If you have retired or are planning to retire from practising naturopathy in Ontario and have been practising for at least 25 years, you may want to apply for the Life Registration designation with the College. This status is granted as a unique recognition of your years of service as a regulated health care practitioner and your role in the profession.

Upon approval, Registrants granted this recognition are permitted to use the following titles and abbreviations:

English

• Naturopathic Doctor (Retired)
• Naturopath (Retired)
• ND(Ret)

French

• Docteur en naturopathie (Retraité)
• Naturopathe (Retraité)
• DN (Ret)

Life Registrants are assigned to the Life Registration class on the College’s public register, with “ND (Retired)” noted after their name.

Important Information

Before you submit your request, please review the following information carefully.

Life Registrant is a designation set out in the by-laws of the College and is not a class of registration. Individuals who are granted the designation retain certain privileges; however, they are not full registrants of the College who have been granted a Certificate of Registration and may not practise the profession.

If you retire from the College and subsequently wish to return to the profession in Ontario, you will be required to apply as a new applicant. This means that you will be required to meet all registration requirements in effect at the time of your application, including (but not limited to) the entry-to-practise examinations.

Additional information regarding these examinations is available in the Entry-to-Practise Exams section of the Applicants tab of the College website.

Process for Life Registration

The process for seeking Life Registration involves the completion of an on-line Application and signing an Acknowledgement and Undertaking (An Agreement) with the College.

Application

Part 1 of the on-line form is your Application for Life Registrant status. It should be reviewed and completed carefully. In addition to seeking your contact information, you will be asked to indicate if you have already retired from practice or intend to do so shortly. The date you last practiced is required.

When retiring, it is necessary that registrants inform their patients of their planned retirement and afford them an opportunity to find another ND to support their health care needs. As a result, you may be asked to provide proof of notice given to your patients about your planned retirement.

Since a patient has a legal right of access to their naturopathic patient record, the application form will also ask you to provide details about where your patients may access their patient record. This information will be posted to the College’s ND Register.

Finally, the College’s by-laws require that a registrant carry enduring (tail) insurance for a period of five years following the last date that they practised. Section 19 of the College by-laws require that all Registrants who held a General Class certificate of registration within the past five years and immediately prior to ceasing to practice the profession, shall have enduring (tail) insurance to provide coverage for at least five years after they have resigned their registration. Refer to Professional Liability Insurance section for more information.

If you were registered in the Inactive Class for more than five years prior to resigning your registration and held enduring (tail) insurance during that period, you may be exempt from the enduring (tail) insurance requirement.

To enable the processing of your Life Registration application, you will be required to provide evidence of your enduring (tail) insurance coverage (i.e., a copy of your insurance certificate and proof of payment for the insurance premiums covering the full five-year period effective from the date you ceased/or will cease practising the profession). Annual payment of premiums will not be permitted.

Acknowledgement and Undertaking

Part 2 of the on-line form is an Acknowledgement & Undertaking with the College. It is a legal agreement in which you acknowledge the information being provided and agree to abide by the noted requirements. The agreement sets out the status of a Life Registrant, the rights and privileges afforest to such individuals, the titles that may be used, and good character requirements among others. As a legal document, you are encouraged to obtain independent legal advice before signing and submitting the form. Please read the presented information carefully and respond to each question.

There is no cost to apply for Life Registration with the College.

How to Request Life Registration

To apply for Life Registration with the College:

1. Please fill out the Life Registration form.
2. Provide proof of Professional Liability Insurance with enduring tail insurance, and proof of premiums paid by uploading it to the application form to expedite processing time.

If you have questions pertaining to the Life Registration application, please contact the Registration Department at Registration@collegeofnaturopaths.on.ca. 

Decision Making Process

Recent changes to the College’s by-laws instituted an expedited approach to Life Registrant applications. Upon receipt of the application and agreement and undertaking, along with the supporting documentation provided, the application will be reviewed by the College’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO). If the CEO is satisfied that all requirements are met, the application will be approved, and Life Registrant status granted. Registrants will be informed of the outcome and the ND Register updated.

If the CEO has doubts about whether a Registrant meets the requirements for Life Registrant status, the application will be referred to a panel of the Registration Committee for consideration. Registrants will be informed of the referral; however, no action is required on their part.

The panel will review the application, supporting documentation, the concerns of the CEO and render a decision to either grant or not grant Life Registrant status. Registrants will be informed of the outcome and the ND Register updated, if applicable. The decision of the Registration Committee is final and is not subject to appeal.