Verified October 9, 2026 against the practice act, board rules and sources cited below. The board decides every application. All states
What SLPs and audiologists miss in District of Columbia
- DC Health requires a criminal background check with each application submitted.
- DC licenses are moving to birth-month expiration, so the first term may be shorter than two years.
- Two CE hours must cover LGBTQ cultural competence.
Can I practice in District of Columbia on an ASLP Compact privilege?
District of Columbia is not an ASLP Compact member, so practicing here takes a District of Columbia license.
- Not a compact member
Can an SLP or audiologist licensed elsewhere get a District of Columbia license by endorsement?
The board may license by endorsement an SLP with a valid, unrestricted license from a jurisdiction with substantially equivalent standards. Applicants send verifications of every license ever held, ASHA verification and their transcript, and complete a new criminal background check.
- Endorsement route available
Citation: 17 DCMR § 7910
Which exams does District of Columbia require for a license?
Applicants by examination need a passing Praxis score from within five years. An older score works only with three years of practice in the last five plus ASHA certification or the qualifying score. The rules name no District law exam.
- Praxis exam
- No state jurisprudence exam
Does District of Columbia offer a temporary SLP or audiology license?
ASHA reports no provision for out-of-state providers to practice temporarily in the District.
- No temporary license
How do clinical fellows get licensed in District of Columbia?
Clinical fellows hold their own DC license under a separate chapter of rules, applying with a graduate transcript and a background check. The board may accept the ASHA clinical fellowship as meeting the District's requirement.
- Speech-Language Pathology Clinical Fellow license
Citation: 17 DCMR §§ 7903, 8400 et seq.
Does District of Columbia license SLP assistants?
SLPAs are licensed under their own chapter of rules and renew with 10 CE hours. The supervising SLP keeps full professional and ethical responsibility for the assistant and may delegate only what the assistant is trained to do.
- SLPA license
What audiologists need to know in District of Columbia
ASHA reports that audiologists need a certificate of registration to dispense hearing aids in the District.
- Separate hearing aid dispensing license
OSSE school credential in District of Columbia
School SLPs and audiologists hold a DC license plus an Office of the State Superintendent of Education credential, which needs 75 semester hours in the field and 350 supervised practicum hours. It renews every four years.
Citation: DC Office of the State Superintendent of Education, as summarized by ASHA
How often does a District of Columbia SLP or audiology license renew?
Licenses run two years and are moving to expire on the last day of the holder's birth month. SLPs and audiologists need 20 CE hours per cycle, including two in public health priorities, two in LGBTQ cultural competence and one in ethics; dual licensees need 30.
- Renews every 2 years
- 20 CE hours per cycle
Licensing in District of Columbia?
For a license, we send your Praxis scores and verifications, file the application and carry the board correspondence. License by endorsement is $599 for an SLP or audiologist.