Registration FAQ
Graduates of Canadian accredited programs and those licensed in another Canadian dietetic regulatory body will be charged a $105 file application fee. Internationally trained dietitians who will require a substantial equivalence assessment to determine registration eligibility will be charged a $400 application fee.
Licensing fees for the full practicing licence category are $370 for the full licensing year and $185 half year rate if after October 1. Temporary licenses are $30.85 per month, to a max of 3 months.
If you resign from SCD before October 1, you are eligible to receive a refund of half of your licensing fee. If you are writing the Canadian Dietetic Registration Exam, there is a $600 exam fee.
A $50 fee is charged when SCD licence renewals are received after March 31. This is called a re-licensing fee and offsets the administrative costs involved.
A Temporary Licence is limited to full practising dietitians in good standing with a Canadian dietetic regulatory body who require licensure with SCD for a short period of time (not exceeding three months). For example, a dietitian from another province who provides virtual nutrition counselling in Saskatchewan to residents of Saskatchewan would need to obtain a temporary licence to practice in Saskatchewan.
A Restricted Licence is granted to candidates who have completed all appropriate education and training as outlined in the bylaws and are registered to write the Canadian Dietetic Registration Examination (CDRE). A restricted Licence entitles the individual to use the designation Graduate Dietitian, Professional Dietitian (Candidate), Registered Dietitian (Candidate), RD (candidate) or P.Dt. (candidate) and to practice dietetics up to 12 weeks after the Member has written the CDRE.
A member with a restricted licence must sign their correspondence and refer to themselves as a Graduate Dietitian, Professional Dietitian (Candidate), Registered Dietitian (Candidate), RD (candidate), P.Dt.(candidate) until they pass the Canadian Dietetic Registration Exam. With successful completion of the exam, a restricted member will receive a Full Practicing License, and can call him/herself a Registered Dietitian (RD) or Professional Dietitian(P.Dt.).
There are a number of steps involved in becoming licensed with SCD. Contact the Registrar to find out about the assessment process for applicants trained outside of approved dietetic education programs.
Canadian Dietetic Registration Exam
As of October 1, 1998 it became mandatory for Dietitian Candidates to write the Canadian Dietetic Registration Exam in all provinces in Canada, except Quebec. With successful completion of the exam, a member with a Restricted License will receive a Full Practicing License and can call him/herself a Registered Dietitian.
Once you have been granted a Restricted License you will receive a letter stating the conditions of the Restricted License and that you have been accepted to write the CDRE at its next sitting (Spring or Fall). Dietitian Candidates will be required to complete the CDRE registration form and pay the $600 exam fee which is not included in your application or licensing fees. The fee for writing the CDRE is collected by SDA and forwarded to the Alliance of Canadian Dietetic Regulatory Bodies, the organization that develops and administers the exam.
If you have written and passed the exam, you will not need to re-write it if you move to another province, provided that you are a licensed member of SCD in good standing.
Moving to Another Province
The contact information for the other Canadian dietetic regulatory bodies can be found on the Links section of SCD website. Contact the regulatory body in the province to which you are moving for the most up to date information on their registration process (eg. criminal record check, mandatory liability insurance). It is important to apply for licensure with the other regulatory body prior to resigning from SCD. If you have any questions or concerns when applying with another regulatory body, please contact the SCD Registrar.
If you resign prior to October 1st you will be refunded ½ of your licensing fee. If you resign after October 1st you will not be refunded.