The ASLP Compact, Explained for SLPs and Audiologists

The Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Interstate Compact, usually shortened to the ASLP Compact or ASLP-IC, is an agreement among states that lets a licensed speech-language pathologist or audiologist practice in another member state without getting a second full license there. Instead of a license, you hold a "compact privilege to practice" in that state. The Commission that runs the compact describes the privilege as "equivalent to a license."

That is the promise. The reality in October 2026 is narrower. Thirty-seven jurisdictions (36 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands) have enacted the compact, according to the Commission's home page, but only four states are actually issuing privileges: Louisiana, West Virginia, Ohio and Tennessee. If you live and are licensed somewhere else, the compact cannot do anything for you yet. Knowing that difference, and the handful of rules below, saves people from planning a move or a contract around a privilege that does not exist.

How does a compact privilege work?

The compact is built around your home state. Your home state is your primary state of residence, which the Commission's FAQ describes in plain terms as "where you live, pay taxes and have your driver's license." You keep a full license there. From that license, you request a privilege in each other member state where you want to practice. Each privilege is separate, has its own fee, and is tied to the home license that supports it.

The model law is explicit that "the privilege to practice is derived from the home state license" (Section 3.G). You can hold only one home state license at a time for compact purposes (Section 4.B). When you practice under a privilege, you follow the practice laws of the state where your client is located at the time of the service (Section 3.H), and that state's board has authority over your privilege.

Applications run through CompactConnect, a data system the ASLP Compact shares with two other licensure compacts. You register, confirm the information your home board uploaded, click a set of first-person attestations, choose the states, and pay by card. CompactConnect's help pages say you can buy privileges in several states in a single transaction, and that your privileges appear on your dashboard once the purchase completes.

Who is eligible for an ASLP Compact privilege?

The Commission's FAQ and Sections 3 and 4 of the model law set the requirements. You need:

• A home state that is a member and is live in CompactConnect. A state that has only enacted the compact cannot support a privilege yet.
• An active, unencumbered home-state license, no encumbrance on any other state license, and no adverse action against any license or privilege in the previous two years (Section 4.A).
• The right degree. For SLPs, a master's degree from an accredited speech-language pathology program. For audiologists, a master's or doctorate if you graduated on or before December 31, 2007, and a doctorate if you graduated on or after January 1, 2008 (Section 3.E and 3.F). Foreign degrees can qualify if a credentials review agency verifies them as comparable.
• A supervised clinical practicum and a passed national examination approved by the Commission.
• For SLPs only, a supervised postgraduate professional experience as required by the Commission.
• No disqualifying felony related to the practice of your profession, and a valid Social Security number or NPI.
• An FBI fingerprint-based background check through your home state. See the FBI background check behind the ASLP Compact.

Two things are not required. ASHA's Certificate of Clinical Competence is not a requirement to participate, and neither is ABA certification from the American Academy of Audiology. The FAQ adds that a state that requires the CCC for its own license may still require it for that license; the compact does not change state licensure rules. And if you were licensed under older rules or grandfathered, the FAQ says you can still participate.

Which states are issuing privileges right now?

The Commission's status page lists the dates each state opened:

• Louisiana and West Virginia: October 28, 2025
• Ohio: February 9, 2026
• Tennessee: May 28, 2026

The other 32 enacted states and the Virgin Islands are "enacted, not yet issuing." Bills are pending in Michigan, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. California, Texas, Illinois, Massachusetts and New York have no active legislation on the Commission's map. Our post on which states are issuing ASLP Compact privileges keeps the full list, and enacted is not issuing explains why the map is so easy to misread.

Uptake so far is small. The Commission's FY2026 annual report shows $1,750 in privilege-purchase income for July 2025 through June 2026. At $50 per privilege, that is 35 privileges for the whole compact. Most SLPs and audiologists moving or practicing in more than one state still get ordinary state licenses.

What does a privilege cost?

Each privilege carries a $50 Commission administrative fee plus the remote state's fee. The Commission's fee table, current as of May 28, 2026, lists Ohio at $25, West Virginia at $25, Louisiana at $50 and Tennessee at $150. The Rule on Fees says the administrative fee "shall be paid by the licensee" for each state, and the FAQ is blunt: "If you make five requests, you will pay the administrative fee five times." No refunds are issued. Tennessee and West Virginia also require a jurisprudence exam first. Our breakdown of what an ASLP Compact privilege costs works through real totals.

Where does the compact stop helping?

Several groups are left out entirely. The FAQ says "Assistants are not eligible for compact privileges," that "Individuals with Department of Education credentials alone are not eligible," and that if your role requires supervision, "such as a clinical fellowship, you are not eligible to practice through the compact." That rules out SLPAs, clinical fellows and anyone on a provisional license. See who the ASLP Compact does not cover.

Even for an eligible SLP or audiologist, a privilege does not replace every credential:

• Schools. If a state's department of education requires a separate credential to work in its schools, you still need that credential. See school SLP credentials beyond the state license.
• Hearing aids. If a state requires a separate credential to dispense hearing aids, an audiologist still needs it. See the ASLP Compact for audiologists.
• Moving. If you move to a non-member state, your home license converts to a single-state license and your privileges are deactivated (FAQ; Section 4.F). If you move between member states, you apply for a license in the new home state (Section 4.C).

How long does a privilege last?

A privilege is "valid until the expiration date of the home state license" (Section 4.G). You buy it again each time you renew your home license, on the same cycle. The FAQ adds a trap: CompactConnect shows the privilege as "Inactive" after your home license's printed expiration date if you have not renewed, regardless of any grace period your state allows. The Commission recommends renewing the home license at least ten business days before that date. Details are in renewing ASLP privileges with your home license.

Continuing education follows the home state only. The FAQ says practitioners "only need to complete continuing education requirements in their home state."

Can I use a privilege for teletherapy?

Yes, between member states that are issuing. Section 5 of the model law requires member states to recognize practice by telehealth under a privilege, and practice occurs where the client is located. A privilege in Ohio covers an Ohio client you see by video from Louisiana, as long as Louisiana is your home state. It does nothing for a client in Texas or California. Our post on teletherapy for SLPs across state lines covers the rest.

Who actually applies for the privilege?

You do. The model law says the licensee shall "notify the Commission" and "pay any applicable fees" (Section 4.A). The Rule on Fees puts both fees on the licensee. The CompactConnect attestations are written in the first person ("this is my legal name," "my attestation is a legally binding statement"). Nobody else can make those statements for you. Our post can someone else apply for my ASLP Compact privilege? walks through the sources.

Is the compact the right route for you?

It is worth a look if all three of these are true: you live in Louisiana, West Virginia, Ohio or Tennessee; you hold an active, unencumbered license there; and the state where you want to practice is another of those four. If your home state is enacted but not issuing, or the state you want is not a member, a state license is still the route. Compact privilege or a state license? lays out the trade-offs.

White Glove ASLP offers an ASLP Compact Readiness Review for $149 one time. We check your home state's status, your eligibility, which remote states need jurisprudence, and your renewal timing. If you qualify, our Compact Privilege Concierge ($299 for the first privilege, $149 for each additional) is a guided screen-share session where you log in, read and click your own attestations, and pay with your own card while we walk you through each screen. We never log in, attest or pay for anyone. Commission and state fees are separate. For states outside the compact, our state license services handle the application itself. The ASLP Compact hub has the current map.