Miranda McCroskey and Justin Robinson have represented licensed professionals before California licensing boards across more than 30 years. California chiropractors who are facing BCE investigations only have 15 days to file a Notice of Defense after being served with a formal Accusation. If you miss the deadline, your license can be revoked by default, with no chance of defending yourself.
Building a chiropractic practice takes years, and your patient relationships, your reputation in the community, and your ability to do the work you trained for all depend on your license staying intact. When the California Board of Chiropractic Examiners receives a complaint, the investigation that follows can move a bit faster than most practitioners expect, and the consequences of handling the legal process wrong can be permanent.
Unlock Legal represents all California chiropractors facing BCE complaints, a license investigation, a formal Accusation, an application denial, and even reinstatement proceedings. Whatever the allegation is, contact us before you respond to the Board. An invalid or improper response can make a difficult situation much worse.
Unlock Legal accepts HPSO insurance.
If your chiropractic license is in jeopardy for any reason, contact us immediately for a consultation.
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The California Board of Chiropractic Examiners licenses around 14,000 chiropractors. It operates under the Chiropractic Initiative Act and the Department of Consumer Affairs, and they have the authority to investigate misconduct, issue citations, and refer any matters for formal disciplinary action through the California Attorney General’s office.
The BCE’s enforcement process is not driven by a single investigative unit. The Board has its own Enforcement Unit reviews the complaints and prioritizes them. For non-criminal matters, non-sworn civilian investigators conduct the investigation. When the alleged conduct involves any criminal activity, including insurance fraud, workers’ compensation fraud, or an unlawful practice of medicine, sworn peace officer investigators from the DCA’s Division of Investigation take over. When there is a shift in investigator type, that then signals a larger escalation in the severity of what you are facing.
California law requires the Board to have clear and convincing evidence of a violation to move forward with disciplinary action, meaning the investigative process can be lengthy. That timeline can work in your favor with the right legal strategy in place from the beginning of the investigation.
A criminal history, prior discipline from another state, or a problem with your application can all result in a license denial. Convictions that involve fraud, dishonesty, sexual offenses, or conduct substantially related to chiropractic practice cause a more aggressive investigation from the Board at the application stage.
When a denial is issued, it’s typically issued as a Statement of Issues, and the burden of demonstrating fitness to hold a license falls on you. Unlock Legal can review your background before you apply whenever possible, can help prepare the application to address any known concerns directly, and if a denial is issued, can represent you through the administrative hearing. A prior conviction or disciplinary history in another state does not automatically end your path to licensure in California.
Most BCE investigations start from a written complaint, which the Board’s Enforcement Unit reviews to determine whether it has jurisdiction and how to prioritize the matter. Complaints come from patients and former patients, insurance companies and managed care organizations, other healthcare providers, law enforcement agencies, and the DCA’s own sting operations targeting unlicensed practice or billing fraud.
Once a complaint goes through its initial review, it will be assigned to an investigator. Non-sworn civilian investigators will handle administrative matters that includes standard of care complaints, boundary violations, and recordkeeping issues. A sworn peace officer investigator will handle cases with potential criminal allegations, including insurance fraud, workers’ compensation fraud, and unlawful practice of medicine allegations. If a sworn investigator is assigned to your case, criminal prosecution is a real possibility in addition to licensing discipline, and you need an attorney with criminal defense experience involved immediately.
Investigators may contact you directly, visit your practice, request patient records, billing records, and x-rays, and even interview your staff. Everything collected becomes part of the record that determines whether formal charges are filed.
If you get a notice of an investigation, call us before you send anything to the investigator, before you produce any patient records or billing documentation, and before you make any written statement to the Board. The BCE can request an explanation of the alleged conduct early in the investigation, before any formal charges are filed, and any documentation will shape the direction of the case against you.
Unlock Legal can mitigate between you and the investigator, manage what the Board sees, clarify any misunderstandings before they become findings, and build a strong documented response that positions you and your case for the best outcome at all stages.
When we are involved before an Accusation is filed, the Board has several paths available to it short of formal discipline. It can close the complaint outright, issue a citation for minor violations, or refer the matter informally. A citation does not appear in your permanent disciplinary record and does not carry the same professional consequences as a formal disciplinary action. Once the Attorney General files a formal Accusation, the matter is public and that window closes.
Chiropractic practices are heavily involved in personal injury and workers’ compensation treatment, which puts them in the crosshairs of insurance fraud investigations more than most other licensed professions. The BCE actively works with law enforcement on all fraud investigations, and in cases where criminal conduct is involved, the Board can refer that matter to the District Attorney’s office for criminal prosecution in addition to pursuing licensing discipline.
This can lead you to face a criminal case and a BCE disciplinary proceeding at the same time, each with its own timeline, its own burden of proof, and its own consequences. What you say or give as evidence in one proceeding can be used against you in the other. Unlock Legal has extensive criminal defense experience that it can utilize in chiropractic cases so both tracks are in play, and we can build a defense strategy that accounts for both simultaneously.
If the BCE’s investigation finds sufficient grounds for formal discipline, it refers the matter to the California Attorney General’s office. The AG files a formal Accusation, a legal document that outlines the specific charges and initiates the administrative hearing process. The Accusation is public record from the day it is filed and signals that the Board intends to seek revocation or suspension of your license.
