How to get your NYS SLP License and Registration

Introduction
This page covers the basic requirements and procedures to follow in applying for a license as a speech-language pathologist or audiologist in New York State. Any use of the title Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) or Audiologist (A) or the initials SLP or A within New York State requires licensure, except in certain "exempt" settings. These include:

• Federal, State, or local governments
• Public or nonpublic elementary or secondary schools
• Colleges and universities

NOTE: To provide speech services in a public school in New York State,"Teacher Certification" is the appropriate credential. For teacher certification information, contact the Office of Teaching by phone at (518) 474-3901 or (518) 474-6440, or by e-mail at tcert@mail.nysed.gov.

General Requirements
The specific requirements for licensure are contained in Article 159 of New York's Education Law and Part 75 of the Commissioner's Regulations. To be licensed as a speech-language pathologist or audiologist in New York State you must:

• Be of good moral character
• Be at least 21 years of age
• Meet education, examination, and experience requirements

You should also read the general licensing information applicable for all professions.

Fees
There is a fee of $270 for licensure and first registration.
The fees listed are those in place when this page was posted. Fees are subject to change. The fee due is the one in law when your application is received (unless fees are increased retroactively). We will bill you for the difference if fees have been increased.
The fees cover the processing and evaluation of your completed application by the Department. The fees also include your initial registration for three years from the date your license is issued.

• Do not send cash
• Make your check or money order payable to the New York State Education Department

Mail the appropriate form and fee to:

NYS Education Department
Office of the Professions
Division of Professional Licensing Services
Fee Section
State Education Building - 2nd floor
89 Washington Avenue
Albany, New York 12234-1000

PLEASE NOTE: Payment submitted from outside the United States should be made by check or draft on a United States bank and in United States currency; payments submitted in any other form will not be accepted and will be returned. Your canceled check is your receipt.

Fee Refunds

• Partial refunds may be granted only if you submit a written request, Fax, or email to withdraw your licensure application.
• The New York State Education Department is not responsible for any fees paid to an outside testing agency

If you withdraw your application, obtain a refund, and then decide to seek New York State licensure at a later date, you will be considered a new applicant and be required to pay the licensure and registration fees and meet the licensure requirements in place at the time of reapplication.

Education Requirements
You must have obtained a master's degree in speech-language pathology or audiology from an approved program or its equivalent in accordance with the Commissioner's Regulations (Section 75.1 -Professional study of speech-language pathology and/or audiology).
To be considered "equivalent," your educational program must culminate in a graduate degree from a college acceptable to the Department. It must include a practicum and 60 semester hours of courses as specified below. At least 30 of the 60 semester hours must be at the graduate level.

• Basic Communication Processesses: 12 semester hours
• Professional Areas
• Speech lagnuage pathology. 24 semester hours in speech-language pathology, including 6 in language, plus 6 semester hours in audiology
• PLUS 18 additional semester hours in the above or related areas
• Practicum
• Speech-Language Pathology: A minimum of 300 clock hours, including:
  • At least 150 clock hours on the graduate level and
  • At least 20 but no more than 50 clock hours in audiology
• Audiology: A minimum of 300 clock hours, including:
  • At least 150 clock hours on the graduate level and
  • At least 20 but no more than 50 clock hours in speech-language pathology

Examination Requirement
You must pass the Specialty Area test of the Praxis Series administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) in your licensure area.

• The passing score is 600
• Examination scores must be sent directly from ETS
• Request scores to be sent to agency code R7747, New York State Board for Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology

If your scores are no longer available from the testing service (i.e., exam(s) taken 10 or more years ago) they may be verified by ASHA:
ASHA
10801 Rockville Pike
Rockville, MD 20852
(301) 897-5700
Verification from ASHA must include a statement indicating score information was received directly from the testing authority. We can only accept exam information from ASHA for exams 10 or more years old.
The examination is administered three times a year at over 400 test centers throughout the nation. The Bulletin of Information (registration materials) for the examination may be obtained directly from the ETS Web site at www.teachingandlearning.org/index.html, by calling (609) 771 -7395 or (800) 772-9476, or writing to:
The Praxis Series
Educational Testing Service
PO Box 6051
Princeton, NJ 08541-6051

