Modern Medical Acupuncture contains many sub-categories, such as reflex points, trigger points, ashi points, Japanese style, Korean style, Chinese style ... Their theories could be different but all of them have a common point, that is using a needle to pierce the skin on some points to acheieve certain goal.

Drying needling is one subcategory of Acupuncture. Per wikipedia  (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dry_needling) the term dry needling can refer quite specifically to what is now called Myofascial Acupuncture, Tendinomuscular Acupuncture, or some version of Sports Acupuncture.

The founder of Drying needling has an Acupuncture license as well, such as Dr. YunTao Ma. Dr. Chang-Zern Hong is the Acdemic editor for researches on Remote Effect of Lower Limb Acupuncture on Latent Myofascial Trigger Point of Upper Trapezius Muscle. (http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/2013/287184/). Even the founder of drying needling is doing research on acupuncture on trigger points. So what is the difference between drying needling on trigger points and acupuncture on trigger points?

Practising dry needling without acupuncture license could not garantee the skill of the performer. It will jeopardize public health.