From the date you are served, you have only 15 days to file a Notice of Defense. Miss that deadline and the Board can enter a default order revoking your license, with no hearing and no opportunity to contest a single fact in the Accusation.
This is a hard deadline. If you have received a BCE Accusation, call us the day it arrives.
The BCE disciplines chiropractors for violations of the Chiropractic Initiative Act, the Business and Professions Code, and California Code of Regulations Title 16. Common grounds for disciplinary action include:
Being named in any of these categories does not determine the outcome, because the facts, context, and circumstances surrounding the complaint all matter. That is what Unlock Legal’s attorneys are there to develop and present on your behalf.
The BCE has a few disciplinary options available. Severity depends on the nature of the violation, any prior history, aggravating factors, and evidence of mitigation and rehabilitation. Possible outcomes include:
All formal disciplinary actions are public and searchable on the BCE’s licensee lookup. They appear in credentialing checks run by hospitals, insurance networks, and managed care organizations. A suspension or revocation can result in termination from provider panels, which carries consequences well beyond the licensing record itself.
If you have lost your chiropractic license, you are not locked out of the career of your choice. After the required waiting period, you can petition the BCE for reinstatement, and you can also petition for early termination of probation conditions once you have demonstrated sustained compliance and rehabilitation.
A reinstatement petition requires showing the Board that the conduct leading to revocation has been genuinely addressed, that rehabilitation is documented and credible, and that you are fit to return to practice. Unlock Legal will help you build the strongest possible petition and represent you through the reinstatement process.
When you became a chiropractor, you were following your passion. It is our passion to keep you doing what you want to do with your career and your life.
Miranda McCroskey founded Unlock Legal after more than 25 years of experience in criminal defense and professional license defense. Chiropractic cases often sit at the intersection of licensing discipline and criminal investigation, and having an attorney who understands both sides of that equation changes the outcome. An attorney who only knows administrative law can miss the criminal exposure. An attorney who only knows criminal defense can miss the licensing strategy.
Partner Justin Robinson brings the same level of care and preparation to every client he represents, and together they have defended more than 1,700 professionals across dozens of licensed fields.
You are not just a case number at Unlock Legal. You get attorneys who understand how the BCE’s enforcement process works, know the difference between a civilian investigator and a peace officer investigation, and will fight for your license at every stage of the proceeding.
The moment you receive any communication from the California Board of Chiropractic Examiners, a DCA investigator, or a law enforcement agency about a complaint or investigation, call us. Do not respond to the Board, do not produce records, and do not speak to investigators without an attorney present.
Call us at (949) 988-4444 or reach out online to schedule a confidential consultation. We will review your situation and tell you exactly where you stand.
Most investigations for chiropractors begin with a written complaint from a patient, a former patient, an insurance company, or another healthcare provider. The Board’s Enforcement Unit also gets criminal conviction referrals and works with law enforcement on fraud investigations. The DCA conducts sting operations targeting unlicensed practice and billing fraud. Any of these can open an investigation without a patient ever filing a direct complaint.
Non-sworn civilian investigators handle administrative complaints such as standard of care issues, recordkeeping problems, and scope-of-practice questions. A sworn peace officer investigator from the DCA’s Division of Investigation handle cases with potential criminal implications, including insurance fraud, workers’ compensation fraud, and unlawful practice of medicine. If a peace officer investigator has been assigned to your case, criminal charges may follow suit in addition to licensing discipline, and you need an attorney with criminal defense experience involved immediately.
Yes, in cases that involve insurance fraud or workers’ compensation fraud, the BCE can refer the case to the DA’s office for criminal prosecution while also taking its own licensing disciplinary action. These are different proceedings that you may have to go through with separate consequences, and what you say or give as evidence in one can affect the other. This is one of the most important reasons to have an attorney who handles both sides from the beginning.
A citation can be issued for minor violations and may not be classified as formal discipline, though it will be a public record that is accessible through the BCE’s database. A formal Accusation is typically filed by the Attorney General’s office, will be immediately public, and will initiate a proceeding that can result in suspension or revocation. The goal is always to resolve the matter at the citation stage or before an Accusation is filed.
Generally yes, unless the BCE seeks an interim suspension order, which it reserves for situations posing an immediate risk to public safety. Your malpractice carrier or hospital privileges may be affected separately depending on the nature of the allegations. Contact us as soon as you learn of an investigation so we can assess all the implications, not just the licensing track.
It can be both. Billing irregularities that the BCE classifies as fraud or misrepresentation are grounds for licensing discipline. The same conduct, if referred to law enforcement, can support criminal fraud charges. Insurance companies and workers’ compensation carriers also conduct their own parallel investigations. An attorney who understands both the licensing and criminal dimensions of a billing investigation is essential from the first contact forward.
After the required waiting period, you can petition the BCE for reinstatement. The process requires demonstrating rehabilitation and fitness to return to practice. Unlock Legal will review your situation, identify the strongest grounds for reinstatement, and help you build the petition that gives you the best possible chance of getting your license back.