Experience Requirement
You must complete a minimum of nine months of supervised experience in speech-language pathology or audiology. (Any break in time, e.g., maternity leave or, in a school setting, summer break, should be compensated for in the ending date.) The experience cannot begin until all requirements (including any examinations or completion of a thesis) for the master's degree are satisfied. The State Board for Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology will consider the following elements when reviewing your experience:

Nature of Experience:
Your experience should include direct clinical work with patients, consultations, record keeping, and any other duties relevant to a valid clinical program. At least two-thirds of the clinical experience should involve direct clinical contact with persons who have communication disorders. Time spent in supervising students, academic teaching, research, or administrative activities that do not deal directly with patient management will not be counted as professional experience in this context. No partial credit will be given for unsatisfactory completion of supervised experience. Full time experience may not be combined with part time experience less than 15 hours per week and six months in length.

Part-time or Full-time Experience: The supervised experience must be completed within a two-year period and may be full-time or part-time:
Full-time: At least nine full months (e.g., September 10 to June 10) of continuous employment consisting of at least 30 hours per week in not more than two places of employment.

• Part-time: Continuous periods of employment of not less than six months, accumulated at the rate of not less than 15 hours or two days per week in not more than two places of employment. Applicants employed part-time should contact the Board office to determine the total amount of time required under these conditions.
  Note: Multiple part-time employments of less than the above criteria may not be combined to meet the minimum requirement.
  
• Setting for Experience: The setting where you obtain your experience should be a provider of professional services in speech-language pathology or audiology: evaluating, habilitating/rehabilitating the communicative function of speech, language, and/or hearing impaired persons.
  
• Supervision of Experience: Appropriate supervision means the supervisor meets with and observes you on a regular basis to review and evaluate your experience and to foster your professional development. For additional information see Guidelines for Evaluating Applicant Experience.
  Supervision must be provided where you work by an individual who is licensed in New York State in the field for which you seek licensure. However, experience acquired in another state or in an exempt setting such as a public or nonpublic school may be supervised by a person holding the appropriate Certificate of Clinical Competence of the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA).
  
• ASHA Verification of Experience: Verification of experience completed in states outside of New York may be submitted directly from ASHA for consideration. Information received from ASHA may or may not be accepted in lieu of forms included in this NYS licensure information (i.e., Form 3A, Identification of Supervisor and Setting, and Form 3B, Record of Supervised Experience). Experience completed in NYS within the last three years should be submitted directly from the supervisor on licensure forms (Forms 3A and 3B) included in this information.

Continuing Competency
Licensed speech-language pathologists and audiologists are required to meet continuing competency requirements in order to reregister with the Education Department every three years. The booklet, Information on Continuing Competency Requirements for Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists, contains detailed information on how licensees may meet the requirement. This booklet is available upon request. One way in which licensees may meet the requirement is through completion of formal continuing education programs offered by approved sponsors. The following organizations are designated, under regulation as entities authorized to approve sponsors:

• The American Speech Language Hearing Association (ASHA)
• The American Academy of Audiology (AAA)
• The New York State Speech-Language Hearing Association (NYSSLHA)
• The International Association of Continuing Education and Training (IACET)

Continuing education programs approved by these entities meet New York's continuing competency requirement, provided that such programs fall within the categories of "professional" or "related," as defined in regulation.

To date, the State Board for Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology has approved the following sponsors of continuing education for speech-language pathologists and audiologists:

Board of Cooperative Educational Services
First Supervisory District of Monroe County
41 O'Connor Road
Fairport, NY 14450

CNY Speech-Language Consultants
4615 North Street
Jamesville, NY 13078
∑ JUST KIDS Diagnostic and Treatment Center
Middle Island, NY 11953
(631) 924-0008

This list will be updated, as additional sponsors are approved.

See a list of accredited Speech Language Pathology programs in the Tri-State area.

SLP Schools