Your answers: Canada · No province or state chosen · Sole proprietor · Clients pay, then claim · Clients in other provinces? No · Clients under 18? No
Your checklist for Canada
0 of 15 done
What the labels mean
- Required
- A rule applies to your practice.
- Depends
- Varies with your province or state, or with an answer above.
- Confirm locally
- The sources do not settle it for your province or state. Confirm it there.
- Advised
- Guidance, or no rule and you set your own.
Before your first client
10 steps
Required
"Dietitian" is a protected title in every province, and registration governs which titles you may advertise under. Misusing a protected title is an offence in its own right, and some provinces, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia among them, also restrict the practice of dietetics itself.
Why it matters · sources Register with your provincial college before you advertise
"Dietitian" is a protected title in every province, and registration governs which titles you may advertise under. Misusing a protected title is an offence in its own right, and some provinces, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia among them, also restrict the practice of dietetics itself.
Source: Is “Nutritionist” a Protected Title in Canada? (facts reviewed October 6, 2026) and Start a Dietitian Practice in Canada: Rules by Province (facts reviewed October 6, 2026)
Depends
Your college sets whether professional liability insurance is required and, if it is, the minimum coverage. Where there is no dietetics regulator, no college sets one, but carrying coverage is still prudent.
Why it matters · sources Carry professional liability insurance
Your college sets whether professional liability insurance is required and, if it is, the minimum coverage. Where there is no dietetics regulator, no college sets one, but carrying coverage is still prudent.
Source: Start a Dietitian Practice in Canada: Rules by Province (facts reviewed October 6, 2026)
Depends
Operating as a sole proprietor is available everywhere. Whether a corporation may deliver dietetic services is set by provincial law and your regulator: a professional corporation, or in Quebec a company or limited liability partnership, is available in Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.
Why it matters · sources Choose a business structure
Operating as a sole proprietor is available everywhere. Whether a corporation may deliver dietetic services is set by provincial law and your regulator: a professional corporation, or in Quebec a company or limited liability partnership, is available in Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.
Source: Can a Dietitian Form a Professional Corporation in Canada? (facts reviewed October 6, 2026)
Depends
If you practise under a name other than your own, your province may require you to register it, and the rules differ. A sole proprietor needs a CRA business number only for a program account, such as GST/HST or payroll; incorporating requires one.
Why it matters · sources Register your business name, if you use one
If you practise under a name other than your own, your province may require you to register it, and the rules differ. A sole proprietor needs a CRA business number only for a program account, such as GST/HST or payroll; incorporating requires one.
Source: Start a Dietitian Practice in Canada: Rules by Province (facts reviewed October 6, 2026) and Can a Dietitian Form a Professional Corporation in Canada? (facts reviewed October 6, 2026)
Depends
The statute depends on your province, and so does whether it makes you a "custodian" or "trustee". Each provincial exemption from PIPEDA covers only activity inside that province, so PIPEDA still applies to information crossing a provincial or national border.
Why it matters · sources Work out which privacy law governs your client records
The statute depends on your province, and so does whether it makes you a "custodian" or "trustee". Each provincial exemption from PIPEDA covers only activity inside that province, so PIPEDA still applies to information crossing a provincial or national border.
Source: Which Privacy Law Applies to a Dietitian in Canada? (facts reviewed October 6, 2026)
Depends
Every Canadian privacy statute expects policies or information practices of your own and someone answerable for them. Most add a written agreement with any vendor that holds client records, and Alberta, Prince Edward Island and Quebec require a privacy impact assessment.
Why it matters · sources Put your privacy program in place
Every Canadian privacy statute expects policies or information practices of your own and someone answerable for them. Most add a written agreement with any vendor that holds client records, and Alberta, Prince Edward Island and Quebec require a privacy impact assessment.
Source: Which Privacy Law Applies to a Dietitian in Canada? (facts reviewed October 6, 2026)
Depends
Retention runs from at least 5 years in Quebec to 16 in British Columbia, six jurisdictions publish no period at all, and the event that starts the clock differs by province, which can change the answer by years for the same client.
