Tennessee 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. Good moral character/18 years old
2. Possess at least a master's degree in speech-language pathology or audiology from an accredited institution and possess a current Certificate of Clinical Competence from ASHA
   OR
   Have successfully completed and documented a minimum of 375 clock hours of clinical practicum  as required by ASHA, a clinical fellowship in the area in which licensure is sought, and passage of the Praxis II examination

Exemptions

1. Credentialed employees of public/state schools
2. Federal employees
3. Students appropriately designated speech-language pathology or audiology interns or trainees
4. Clinical fellows
5. Physicians and their supervisees

Reciprocity

1. CCC holders
2. The Board shall waive the examination requirement for those applicants licensed in another state with equivalent standards.

Interim Practice/Temporary Licensure

1. Persons from another state may offer speech-language pathology or audiology services in Tennessee for no more than 5 days per calendar year.
2. An SLP licensed in another state with equivalent or higher standards may offer speech-language pathology services in state for no more than 30 days in any calendar year without a Tennessee license.
3. Persons who reside in another state, territory, or foreign country that does not grant certification or licensure as a speech-language pathologist may offer services for not more than 30 days per calendar year provided that the person meets current Tennessee state licensure requirements.
4. A speech-language pathologist or audiologist who holds ASHA certification or equivalent or holds a doctor of audiology degree (AuD) and has passed the examination or is licensed in another state and who has made application to the Board for Tennessee license may perform services and activities of a speech-language pathology or audiological nature without a valid license pending disposition of the application.
5. Clinical fellows must register with the Board immediately upon acceptance into such training.

Continuing Education for Licensure Renewal

Licensees must complete 10 hours of continuing education per calendar year.

Hearing Aid Dispensing

Audiologists may dispense under their audiology license (no longer have to pass a practical examination).

Support Personnel

1. Speech-language pathology assistants must register with the Board through their supervising licensee.
2. Speech-language pathology assistants must have completed a program of study designed to prepare the student to be a speech language pathology assistant.
3. The applicant must have earned 60 college-level semester credit hours in a program of study that includes general education and the specific knowledge and skills for a SLPA. The training program shall include a minimum of 100 clock hours of field experiences supervised by a licensed speech-language pathologist. At least 20 semester credit hours of the required 60-hour requirement shall be in general education and at least 20 semester credit hours of the 60 must be in technical content.
4. The 100 hours of supervised field work experiences must provide appropriate experiences for learning the job responsibilities and workplace behaviors of an SLPA. These experiences are not intended to develop independent practice.
5. Any licensed speech-language pathologist may delegate specific clinical tasks to a registered SLPA who has completed sufficient training. However, the legal, ethical, and moral responsibility to the client for all services provided, or omitted, shall remain the responsibility of the supervising licensee. An SLPA shall be clearly identified as such by a badge worn during all contact with the client.
6. The supervising licensee must provide direct supervision of not less than 10% of an SLPA's time each week. Direct supervision means on-site and in-view supervision as a clinical activity is performed.
7. The supervising licensee shall provide indirect supervision of not less than 20% of the SLPA's time each week.
8. At all times, the supervising licensee shall be available by telephone whenever the SLPA is performing clinical activities.
9. All direct and indirect observations shall be documented and shall include information on the quality of the SLPA's performance.
10. Whenever the SLPA's performance is judged to be unsatisfactory over two consecutive observations, the SLPA shall be retrained in the necessary skills and direct observation shall be increased to 100% of all clinical sessions until the SLPA's performance is judged to be satisfactory over two consecutive sessions.

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.