Arizona Hearing Aid Dispensing Requirements

The profession of hearing aid dispenser is regulated at the state level and each state maintains its own standards for licensure or registration.

Initial Licensure Requirements

• Be of good moral character
• Have a minimum of a high school diploma or a GED
• Has not had any condition that impairs the ability to dispense hearing aids safely within the past 5 years
• Has not had a license suspended or revoked in another state within the past 2 years
• Have passed a written and practical test

Reciprocity

The Department may determine whether the content of a hearing aid dispenser examination taken by the applicant in another state is substantially the same as the content of the Department's examination; the applicant's scores on the written and practical portions of a hearing aid dispenser examination taken by the applicant must meet the requirements for passing the Department's hearing aid dispenser examination; and the applicant must meet the requirements for a regular hearing aid dispenser license by reciprocity.

Continuing Education

Each dispenser shall complete eight hours of continuing education within 12 months of the effective date of the regular license.

Audiologist Dispensing

To fit and dispense hearing aids, licensed doctoral degree audiologists must also pass an exam in jurisprudence and ethics within 6 months after initial hearing aid dispenser licensure and must not have had a license revoked or suspended by a state within the past two years. To fit and dispense with a Master's degree in audiology (before December 31, 2007) one must seek a waiver for the education and clinical rotation requirements and pass an audiology exam unless already practicing audiology and can meet the exam waiver requirements. Individual must also pass the hearing aid dispenser's exam and not have had a licensed revoked/suspended by another state in the past two years.

Board Composition

Advisory Committee

The advisory committee members are appointed by the Director and consist of the director, two licensed physicians, one of whom is a specialist in otolaryngology, two licensed audiologists, one of whom dispenses hearing aids, two licensed speech-language pathologists, two public members, one of whom is hearing impaired, one member of the Arizona commission for the deaf and the hard of hearing and two licensed hearing aid dispensers who are not licensed to practice audiology. Committee members who are licensed shall have at least five years' experience immediately preceding the appointment in their field of practice in this state.

Examining Committee

The examining committee members are appointed by the Director and consist of one otolaryngologist, two licensed dispensing audiologists and two licensed hearing aid dispensers.

Facilities, Procedures and Instrumentation

• A dispenser shall conduct audiometric tests, before selecting a hearing aid for a prospective user, that provide detailed information about the client's hearing loss as follows:
  • Type, degree, and configuration of hearing loss;
  • Ability, as measured by the percentage of words the client is able to repeat correctly, to discriminate speech; and
  • Client's most comfortable and uncomfortable loudness levels in decibels.
• Audiometric testing may be excluded prior to selling a client a hearing aid if the client presents to the dispenser information which was obtained within the last 12 months for an adult or within the last six months for a person under the age of 18.
• Audiometric tests that cannot be performed due to the young age or mental or physical disability of the client may be excluded; however, documentation shall be maintained by the dispenser for three years that supports the exclusion of the specific audiometric tests.
• Prior to any hearing aid sale, the dispenser shall evaluate the performance characteristics of the hearing aid for the purpose of assessing the degree of benefit to the client.
• A dispenser must be able to provide evidence of annual calibration of the audiometer in accordance with the American National Institute Standards.

Trial Period

A hearing aid trial period is not addressed in the law/regulations.

Mail Order

Mail order dispensing is not addressed by law/regulations.

Resources

The information contained herein was collected and summarized annually. For detailed information on hearing aid dispenser requirements, contact the state board and visit this website:

Licensing of Hearing Aid Dispensers

Questions regarding this document? Call ASHA at 800-498-2071 and ask for the State Advocacy Team.