​The ABAA is a non-profit certification organization. It awards certification in animal acupuncture. It does not award licenses to practice acupuncture or other forms of oriental medicine. In the United States, licensure laws vary among the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and United States territories and possessions. It is very important to use the correct terminology when referring to your ABAA certification - Fellow American Board of Animal Acupuncture [FABAA] or any license to practice issued to you by a United States jurisdiction. Certification, a form of self-regulation, is a voluntary program by a private nonprofit organization to evaluate practitioners in a particular profession or field. Certification is granted for the duration of your current licensure, but must be maintained with appropriate CEUS.

Currently the only ABAA authorized program in Animal Acupuncture for acupuncturists is the program at the Phoenix Institute of Herbal Medicine & Acupuncture in Arizona.