Every registered chiropractor in Australia declares at renewal that the Chiropractic Board of Australia's continuing professional development standard has been met. The standard is counted in hours over the registration period, kept in a portfolio of goals, plan and reflections, with a current first-aid qualification beside it — and the declaration is one the Board audits at random each year. This guide sets out what the standard asks for in 2026, how an ethics and professionalism course counts toward it, what to keep as evidence, and what happens if the records are asked for.
Chiropractic Board of Australia CPD Requirements at a Glance
The Chiropractic Board's registration standard asks for a minimum of 20 hours of CPD activities in each registration period, which runs from 1 December to 30 November; registration is renewed by 30 November. Time spent planning and reflecting does not count toward the 20 hours; a chiropractor registered for part of the period completes a pro-rata number.
| What the standard asks | Minimum each period | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| CPD activities relevant to your practice | 20 hours | Assessed courses, seminars, conferences, structured reading with reflection, workplace learning that improves your practice |
| The portfolio | Kept through the period | Your learning goals, your CPD plan, the activities with evidence, and a reflection on how each improved or will improve your practice |
| First aid | A current qualification, separate from the 20 hours | At least the CPR unit (HLTAID009, renewed every year) or the first-aid unit (HLTAID011, every three years) |
Workplace CPD counts where it meets the standard, with a reflection recorded like any other activity. The Board publishes CPD guidelines (revised 2019) that set out the portfolio and what evidence it expects.
An assessed two-hour ethics course is 2 hours toward the 20. Australian Chiropractors can see the ethics and professionalism courses written for chiropractors that count under the standard.
The Portfolio: Goals, Plan and Reflection
The Board's standard is built around a portfolio rather than a list of hours. It holds your learning goals for the period, the activities you plan to complete against each, and — once an activity is done — a reflection on how it improved or will improve your practice. The reflection is the part an audit reads first, and the part a reconstructed record cannot supply, so it is written as you go.
Ethics and professionalism belong in every chiropractor's goals. The Board's Code of conduct, its position statements and the advertising guidelines are what a notification about a claim beyond the evidence, a testimonial, consent in ongoing care, a boundary or a record is measured against, and CPD that covers them is relevant by definition.
Ethics and Professionalism as CPD: How They Count
An online ethics course with an assessment you must pass to receive the certificate is a CPD activity under the standard, logged in hours: a two-hour course is 2 hours toward the 20. The certificate records the course title, the provider, the date of completion and the hours, which is what the portfolio and an audit need; the portfolio adds the goal the course served and the reflection on what changed.
For a chiropractor responding to an Ahpra notification, under conditions, or preparing for a Performance and Professional Standards Panel, ethics CPD does a second job. A completed, assessed course on the standard you are said to have breached — consent, confidentiality, record-keeping, professional boundaries, advertising and claims — is evidence of insight and remediation that the Chiropractic Board weighs alongside the written response. It shows engagement with the standard rather than a statement that you have read it. A dated certificate attached to the response, with a paragraph on what you took from the course and what you have changed, is the form that evidence takes.
For a chiropractor renewing with no concern raised, the same course is a planned activity that answers the audit question before it is asked.
Recording and Keeping Your CPD Evidence
Nothing is submitted to Ahpra at renewal; you declare that the standard has been met. The record behind that declaration is the portfolio, and it is what an audit asks for. Keep:
- Your learning goals and your CPD plan for the period.
- Each activity: the date, title, provider and hours, with the certificate, attendance record or assessment result behind it.
- A reflection on each activity — how it improved or will improve your practice.
- Your current first-aid qualification.
The Board asks you to keep the goals, plan, reflections and evidence for five years after the end of the registration period. A notification can reopen a question about CPD completed years earlier.
Ahpra CPD Audits and What Happens If You Fall Short
After each renewal Ahpra audits a sample of practitioners against the registration standards, CPD among them. Selection is largely random; being audited is not a sign of concern. You are asked to supply evidence for the declaration you made: your goals, plan and reflections for the period, the evidence behind each activity, and your first-aid qualification. There is a set period to respond, and a response that is late or thin is itself a finding.
