Minnesota State Characteristics of Licensure Law

The information below is collected from state licensure boards or regulatory agencies responsible for regulating the professions of SLP and/or AUD. It is intended for informational use only, and should not be construed as legal advice.

Contact the state's licensure board or regulatory agency for exact licensure, certification, or registration requirements in your jurisdiction.

Initial Licensure Requirements

1. Master's or doctoral degree from a CAA accredited program. If completing a doctoral program in which a master's degree has not been conferred, an applicant must submit a transcript showing completion of coursework equivalent to or exceeding a master's degree.
2. Three hundred fifty hour supervised clinical practicum
3. Complete graduate or doctoral clinical experience required by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, the American Board of Audiology, or an equivalent as determined by the Commissioner
4. Passage of national exam in speech-language pathology or audiology

Exemptions

1. School personnel licensed by the state board of teaching and practicing within the scope of their school license
2. Students participating in supervised field work or supervised coursework if the person is designated by a title that clearly indicates the person's status as a student trainee.
3. Individuals visiting the state and using protected titles while in the state, if the titles are used no more than 30 days in a calendar year as part of professional activity that is limited in scope and duration and is in association with a state licensed speech-language pathologist or audiologist

Reciprocity

• Applicants for licensure by reciprocity must provide evidence that the applicant holds a current and unrestricted credential for the practice of speech-language pathology or audiology in another jurisdiction that has requirements equivalent to or higher than those in effect. Under this provision, individuals must have maintained the appropriate and unrestricted credentials during the past 5 years.
• Applicants for licensure by equivalency must show evidence of possessing a current Certificate of Clinical Competence issued by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association or board certification by the American Board of Audiology.

Interim Practice/Temporary Licensure

• Clinical fellowship licensure or doctoral externship licensure may be granted to individuals who have met all qualifications for licensure, have applied for licensure, and are not the subject of a disciplinary action.
• Clinical fellowship or doctoral externship licensees must practice under the supervision of an individual with a Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association or an individual who is board certified by the American Board of Audiology.
• Doctoral candidates in audiology completing their final externship as part of their training program are eligible to receive a provisional license in audiology and are not required to complete the postgraduate clinical fellow year.
• Temporary licensure shall be granted to individuals who have applied for licensure, have submitted a signed and dated affidavit stating that the applicant is not the subject of a disciplinary action, provided a copy of a current credential as a speech-language pathologist or audiologist, and are the holder of either a Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association or are board certified by the American Board of Audiology.

Continuing Education for Licensure Renewal

• An applicant for licensure renewal must meet the requirements for continuing education stipulated by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association or the American Board of Audiology
  OR
• Must show completion of 30 contact hours of continuing education per 2-year renewal cycle. A minimum of 20 contact hours must be directly related to the individual's licensure. Ten contact hours may be in areas generally related to the individual's licensure.

Hearing Aid Dispensing

1. All audiologists are exempt from taking the written HAD examination.
2. After July 31, 2005, all applicants for audiology licensure must achieve a passing score on the practical HAD examination.

Support Personnel

1. A licensed speech-language pathologist may delegate duties to a speech-language pathology assistant who has documented with a transcript from an educational  institution satisfactory completion of either an associate's degree from a speech-language pathology assistant program accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges or its equivalent as approved by the Commissioner OR a bachelor's degree in communication sciences or disorders with additional transcript credit in the area of assistant-level service delivery practices and completion of at least 100 hours of supervised field work experience as a speech-language pathology assistant student.
2. A supervising speech-language pathologist must be state licensed, hold the ASHA CCC or its equivalent as approved by the Commissioner, and have completed at least one continuing education unit in supervision.
3. The supervising speech-language pathologist shall authorize and accept full responsibility for the performance, practice, and activity of the speech-language pathology assistant.
4. For the first 90 work days, 30% of the assistant's work must be supervised and at least 20% must be under direct supervision. For the work period after the initial 90-day period, 20% must be supervised and at least 10% must be under direct supervision.
5. A supervising speech-language pathologist must be available to communicate with the speech-language pathology assistant at any time the assistant is in direct contact with a client.
6. A full-time speech-language pathologist may supervise no more than one full-time speech-language pathology assistant or the equivalent of one full-time assistant.
7. Any agency or clinic that intends to utilize the services of a speech-language pathology assistant must provide written notification to the client.

Note

• The abbreviation SLP or SP stands for Speech Language Pathology or Pathologist, as appropriate, the abbreviation AUD stands for Audiology or Audiologist, as appropriate, and the abbreviation HAD stands for Hearing Aid Dealer.
• All jurisdictions require applicants to achieve a passing score on a national exam, and all but Nevada, North Dakota, and Virginia require applicants to complete a post graduate professional experience requirement.
• The term "clinical fellow," used throughout, means a person completing the post graduate professional experience requirement.

Questions concerning data contained in this document can be addressed by calling 800-498-2071 and asking to speak to someone on the State Policy Team.