Do I have to retake the Praxis to get licensed in another state?

Usually not. Many boards accept your original score through ETS, and some, like New Jersey for applicants from substantially equivalent states, drop the score requirement. Texas may waive it for CCC holders. Check the reporting window: ETS reports Praxis scores for ten years.

Is endorsement the same as reciprocity?

In practice, yes. Massachusetts and Louisiana call it reciprocity, North Carolina calls it reciprocal licensure, and Georgia and Tennessee have a separate route for CCC holders. Each produces a full state license with its own renewal.

Does my ASHA CCC replace a state license?

No. ASHA says the CCC is not a permit to practice and state licensure is required. The CCC can shorten an application in states like Texas, Ohio, Pennsylvania and California.

Can someone else prepare my endorsement application?

Yes. A licensing service can assemble documents and prepare the application, but you review, attest and sign it. That differs from an ASLP Compact privilege, which the licensee applies for, attests and pays for personally.

SLP License by Endorsement: How It Works State by State

Licensure by endorsement is how a speech-language pathologist or audiologist who already holds a license in one state gets a full license in another without starting over. You do not retake the Praxis exam in most states, and you do not repeat your clinical fellowship. Instead, the new board confirms what you already did: your degree, your exam, your supervised experience and every license you have held. Then it adds its own pieces, such as a jurisprudence exam, a fingerprint check or a state training course.

The word "endorsement" is not universal. Louisiana and Massachusetts call it reciprocity. North Carolina calls it reciprocal licensure. Georgia and Tennessee run a separate route for holders of ASHA's Certificate of Clinical Competence. Ohio routes out-of-state applicants through its universal licensure chapter. Texas has no route labeled endorsement at all. The substance is similar everywhere, but the details decide how long your file sits.

For most SLPs and audiologists moving or practicing in more than one state, endorsement is the only option. The ASLP Compact is enacted in 37 jurisdictions, but as of October 2026 only Louisiana, West Virginia, Ohio and Tennessee issue privileges, and California, Texas, New York, Illinois and Massachusetts are not members at all.

What does an endorsement application usually require?

Strip away the state labels and nearly every file has the same core:

An application and fee paid to the board.
Proof of your degree, almost always an official transcript sent from the school, not a copy you upload.
License verifications from other boards, sent board to board.
Proof of the national exam, which some states waive for endorsement applicants and others still want from ETS.
A background check, increasingly with fingerprints.
State extras, such as a law exam, an open book quiz or a required training course.

The differences are in which of those a state drops and which it adds. That is where the next sections spend their time.

How do the big states handle it?

New York

New York's Office of the Professions offers licensure by endorsement to SLPs and audiologists licensed in another U.S. jurisdiction who meet a specific list. You need an acceptable program with a practicum and at least 60 semester hours in the field, at least two years of professional experience after licensure within the six years before you apply, a passing Praxis score, certification from an acceptable certifying agency such as ASHA, and good standing everywhere you are licensed. The licensure and first registration fee is $294. The ASHA certification requirement surprises people who let their CCC lapse years ago. See our New York SLP licensing post.

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania has two doors. Under 49 Pa. Code § 45.21, the board waives education, experience and examination requirements for an applicant who holds a current license in a state with standards at least equal to Pennsylvania's, or who holds a current CCC. Under § 45.25, licensure by endorsement requires a license in good standing from a substantially equivalent jurisdiction, a copy of that jurisdiction's licensing law with its enactment date, and proof of competency through at least 2 of the last 5 years of practice or 20 hours of continuing education in the past 24 months. Every applicant also completes 3 hours of approved child abuse recognition and reporting training. More in Pennsylvania SLP licensing.

Illinois

Section 13 of the Illinois Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Practice Act lets the department license an applicant from another state without examination when the other state's requirements were substantially equal. IDFPR's qualifications sheet asks for an official certification of licensure from the state where you were first licensed and from the state where you have most recently practiced. An Illinois application stays active for three years from receipt. See getting an Illinois SLP license.

Florida

Florida repealed its profession-specific endorsement statutes when it adopted "MOBILE" endorsement in section 456.0145, Florida Statutes, effective July 1, 2024. You qualify with an active, unencumbered license in another state, a passing national exam score or recognized national certification, at least 2 years of active practice in the 4 years before you apply, no National Practitioner Data Bank report, and no disciplinary action in the past 5 years. The board's own page lists three years of practice in one place and two in another; the statute says two. Electronic fingerprinting is required. See Florida SLP licensing and the compact.

