Texas 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 degree (75 semester credit hours)
2. Three hundred fifty hour supervised clinical practicum
3. Thirty-six weeks of full-time or equivalent part-time supervised professional experience
4. Passage of an examination

Exemptions

1. Students appropriately designated as speech-language pathology or audiology trainees
2. Physicians/surgeons
3. Hearing screeners having completed training by the Texas Department of Health
4. Hearing aid fitters
5. CAOHC technicians
6. Nurses conducting communication, speech, language, or hearing screening
   Note: Persons who currently provide services in public schools under a certificate from the Central Education Agency may continue to do so; however, such certificates are no longer being issued and all in-coming school personnel must be licensed.

Reciprocity

The Board may waive the educational, professional, and examination requirements and grant licensure to a CCC holder.

Interim Practice/Temporary Licensure

1. The Board may grant a provisional license valid for up to 180 days to an applicant if licensed in another state with equivalent standards, has passed a national or other examination relating to speech-language pathology or audiology that is recognized by the Board, and is sponsored by a licensee.
2. Clinical fellows must obtain an intern license before beginning the Clinical Fellowship Year.
3. The Board may grant a temporary certificate of registration for applicants who meet all requirements for licensure except for the examination; if issued, the certificate entitles the individual to practice until 8 weeks after the offering of the next examination.

Continuing Education for Licensure Renewal

Ten clock hours shall be required for yearly renewal; a maximum of 20 clock hours may be carried over from one renewal period to the next.

Hearing Aid Dispensing

Audiologists and audiology interns may dispense under an audiology license or audiology intern license but must register with the Board and comply with FDA guidelines for fitting and dispensing hearing aids.

Support Personnel

1. In order to obtain a license as a speech-language pathology or audiology assistant, the individual must have (a) a baccalaureate degree with an emphasis in communicative sciences and disorders, (b) show proof of completion of no fewer than 24 semester hours in speech-language pathology/audiology with at least 9 hours in the area for which the license is sought, and (c) no fewer than 25 hours of clinical observation and 25 hours of clinical assisting experience (note: if the applicant does not have the clinical observation/assisting experience, he/she may still be granted a license if appropriate training plan is submitted; training must be completed within 60 days of license issue date).
2. The licensed practitioner must supervise the assistant at least 2 hours per week, with 1 hour direct on-site supervision and 1 hour indirect supervision; direct supervision must be documented.
3. Speech-language pathology and audiology assistants must complete 10 hours of CE per year.

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.