What are the dietitian licensure, title and telehealth rules in Texas, and how should dietitians market there?

Only to use the title. Texas Occupations Code § 701.251(b) says a person may not use "licensed dietitian" or "LD", or imply that title, without a license. Section 701.251(c) reserves "registered dietitian" and "RD" for people registered with CDR. TDLR's own summary lists the program as a title act, not a practice act.

TDLR's Dietitians at a Glance sheet puts it plainly: a license is required to use "Licensed Dietitian" or "L.D.", CDR registration is required to use "Registered Dietitian" or "R.D.", and no license is required to use "Dietitian" or "Nutritionist". The statute is Occupations Code Chapter 701. Rules sit in 16 Texas Administrative Code Chapters 60, 100 and 116.

How a Texas license is earned

• Submit the CDR registration number, which serves as proof of education, experience and the exam.
• Pass the Texas Jurisprudence Examination.
• Renew every two years with 12 clock-hours of continuing education and an approved human trafficking training course.

Why does the title-act model matter for marketing? Because in Texas the license itself becomes the proof point. Clients and referring physicians cannot assume that someone calling themselves a dietitian holds any credential. "RD, LD" next to a name tells them the clinician passed the national exam, holds CDR registration and answers to a state regulator. That is worth showing on every page where a client chooses who to book.

Texas dropped the provisional license. SB 627 (2025) removed the "provisional licensed dietitian" title and its definition, effective September 1, 2025. If any bio or job post still says "PLD", update it.

16 TAC § 116.104 requires licensees to use factual information about their services and bans advertising that is false, misleading, deceptive or not readily subject to verification. That last phrase matters most for marketing: every claim in an ad should be something you can prove.

What § 116.104(b) treats as misleading

• A material misrepresentation, or leaving out a fact needed to make a statement not misleading.
• A representation likely to create an unjustified expectation about results.
• Comparing your services with another professional's, unless the comparison can be factually substantiated.
• Causing confusion about a professional's credentials, education or licensure.
• Advertising that deductibles or copayments will be waived, or that plan benefits will be accepted as full payment, when they are required.
• Taking advantage of the fears or emotions of a particularly susceptible type of patient.
• Using a title commonly reserved for another profession.

Section 116.105(a)(13) separately lists false, misleading or deceptive claims in an advertisement, announcement or presentation as grounds for discipline, according to the TDLR sanctions schedule.

What this means in practice

• Headlines that promise a set amount of weight loss in a set time create an unjustified expectation. Describe the program instead.
• "No copay" offers are risky if the plan requires one.
• "Better than other dietitians" needs substantiation, so leave it out.
• Weight, eating-disorder and fertility audiences can be emotionally vulnerable. Avoid fear-based copy.

Reviews, testimonials and before-and-after posts

Section 116.104 does not ban testimonials outright, as far as we read it. But a testimonial that implies typical results can create the "unjustified expectation" the rule describes. The FTC Endorsement Guides, revised in 2023, also expect endorsements to reflect typical experience or say clearly that results vary, and the FTC rule against fake reviews took effect in October 2024. For dietitian practices, the safer pattern is:

• Ask for reviews about the experience: listening, clarity, scheduling, follow-up.
• Skip weight-loss numbers and before-and-after photos in ads.
• Never offer discounts or gifts in exchange for reviews.
• Reply to reviews without confirming that the reviewer is a client or mentioning health details.

These rules sit on top of federal rules. The FTC still expects health claims to rest on competent and reliable scientific evidence. Our page on advertising rules for dietitians' health claims covers the federal side.

Make the LD and RD credentials visible, because they are the only state-backed signals in a market where anyone can say "nutritionist". Then build local search for the Texas metros you serve, a physician referral flow and ad copy that passes § 116.104. Texas is large, so a single statewide page rarely ranks well.

Credentials and required notices

• Write "RD, LD" on bios, Google Business Profile descriptions and schema markup, where both apply.
• Display the license in the primary office, as Occ. Code § 701.351 and TDLR rules require.
• Give clients TDLR's complaint contact information, as 16 TAC § 116.103(a) requires, on a contract, a sign or a bill. Many practices also add it to the website footer.

Team titles in a group practice

Group practices in Texas often employ a mix of RD, LD clinicians, newly graduated RDs waiting on their license, and health coaches. Each person needs an accurate title on the team page and in scheduling tools. A new graduate can be shown as "RD" once CDR registration is active, and "LD" only after TDLR issues the license. Health coaches should be labelled as coaches, with a short note on what they do and do not provide. This keeps you clear of the § 116.104(b) item on confusion about credentials. Our page on group dietitian practice marketing covers how to present several clinicians.

Local search across Texas metros

Each office needs its own Google Business Profile and location page. Telehealth-only practices should read our guide on Google Business Profile for virtual practices before creating a profile. Build city pages for Houston, Dallas–Fort Worth, San Antonio and Austin only where you can describe real service there.

The full approach is on our dietitian marketing agency page. To compare Texas with practice-act states, see the dietitian licensure by state overview.