Montana State Characteristics of Licensure Law

Last updated June 2008

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

Initial Licensure Requirements

Audiology

1. Must possess a Doctor of Audiology degree or a PhD in Audiology from an accredited program approved by the Board.
2. Passage of a national exam approved by the Board
3. If applicant is a holder of a valid Montana license prior to 2007 and maintains that license, applicant will not be required to obtain a doctorate to practice audiology in the future.
4. Passage of a Montana jurisprudence exam

Speech Language Pathology

1. Master's degree in speech pathology or communication
2. Completion of a practicum with a minimum of 400 clock hours of supervision (375 of direct patient contact)
3. Completion of a 36 week clinical experience with a mentor
4. Passage of the Praxis exam
5. Passage of a Montana jurisprudence exam

Exemptions

1. Persons licensed in the state under any other law from engaging in the profession for which they are licensed
2. Federal employees within their organizational jurisdiction
3. Students properly designated as speech-language pathology or audiology interns or trainees
4. Class A certificate holders issued by the conference of executives of American schools of the deaf
5. Unlicensed persons may provide speech-language pathology or audiology services for no more than 5 days per calendar year if services are performed in cooperation with a state-licensed SLP or audiologist.

Reciprocity/Endorsement

1. ASHA CCC holders upon payment of a fee and also must submit evidence of certification
2. Audiology applicants with a license from another state that have equivalent or greater standards prior to January 1, 2007, will not be required to obtain a doctorate to practice in the state.
3. Persons licensed to practice in another state with substantially equivalent to or greater standards that in Montana at the time of the application.

Interim Practice/Temporary Licensure

1. An active temporary license to practice as a speech language pathologist and/or audiologist will be issued to persons engaged in clinical experience year activities or clinical fellowship year activities. It is valid for 2 years.
2. Audiologists and speech language pathologists with ASHA CCC's or equivalent or are licensed in another state and who has made application for a license may be granted a 1-year temporary permit to practice pending approval of their application.

Continuing Education for Licensure Renewal

1. Must complete 40 CEU's per 2-year renewal cycle; dual licensees 50 CEUs
2. Aides I, 20 CEU annually (14 may be on-the-job training or coursework obtained through an accredited university); for aides II and III 10 CEUs
3. Audiology aides including industrial, 10 CEUs required per year

Hearing Aid Dispensing

Audiologists who dispense hearing aids must obtain an HAD license.

Support Personnel

1. Each speech-language pathologist or audiologist must annually, on or before October 31, register with the Board all speech-language pathology and audiology aides working directly under the supervision of the licensee; a midyear verification form must be completed by February 25 of each year.
2. An audiology aide means a person who meets the minimum requirements established by the board and who works directly under the supervision of a licensed audiologist.
3. An industrial audiology aide means an aide who conducts audiograms for industrial hearing tests in addition to other services.
4. Speech-Language Pathology Aide I is defined as a person who holds an undergraduate degree in communication sciences and disorders or equivalent and is currently enrolled in an accredited graduate program for the purpose of completing licensure requirements.
5. Speech-Language Pathology Aide II is a person who holds an undergraduate degree in communication sciences and disorders or equivalent but is not currently enrolled in a graduate program.
6. Speech-Language Pathology Aide III is a person who does not hold an undergraduate degree or its equivalent.
7. The supervisor is responsible for insuring that the aide is adequately trained for the tasks he/she will perform; the amount of supervision is based on level of aide classification.
8. Each licensee may supervise three aides, more with Board approval.

Board Oversight

Board of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologist

Board Composition

The Board shall comprise five state residents appointed by the Governor; there shall be two licensed speech-language pathologists and two licensed audiologists who have been practicing for at least 5 years preceding their appointment, and one public member who is a consumer of speech-language pathology or audiology services.

Web site

Board of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists

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