Registered Herbalist Application Update – June 12, 2026
We continue to make progress on reopening the Registered Herbalist application process. Here is what we’ve accomplished over the past two months and what you can expect going forward.
Pending Applications – All applicants with a Pending application have been invited to contact the Admissions Coordinator for details on submitting professional development updates and required case studies for review. Pending applications are those previously scored by the Admissions Review Advisory Committee (ARAC) and assigned a Pending score. ARAC will begin reviewing Pending applications in late June, and applicants will be notified of the results by mid-July. If you have a Pending application and have not submitted updates, please email Patricia Kyritsi Howell, Admissions Coordinator.
Part 1 Applicants – If Part 1 of your application was accepted before December 2025 and you were given access to Part 2 of the application, you must complete and submit Part 2 of the application before July 31, 2026. After this date, we will delete all In Progress applications, and applicants will be required to start over with the new RH application, which will launch this fall. Email the Admissions Coordinator for instructions on how to download a copy of your application if you won’t be submitting it before July 31st.
Part 2 Applicants – All applicants who completed and submitted Part 2 of the RH application between July 2024 and December 2025 have been notified that ARAC will score them in the order in which applications were received through our online application portal. We hope to have these applications reviewed and scored by September 1.
New RH Applications – We will not be accepting new applications for RH membership until later this year, as we prioritize applications submitted before December 2025.
ARAC Updates – New ARAC candidates have been identified, and we will announce the new committee members very soon.
Symposium Q & A – An informal question-and-answer session hosted by the Admission Coordinator, members of ARAC, and the AHG Board of Directors is scheduled for the upcoming AHG Symposium.
Website Updates – We are updating the Registered Herbalist Application Criteria and other information on the AHG website regarding Registered Herbalist membership. The most significant change is that applicants now have five years to log 80 individual client consultations before applying. We’re also providing Core Competency Guidelines, instructions for logging independent study, suggestions for preparing a case for review, and more.
We will continue to provide the AHG community with regular updates on application process changes and reopening timelines, both here and in the AHG newsletter. Thank you for your patience and support.
Questions? Please email Patricia Kyritsi Howell, Admissions Coordinator.
What is a Registered Herbalist?
We offer Registered Herbalist Membership as a way for herbalists to demonstrate core knowledge and experience in herbal practice that establishes a meaningful competency standard for themselves, their communities, and other health professionals and institutions.
We recognize that there are many skilled herbalists worldwide, and choosing to become registered with the American Herbalists Guild is only one of many ways herbalists may demonstrate their skills. For those who welcome review by their peers as confirmation of their clinical skills, the designation ‘Registered Herbalist’ establishes a recognized level of expertise and commitment to herbalism.