Why it matters · sources Write a records-retention policy
Retention runs from at least 5 years in Quebec to 16 in British Columbia, six jurisdictions publish no period at all, and the event that starts the clock differs by province, which can change the answer by years for the same client.
Source: How Long Must a Dietitian Keep Client Records in Canada? (facts reviewed October 6, 2026)
Depends
Client records outlive the practice. Decide now who takes custody if you close, become unable to practise or die, and how clients will reach their records. Quebec, British Columbia and Manitoba require arrangements in advance.
Why it matters · sources Plan who will hold your records if you close or cannot practise
Client records outlive the practice. Decide now who takes custody if you close, become unable to practise or die, and how clients will reach their records. Quebec, British Columbia and Manitoba require arrangements in advance.
Source: How Long Must a Dietitian Keep Client Records in Canada? (facts reviewed October 6, 2026)
Depends
Before the first appointment, have a consent process and a fee policy: what each service costs, how and when you take payment, and any missed-appointment fee. Where your college sets a standard, it requires this disclosure before the service, not after.
Why it matters · sources Set your consent process and fee policy
Before the first appointment, have a consent process and a fee policy: what each service costs, how and when you take payment, and any missed-appointment fee. Where your college sets a standard, it requires this disclosure before the service, not after.
Source: Dietitian Receipts in Canada: The Carriers Disagree (facts reviewed October 6, 2026) and Start a Dietitian Practice in Canada: Rules by Province (facts reviewed October 6, 2026)
Depends
Every provincial and territorial child-protection statute requires a report when you have grounds to believe or suspect a child needs protection. Outside Quebec it covers any child, an adult client's included, and several statutes make failing to report an offence.
Why it matters · sources Know your duty to report a child in need of protection
Every provincial and territorial child-protection statute requires a report when you have grounds to believe or suspect a child needs protection. Outside Quebec it covers any child, an adult client's included, and several statutes make failing to report an offence.
Source: Start a Dietitian Practice in Canada: Rules by Province (facts reviewed October 6, 2026)
Before you take payment
2 steps
Required
Dietetic services are generally exempt when three conditions hold: you are a "practitioner" (licensed in the province where the service is supplied if that province requires it, or, where it does not, holding qualifications equivalent to licensure in another province), the supply falls within section 7.1 of Schedule V, Part II of the Excise Tax Act, and its dominant purpose is one of five statutory purposes, which include maintaining health and preventing disease. The $30,000 small-supplier threshold counts only taxable supplies, and a practice making only exempt supplies generally cannot register at all. On the most defensible reading, recipe development for a business, sponsorships, products such as e-books, courses and meal plans sold without a consultation, and talks a for-profit employer buys for its staff are generally taxable and count toward the $30,000. Talks bought by schools, municipalities or charities are unresolved.
Why it matters · sources Check whether your services attract GST/HST
Dietetic services are generally exempt when three conditions hold: you are a "practitioner" (licensed in the province where the service is supplied if that province requires it, or, where it does not, holding qualifications equivalent to licensure in another province), the supply falls within section 7.1 of Schedule V, Part II of the Excise Tax Act, and its dominant purpose is one of five statutory purposes, which include maintaining health and preventing disease. The $30,000 small-supplier threshold counts only taxable supplies, and a practice making only exempt supplies generally cannot register at all. On the most defensible reading, recipe development for a business, sponsorships, products such as e-books, courses and meal plans sold without a consultation, and talks a for-profit employer buys for its staff are generally taxable and count toward the $30,000. Talks bought by schools, municipalities or charities are unresolved.
Source: Do Dietitians Charge GST/HST in Canada? The Three-Part Test (facts reviewed October 6, 2026)
Advised
A receipt a client can submit needs at minimum: the client's name, the date of service, a description of the service, the amount charged, and enough about you for the carrier to verify. Beyond that the carriers differ: Sun Life and Manulife want the length of the visit, and Canada Life wants your professional association rather than a registration number.
Why it matters · sources Set up receipts and payment terms
A receipt a client can submit needs at minimum: the client's name, the date of service, a description of the service, the amount charged, and enough about you for the carrier to verify. Beyond that the carriers differ: Sun Life and Manulife want the length of the visit, and Canada Life wants your professional association rather than a registration number.
