic without examination to any person in the active practice of chiropractic in the State of Alabama on January 1, 1960; provided, that the person sh…

Every person who receives a license to practice chiropractic shall have it recorded in the office of the judge of probate of each county in which he practices and shall likewise have it recorded in the counties to which he may subsequently remove for the purpose of practicing chi…

Inactive License. (a) Every license to practice chiropractic or permit to own a chiropractic practice shall be subject to renewal on September 30 of the year for which it is issued with a grace period from October 1 to December 31 of each year. Every person having a valid license…

Action. (a) The State Board of Chiropractic Examiners may refuse to grant a license or permit to any applicant who is not of good moral character and reputation or has a history of narcotic addiction or has previously been convicted of a felony or any crime of moral turpitude or …

(a) In a contested case, all parties shall be afforded an opportunity for hearing after reasonable notice in writing delivered either by personal service as in civil actions or by certified mail, return receipt requested. Delivery of the notice referred to in this subsection shal…

Hearing; Settlement by Guilty Plea. The board shall specify in its rules and regulations specific guidelines to govern all hearings. History: (Acts 1959, No. 108, p. 612, §14; Acts 1989, No. 89-237, p. 321, §2; Act 2013-414, p. 1568, §1.)

The board shall specify in its rules and regulations a schedule of costs or fines, or both, to be imposed upon any person or permit holder who has been found guilty of a violation of Sections 34-24-166 or 34-24-161(f), each not to exceed eight thousand dollars ($8,000) per violat…

Repealed by Act 2015-275 effective August 1, 2015. History: (Acts 1959, No. 108, p. 612, §18; Acts 1989, No. 89-237, p. 321, §2; Act 2003-352, p. 921, §1; Act 2013-414, p. 1568, §1.)

In contested cases: (1) The rules of evidence as applied in nonjury civil cases in the circuit courts of this state shall be followed. When necessary to ascertain facts not reasonably susceptible of proof under those rules, evidence not admissible thereunder may be admitted if it…

(a) The final order in a proceeding shall be in writing and made a part of the record and include findings of fact and conclusions of law separately stated, and it shall be rendered within 45 days: (1) After the hearing is concluded, if conducted by the board; (2) After the board…

(a) Any party whose license or permit is sanctioned as provided herein, shall not be required to file a motion for rehearing to exhaust his or her remedies available from the board. (b) Any party sanctioned as provided herein, may file a petition for judicial review in the circui…

Except as otherwise provided in subsection (b) or (c) of Section 34-24-165, any chiropractor who desires to return to the active practice of chiropractic shall submit an application for reinstatement accompanied by a nonrefundable reinstatement fee and a penalty. The amount of th…

The board shall not renew the annual certificate of registration as set forth in Section 34-24-123, 34-24-165, or 34-24-176 of any licensee or permit holder against whom an administrative fine has been assessed by the board until the fine is paid in full. In the event that the fi…

This article may be cited as the Physical Therapy Practice Act. History: (Acts 1965, No. 476, p. 686, §1.)

(a) For the purposes of this article, the following terms have the following meanings: (1) BOARD. The Board of Physical Therapy established by Section 34-24-192. (2) COMMISSION. The Physical Therapy Compact Commission, the national administrative body whose membership consists of…

(a) Composition; appointment and terms of members. The Board of Physical Therapy shall consist of seven members. Four members shall be physical therapists, two members shall be physical therapist assistants, and one member shall be a consumer. The members shall be appointed by th…

Administrative Fines; Impaired Practitioner Program. (a) The board shall have the following duties: (1) To pass upon the qualifications of applicants for licensing as physical therapists or physical therapist assistants. (2) To conduct examinations. (3) To issue licenses and lice…

Review of Revocation or Refusal of License. (a) Any person may file a complaint with the board against any licensed physical therapist, licensed physical therapist assistant, or compact privilege holder in the state charging the individual with a violation of this article. The co…

All fees collected by the board shall be paid into the State Treasury and credited to a special fund designated as the “Physical Therapist Fund.” There is hereby appropriated to the board all funds appropriated, or otherwise made available, to the board by the Legislature of Alab…

(a) Each violation of Section 34-24-210 shall be punishable by a fine of not less than one hundred dollars ($100) nor more than five hundred dollars ($500), or by imprisonment for not less than 30 days nor more than 90 days, or both. (b) Any individual who knowingly makes a false…

(a) License or compact privilege required. No individual shall practice nor hold himself or herself out to be able to practice physical therapy in this state unless he or she is licensed or has been granted a compact privilege in accordance with this chapter. (b) License or compa…

(a) A physical therapist may not treat patients without a referral from a physical therapy referrer unless the physical therapist possesses a doctorate in physical therapy or a master’s degree from an accredited institution along with 10 years of clinical practice experience and …

(a) An applicant for licensure as a physical therapist or as a physical therapist assistant shall file a written application on forms provided by the board together with a fee as set by the board, no part of which shall be refundable. The applicant shall present evidence satisfac…

(a) Generally. The board shall give an appropriate physical therapy examination and a jurisprudence examination to every applicant who complies with Section 34- 24-211 and who pays the fee prescribed for the examination. Examinations shall be held within the state at least once e…

The board shall issue a license to each applicant who passes the appropriate examination for licensure as a physical therapist or licensure as a physical therapist assistant in accordance with standards fixed by it and who is not disqualified to receive a license under Section 34…

Upon payment to the board of a fee set by the board and the submission of a written application on forms provided by the board, the board shall issue a license without examination to: (1) An individual who is qualified within the meaning of this article as a physical therapist by…

(a) On payment to the board of a fee set by the board, and on submission of a written application on forms provided by the board, the applicant shall be issued without examination a temporary license to practice physical therapy or to act as a physical therapist assistant in this…

(a) All licenses issued by the board to physical therapists and physical therapist assistants shall expire on the first day of October of the year next succeeding the issuance thereof. A license may be renewed on the payment, on or before November first of each year, to the board…

(a) The board shall refuse to issue a license to any individual and, after notice and hearing in accordance with its rules, shall suspend or revoke the license or compact privilege of any individual who has done any of the following: (1) Practiced physical therapy other than upon…

(a) This article shall be known and may be cited as the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact. The purpose of this compact is to facilitate interstate practice of physical therapy with the goal of improving public access to physical therapy services. The practice of physical therapy…

As used in this article, and except as otherwise provided, the following terms have the following meanings: (1) ACTIVE DUTY MILITARY. Full-time duty status in the active uniformed service of the United States, including members of the National Guard and Reserve on active duty ord…

(a) To participate in the compact, a state shall do all of the following: (1) Participate fully in the commission’s data system, including using the commission’s unique identifier as defined in rules. (2) Have a mechanism in place for receiving and investigating complaints about …

(a) To exercise the compact privilege under the terms and provisions of the compact, the licensee shall meet all of the following requirements: (1) Hold a license in the home state. (2) Have no encumbrance on any state license. (3) Be eligible for a compact privilege in any membe…