Georgia

Georgia keeps an "Endorsement Approved States" list. If your license is from a state on the approved list, you apply by endorsement. If it is from a state on the disapproved list, the board says you cannot be considered for endorsement and must apply through ASHA certification or the examination route. Every applicant is fingerprinted. More in Georgia SLP licensing.

North Carolina

North Carolina's reciprocal application is one of the lighter ones. The board asks for one official verification from a state where you are currently licensed, official transcripts showing your graduate degree, and an open book quiz on North Carolina licensure at the end of the application. The application fee is $30 and the permanent license fee is $60. See North Carolina SLP licensing.

California

California lists five pathways for SLPs. If you hold a current CCC, you must use Option 2, "Equivalent Qualifications," even if you are also licensed elsewhere. Option 3 is for applicants with an active license in another state and no current CCC. Under Business and Professions Code section 2532.2(d)(2), a licensed applicant with at least one year of full-time continuous employment in the past three years is exempt from California's supervised professional experience requirement. Everyone is fingerprinted through the Department of Justice and the FBI. See getting a California SLP license from another state.

Texas

Texas does not label a route endorsement. TDLR's application takes the same core documents from everyone, and it may waive the internship and Praxis requirements for applicants who hold or have held the CCC. Every new applicant passes the Texas jurisprudence exam and submits fingerprints. See getting a Texas SLP license.

Which states use a different word for the same thing?

Massachusetts regulation 260 CMR 2.04 lets the board license an SLP or audiologist "duly licensed or registered under the laws of another state" without examination, at its discretion, provided the applicant meets current Massachusetts requirements and reports any past discipline. Louisiana's statute, R.S. 37:2660, allows reciprocity when the other state's requirements were substantially equal at the date of licensure, the other state grants Louisiana licensees a similar privilege, and the other state required an exam. Ohio Revised Code 4753.07 sends applicants who hold a license in another state through Chapter 4796, Ohio's universal licensure law, and 4753.08 waives the exam, education and experience requirements for a current CCC holder.

The reason this matters is practical. When an application asks you to choose a pathway, choosing the wrong one can mean a deficiency letter weeks later. In California, choosing Option 3 while holding a current CCC is a mismatch the board's own page warns against.

Does endorsement skip the Praxis?

Often, but not always. New Jersey's rule, N.J.A.C. 13:44C-3.4, drops the Praxis score requirement for an applicant licensed in a substantially equivalent state, but the applicant still documents a qualifying degree and clinical internship and completes New Jersey's jurisprudence online orientation. New York's endorsement path still lists a passing Praxis score. If you tested years ago, check whether ETS can still report your score before you count on it; our post on sending your Praxis score to a new board covers the ten-year reporting window and ASHA's shift of the exams to PSI in January 2027.

Where do endorsement files stall?

A license you forgot. Florida asks for verification of any license to practice any profession you hold or have ever held. Washington asks you to list every state where you hold or held a credential, and even states where you applied and were not licensed.
The wrong kind of verification. Louisiana's board has said that a printout from another board's website or a copy of your license card does not count. The verification has to come from the other board.
Fingerprints with the wrong vendor or method. California tells out-of-state applicants that paper fingerprint cards take the Department of Justice at least 8 to 12 weeks, and Louisiana says a background check run for another agency cannot be accepted.
A CCC that is not current. Georgia's certification route wants an initial certification date within two years of your application, or proof of 20 hours of continuing education in the past two years.
A state law step left for last. Texas wants proof of the jurisprudence exam at the time you apply, and the certificate cannot be more than twelve months old. Our post on state jurisprudence exams lists the others.

Our sister site for occupational therapists sees the same patterns; its post on OT license by endorsement is a useful comparison if you work alongside OTs who are moving too.

Can you work while the application is pending?

Sometimes. California can issue a six-month temporary license to an SLP or audiologist with an unrestricted license from another state who has applied for a California license. Pennsylvania can issue a 90-day provisional license to someone licensed in another state who applies there. New Jersey has a one-year temporary license for an audiologist or SLP who became a New Jersey resident within the past six months. Georgia's answer to "Can I get a temporary license?" is a one-word "No." Our post on temporary SLP and audiology licenses goes state by state.

How can we help with an endorsement application?

A state license application is not a compact privilege. Boards accept applications prepared with help, as long as you answer truthfully, review the file and sign it yourself. Our License by Endorsement service is $599 per state for an SLP or audiologist. We build the file, request verifications and transcripts, coordinate fingerprints, track the board and answer deficiency letters. Board, ETS, ASHA and fingerprint vendor fees are separate. Where a state requires a law exam, Jurisprudence and State Law Exam Support is $249 per state; you take the exam yourself. Start with the state license index to compare requirements.