Source: Dietitian Receipts in Canada: The Carriers Disagree (facts reviewed October 6, 2026)
Ongoing
3 steps
Depends
Breach obligations follow your privacy statute, and they are not equivalent from province to province: who you notify, and on what trigger, differs.
Why it matters · sources Be ready to respond to a privacy breach
Breach obligations follow your privacy statute, and they are not equivalent from province to province: who you notify, and on what trigger, differs.
Source: Which Privacy Law Applies to a Dietitian in Canada? (facts reviewed October 6, 2026) and Start a Dietitian Practice in Canada: Rules by Province (facts reviewed October 6, 2026)
Required
Practice income goes on your personal return, due for filing by June 15 when you carried on a business, and attracts pension-plan contributions at the self-employed rate. Instalments apply only above a threshold. Keep business records six years after the tax year they relate to.
Why it matters · sources Plan for income tax, pension contributions and instalments
Practice income goes on your personal return, due for filing by June 15 when you carried on a business, and attracts pension-plan contributions at the self-employed rate. Instalments apply only above a threshold. Keep business records six years after the tax year they relate to.
Source: Start a Dietitian Practice in Canada: Rules by Province (facts reviewed October 6, 2026) and Can a Dietitian Form a Professional Corporation in Canada? (facts reviewed October 6, 2026)
Depends
Each college sets its own renewal calendar, and in some provinces missing the deadline costs more than a late fee, up to cancelling the licence. Continuing competence and, if you incorporate, corporate filings run on their own cycles. Put every date in your calendar.
Why it matters · sources Renew your college registration on time, every year
Each college sets its own renewal calendar, and in some provinces missing the deadline costs more than a late fee, up to cancelling the licence. Continuing competence and, if you incorporate, corporate filings run on their own cycles. Put every date in your calendar.
Source: Start a Dietitian Practice in Canada: Rules by Province (facts reviewed October 6, 2026) and Can a Dietitian Form a Professional Corporation in Canada? (facts reviewed October 6, 2026)
Your answers and ticks are saved in this browser only.
What this checklist is built on
Every line restates a published NutraPlanner guide, and each guide cites the statute, regulation or regulator page behind it. Where those guides do not settle a point for your province or state, the item says so instead of borrowing another jurisdiction's answer.
This checklist is general information, not legal, tax, billing or accounting advice. Rules change: confirm anything you are about to act on with your regulator and a professional adviser.
Facts reviewed: Canada October 6, 2026 · United States October 6, 2026
Last updated October 5, 2026
Every province and state at a glance
The facts this checklist draws on, for every jurisdiction at once. Choose yours above for the full checklist.
Every province and territory: retention, privacy, corporation, breach
| Province or territory | Record retention | Privacy law | Business structure | Breach notification |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alberta | 10 years · Advised | Health Information Act | No professional corporation | Mandatory |
| British Columbia | 16 years · Required | BC PIPA | No professional corporation | Not mandatory |
| Manitoba | 10 years · Required | PHIA | No professional corporation | Mandatory |
| New Brunswick | None published · Confirm locally | PHIPAA | Professional corporation available | Mandatory |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | None published · Confirm locally | PHIA | No professional corporation | Mandatory |
| Northwest Territories | None published · Confirm locally | PIPEDA | No professional corporation | Mandatory |
| Nova Scotia | 10 years (advisory) · Advised | PHIA (custodian status unsettled) | No professional corporation | Mandatory under either regime (regime unresolved) |
| Nunavut | None published · Confirm locally | PIPEDA | Not covered by the sources | Mandatory |
| Ontario | 10 years · Required | PHIPA | Professional corporation available | Mandatory |
| Prince Edward Island | None published · Confirm locally | HIA | Professional corporation available | Mandatory |
| Quebec | At least 5 years · Required | Law 25 or the LRSSS (statute text points to the LRSSS) | SPA or SENCRL available | Mandatory under either regime (regime unresolved) |
| Saskatchewan | 10 years, or a purpose-based schedule · Required | HIPA | No professional corporation | Mandatory |
| Yukon | None published · Confirm locally | PIPEDA | Not covered by the sources | Mandatory |
Sources: record retention by province (facts reviewed October 6, 2026), which privacy law applies (facts reviewed October 6, 2026), professional corporations by province (facts reviewed October 6, 2026) and why Quebec's privacy statute is unresolved (facts reviewed October 6, 2026).
