New Jersey 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
• Be 18 years of age or older
• Have received training
  • Proof of completion of a minimum of six months continuous or interrupted training within a 24—month period;
  • Proof of successful completion of a college curriculum in hearing aid selection and fitting approved by the Committee and/or the Commission on Higher Education; or
  • Proof of successful completion of a master's degree in audiology from an American Speech-Language-Hearing Association accredited college or university after January 1, 1993.
• Have had experience in the practice of dispensing and fitting hearing aids
  • 40 hours of training with an audiometer;
  • 160 hours of hearing aid dispensing procedures, including the taking of earmold impressions, the alteration of earmolds and hearing aids, and application and fitting techniques;
  • Reading all the books and articles relating to hearing aid dispensing specified in a list formulated by the Committee.
• Have passed a written and practical exam

Reciprocity

Whenever the committee determines that another state or jurisdiction has requirements equivalent to or higher than those in this state for the practice of fitting and dispensing hearing aids, and that such state or jurisdiction has a program equivalent to or stricter than the program for determining whether applicants are qualified to dispense and fit hearing aids, the committee may issue certificates of endorsement to applicants therefor who hold current, unsuspended and unrevoked certificates or licenses to dispense and fit hearing aids in such other state or jurisdiction. The holder of a certificate of endorsement shall be registered in the same manner as holders of a license.

Continuing Education

Evidence of 20 documented course hours of continuing education shall be required of each applicant as a condition of biennial license renewal.

Audiologist Dispensing

Audiologists who dispense hearing aids must obtain an hearing aid dispensers license.

Board Composition

The Hearing Aid Dispensers Examining Committee consists of seven members, six of whom are to be appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate. The seventh member shall be the Director of the Division of Consumer Affairs, ex officio, or his designated representative. Three members of the committee shall be qualified hearing aid dispensers for a period of at least 3 years and shall hold certification, from the National Hearing Aid Society or its equivalent. All hearing aid dispenser members shall be holders of a valid license. One member of the committee shall be a physician and diplomate of the American Board of Otolaryngology. One member shall be a clinical audiologist and hold certification from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and one member shall be a public member to represent the interests of the general public.

Facilities, Procedures and Instrumentation

All electrical equipment used in testing hearing aids including the audiometer shall be inspected as often as necessary to assure accuracy and calibrated no less often than once a year. Audiometers shall be calibrated in accordance with the American National Standard Specifications for Audiometers (ANSI S3.6-1969) and the American National Standard for an Artificial Head Bone for the Calibration of Bone Vibrations (ANSI S3.13-1972). Complete records of calibration shall be maintained as part of the licensee's permanent records.

No hearing aid shall be sold to a person who has not first been given a hearing examination utilizing appropriate established procedures and instrumentation for the measurement of the hearing and the fitting of hearing aids, unless the dispensing consists solely of making an exact make and model replacement or spare aid of an immediately preceding hearing aid fitted within the last 12 months.

• The appropriate hearing test which must precede any hearing aid fitting shall include at a minimum pure tone air conduction and bone conduction thresholds. In such cases, the testing shall be performed under conditions suitable to obtain valid and reliable thresholds.
• Where indicated, SRT, MCL, TD, speech discrimination and other tests which may be necessary shall be provided by using customary and appropriate instrumentation.

A significant air bone gap shall be a gap of 15 db or more measured at 500 HZ, 1,000 HZ or 2,000 HZ. In the event that there is a gap at any of these frequencies, or higher, the individual shall be referred to a medical doctor. A written waiver of the individual's right to be examined by a medical doctor may be accepted.

Trial Period

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

Mail Order

Mail order dispensing is not addressed in the 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 these websites:

Hearing Aid Dispenser Laws [PDF]

Hearing Aid Dispenser Regulations [PDF]

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