Where the evidence falls short of the standard, the Chiropractic Board can require the shortfall to be made up and may impose conditions on registration until it is. Where the declaration was not true — hours claimed for activities not completed — the matter is no longer a CPD question but a conduct one: a false declaration to the regulator is a probity matter, and the Board treats it as such. The practical protection is a contemporaneous record kept through the year, not a reconstruction after the audit letter arrives.
Choosing Ethics Courses That Count Toward Your Renewal
- An assessment you must pass. The assessment is what shows the learning happened; a course that only has to be opened is weaker evidence under the standard.
- A certificate with the detail an audit needs: your name, the course title, the provider, the date of completion and the hours.
- Content written for chiropractors under the Board's standards. Relevance to your practice is a requirement of the standard, and a course built on the Chiropractic Board's Code of conduct, its position statements and the advertising guidelines meets it directly.
- A provider you can name. An audit assesses the evidence, and evidence from an identifiable provider with a dated certificate is evidence that stands on its own.
Key Regulatory Resources for Australian Chiropractors on CPD
- Chiropractic Board of Australia — the CPD registration standard, the CPD guidelines and FAQ, the Code of conduct, the position statements and the advertising guidelines.
- Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) — renewal by 30 November, the renewal declarations and the audit process.
- Australian Chiropractors Association (ACA) — the professional body; CPD programs and support when a notification arrives.
- Guild Insurance — professional indemnity for chiropractors; the first call when a notification arrives.
Related Reading: Australian Chiropractors
How to Respond to an Ahpra Notification: A Practical Guide for Australian Chiropractors →
Ahpra and Tribunal Disciplinary Process Step-by-Step for Australian Chiropractors →
All Ethics Courses for Australian Chiropractors →
Ethics CPD that satisfies your renewal and your audit
Online, immediate access, a dated certificate on completion, an assessment you must pass. Written for chiropractors under Ahpra and Chiropractic Board standards: 2 CPD hours a course.
All ethics courses for chiropractors →
Frequently asked questions
How many CPD hours do Australian chiropractors need each year?
The Chiropractic Board of Australia's CPD registration standard asks for a minimum of 20 hours of CPD activities in each registration period (1 December to 30 November), kept in a portfolio of learning goals, a plan and reflections. Time spent planning and reflecting does not count toward the 20 hours, and a current first-aid qualification is required beside them.
Do I need a first-aid qualification?
Yes. The Board requires a current qualification of at least the CPR unit (HLTAID009, renewed every year) or the first-aid unit (HLTAID011, renewed every three years). It is separate from the 20 hours of CPD.
Is ethics CPD mandatory for Australian chiropractors?
The standard sets hours and a portfolio, not topics. Ethics and professionalism are relevant to every chiropractor's goals because the Board's Code of conduct, its position statements and the advertising guidelines are what a notification is measured against. A chiropractor under conditions, or preparing a response to a notification, is often required or advised to complete structured ethics CPD as part of remediation.
How does an online ethics course count under the Chiropractic Board's standard?
A course with an assessment that you must pass is a CPD activity under the standard: a two-hour course is 2 hours toward the 20. Record it in your portfolio with the title, provider, date and hours, the goal it served and a reflection, and keep the certificate.
When do Australian chiropractors renew their registration?
Chiropractors renew by 30 November each year, with a one-month late period. The registration period runs from 1 December to 30 November, so the hours you declare are the ones completed in the period just ended.
What goes in the CPD portfolio?
Your learning goals, your CPD plan, each activity with its date, title, provider, hours and evidence, and a reflection on how each activity improved or will improve your practice. The Board asks you to keep it for five years after the end of the registration period.
What happens if the Board audits my CPD?
The Board conducts random CPD audits each year. You will be asked for your portfolio for the period, the evidence behind each activity and your first-aid qualification. If the evidence does not support the declaration, the Board can require further CPD, impose conditions, and treat a false declaration as a conduct matter in its own right.
Can ethics CPD completed during an Ahpra notification help the outcome?
It can. A completed, assessed ethics course with a dated certificate is evidence of insight and remediation that the Chiropractic Board can weigh alongside your written response. It shows engagement with the standard you are said to have breached. Attach the certificate to the response and say what you took from the course and what you have changed.
This article is published by Healthcare Ethics Australia for general information. It is not legal advice and does not replace advice from your indemnity insurer, professional association or a lawyer about your own matter.