More on these steps: which insurance plans cover a dietitian's services (facts reviewed October 6, 2026).
The steps in the United States
Show all 18 steps for a US practice
- Hold the RDN credential to use the RD or RDN title
- Find out what your state requires to practice
- Decide on professional liability coverage
- Choose a business structure
- Set up the business: tax ID, trade name, bank account, local license
- Confirm you stay outside HIPAA, and what applies instead
- Write a records-retention policy
- Get a Type 1 National Provider Identifier
- Give uninsured and self-pay clients a good faith estimate
- Decide whether to enroll in Medicare or opt out
- Prepare intake, consent and fee terms
- Check testimonials and reviews against FTC rules
- Know your duty to report suspected child abuse
- Check whether your state taxes the fee
- Set up your superbill
- Be ready to respond to a data breach
- Pay estimated tax each quarter
- Keep your CDR registration and state license current
Every state: regulation, retention, entity, sales tax
| State | State regulation | Record retention | Business structure | Sales tax on the fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Licenses the practice | No period found · Advised | Ordinary LLC | Not verified |
| Alaska | Protects the title only | Not examined · Confirm locally | Ordinary LLC | No state tax; local varies |
| Arizona | No regulation | No period found · Advised | Ordinary LLC | Not verified |
| Arkansas | Unsettled | No period found · Advised | Not examined | Not verified |
| California | Protects the title only | No period found · Advised | Unresolved | Not taxable |
| Colorado | Protects the title only | No period found · Advised | Ordinary LLC | Not verified |
| Connecticut | Protects the title only | No period found · Advised | Ordinary LLC | Not taxable |
| Delaware | Unsettled | No period found · Advised | Ordinary LLC | Not taxable |
| District of Columbia | Licenses the practice | No period found · Advised | Ordinary LLC or PC | Not taxable |
| Florida | Licenses the practice | No period found · Advised | PLLC or P.A.; ordinary LLC unresolved | Not verified |
| Georgia | Licenses the practice | No period found · Advised | Ordinary LLC or corporation | Not verified |
| Hawaii | Protects the title only | No period found · Advised | Ordinary LLC | Taxable |
| Idaho | Protects the title only | Not examined · Confirm locally | Ordinary LLC | Not verified |
| Illinois | Licenses the practice | No period found · Advised | PLLC | Not taxable |
| Indiana | Protects the title only | No period found · Advised | Ordinary LLC | Not taxable |
| Iowa | Licenses the practice | No period found · Advised | Ordinary LLC | Unresolved |
| Kansas | Licenses the practice | No period found · Advised | Ordinary LLC | Not taxable |
| Kentucky | Unsettled | No period found · Advised | Ordinary LLC | Unresolved |
| Louisiana | Licenses the practice | No period found · Advised | Ordinary LLC | Not verified |
| Maine | Licenses the practice | No period found · Advised | LLC or PLLC (unresolved) | Not taxable |
| Maryland | Licenses the practice | 7 years after the record is made, unless the client is first notified of destruction · Required | Ordinary LLC | Not taxable |
| Massachusetts | Protects the title only | 5 years from the client's last professional encounter · Required | Ordinary LLC (unsettled) | Not taxable |
| Michigan | Not yet binding | 7 years from the date of service, once licensed · Advised | Ordinary LLC for now | Not taxable |
| Minnesota | Licenses the practice | No period found · Advised | Ordinary LLC | Not taxable |
| Mississippi | Unsettled | No period found · Advised | Not examined | Not verified |
| Missouri | Unsettled | No period found · Advised | Ordinary LLC | Not taxable |
| Montana | Licenses the practice | 1 year after an authorization to disclose, and while an access or correction request is pending · Advised | Unresolved | Not taxable |
| Nebraska | Licenses the practice | No period found · Advised | Ordinary LLC | Not taxable |
| Nevada | Unsettled | 5 years after the record is received or produced · Required | Ordinary LLC; PLLC unsettled | Not verified |
| New Hampshire | Protects the title only | No period found · Advised | Ordinary LLC | Not taxable |
| New Jersey | Unsettled | No period found · Advised | Ordinary LLC (unresolved) | Not taxable |
| New Mexico | Licenses the practice | No period found · Advised | Ordinary LLC | Taxable |
| New York | Protects the title only | 6 years · Required | PLLC or PC | Not taxable |
| North Carolina | Licenses the practice | No period found · Advised | Ordinary LLC | Not verified |
| North Dakota | Licenses the practice | No period found · Advised | Ordinary LLC; PLLC probably optional | Not taxable |
| Ohio | Licenses the practice | No period found · Advised | Ordinary LLC | Not taxable |
| Oklahoma | Protects the title only | Not examined · Confirm locally | Ordinary LLC; PLLC or PC optional | Not verified |
| Oregon | Protects the title only | No period found · Advised | Ordinary LLC | Not taxable |
| Pennsylvania | Protects the title only | No period found · Advised | Ordinary LLC | Not taxable |
| Rhode Island | Licenses the practice | No period found · Advised | Ordinary LLC | Not taxable |
| South Carolina | Protects the title only | No period found · Advised | Ordinary LLC | Not verified |
| South Dakota | Licenses the practice | No period found · Advised | Ordinary LLC | Not taxable |
| Tennessee | Licenses the practice | No period found · Advised | Not examined | Not verified |
| Texas | Protects the title only | No period found · Advised | Ordinary LLC, on a statutory reading | Not taxable |
| Utah | Protects the title only | Not examined · Confirm locally | Ordinary LLC | Not verified |
| Vermont | Protects the title only | 7 years · Required | LLC or PLLC (unresolved) | Not taxable |
| Virginia | Protects the title only | No period found · Advised | Ordinary LLC | Not verified |
| Washington | Protects the title only | 1 year after an authorization to disclose · Advised | PLLC optional | Taxable |
| West Virginia | Protects the title only | No period found · Advised | Ordinary LLC | Unresolved |
| Wisconsin | Protects the title only | No period found · Advised | LLC or service corporation | Not taxable |
| Wyoming | Unsettled | Not examined · Confirm locally | Ordinary LLC | Not verified |
Sources: which states license the practice and which protect only the title (facts reviewed October 6, 2026), which states set a retention period (facts reviewed October 6, 2026), whether your state lets a dietitian use an ordinary LLC (facts reviewed October 6, 2026) and the states that tax a dietitian's fee (facts reviewed October 6, 2026).
More on these steps: seeing clients across state lines and the licensure compact (facts reviewed October 6, 2026), which insurers cover a dietitian's services (facts reviewed October 6, 2026) and superbills and receipts for cash-pay clients (facts reviewed October 6, 2026).
Frequently asked questions
What do I need to start a dietitian private practice?
In Canada: registration with your provincial college, the liability insurance it requires, a business structure, and records that meet your province's privacy and retention rules. In the US: the RDN credential, whatever your state requires to practice, a business structure, and a decision on insurance billing, because one electronic claim makes the practice a HIPAA covered entity.
How long does a dietitian have to keep client records?
In Canada, from at least 5 years in Quebec to 16 in British Columbia, six jurisdictions publish no period at all, and the event that starts the clock differs by province. In the US, HIPAA sets no medical-record period; of 46 states examined as of October 2026, five set a period that binds a dietitian holding the state credential: New York (six years, for certified dietitians and nutritionists), Massachusetts (five years, for licensees in private practice), Maryland and Vermont (seven years each) and Nevada (five years).
Is this checklist legal advice?
No. It restates published guides that cite their primary sources, as of each guide's last review, and flags the points those sources leave unsettled. Confirm anything you are about to act on with your regulator and a professional adviser.
Sources for these answers: when HIPAA applies, which states set a retention period, retention periods by province, starting a practice in Canada and starting a practice in the US.