Missouri SLP License Requirements

Missouri SLP License Requirements at a Glance

Requirements can change; applicants should confirm current rules with the Missouri Board of Registration for the Healing Arts and the Advisory Commission for Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists before applying, renewing, or beginning practice.

State-Specific Things to Know

• Missouri clinical fellows generally need a provisional license before beginning clinical fellowship in the state. The provisional license is tied to a supervised plan and is limited in duration under RSMo 345.021 and 20 CSR 2150-4.055.
• The Missouri exam standard is tied to the national exam and the minimum passing score accepted by ASHA for CCC applicants, but applicants should still follow Missouri score-reporting rules under 20 CSR 2150-4.020.
• Missouri licenses renew in odd-numbered years. February 1 postmarks are delinquent unless January 31 falls on a weekend or legal holiday. The renewal rule appears in 20 CSR 2150-4.050.
• CE is 30 clock hours per biennial reporting period, with no carryover and a three-year record-retention requirement, under 20 CSR 2150-4.052.
• Compact membership does not mean immediate compact privilege availability. Missouri has enacted the compact, but practitioners should confirm whether Missouri is issuing or accepting privileges before relying on compact practice. See ASLP-IC.
• School-based SLP requirements need extra care. DESE identifies Speech Language Pathologist as a Student Services certification area, while Missouri statutes include a narrow public-school exemption for certain pre-2016 DESE certificate holders. See DESE Student Services and RSMo 345.025.

Where Should You Start?

• Prospective SLP master’s student: degree requirements, student questions before enrolling, and school credential rules.
• Current or in-progress SLP student: supervised experience, provisional licensure, and Praxis requirements.
• New graduate: provisional licensure, supervision rules, and the application checklist.
• Current Missouri SLP: renewal, continuing education, fees, and telepractice.
• SLP licensed in another state: endorsement or reciprocity, compact status, and telepractice.
• CCC-SLP holder: CCC-SLP vs. state license and how to apply.
• School-based SLP: school credential rules, exemptions, and renewal.
• Telepractice provider: telepractice, compact status, and client-location licensing.

Who Regulates SLP Licenses in Missouri?

The Missouri Board of Registration for the Healing Arts regulates Missouri SLP licenses, with the Advisory Commission for Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists advising the Board and helping approve examinations and related regulatory matters under RSMo 345.080.

The Board is the source for Missouri SLP applications, renewals, license lookup, laws, rules, and fee information. Applicants should use the Board’s current application and forms page or MOPRO instructions when preparing an initial, provisional, renewal, reinstatement, or out-of-state application.

Missouri DESE is relevant for school-based Student Services certificates. School applicants should not assume the DESE process and the clinical SLP license process are the same. Start with DESE Student Services and then confirm employer-specific requirements with the district or school system.

What Degree Do You Need for an SLP License in Missouri?

Missouri requires a master’s or doctoral degree from a program that has been awarded CAA accreditation candidate status, is accredited by CAA, or is accredited by another organization approved by the Board. The degree requirement appears in RSMo 345.050.

Applicants also need transcripts showing coursework and clinical practicum equivalent to CAA or other board-approved accreditor requirements. Students comparing online, hybrid, or out-of-state programs should verify the program’s accreditation status in the CAA Accredited Program Directory and review the school’s professional licensure disclosure for Missouri before enrolling.

Program completion alone does not authorize practice. Missouri applicants still need the required exam, clinical fellowship or supervised professional experience, and final Board authorization before independent practice unless a statutory exemption applies.

Does Missouri Require Supervised Clinical Experience?

Yes. Missouri requires written evidence of a clinical fellowship from one or more supervisors after the applicant has completed the required degree, coursework, and clinical practicum. The supervising person must hold a valid Missouri license in the same profession, according to RSMo 345.050.

For provisional licensees, Missouri’s rules define full-time supervised postgraduate professional experience as 36 weeks of work at 35 hours per week. Part-time schedules take longer: 48 weeks at 29 to 34 hours per week, 60 weeks at 22 to 28 hours per week, or 72 weeks at 15 to 21 hours per week. These schedules and reporting rules appear in 20 CSR 2150-4.055.

Missouri’s supervised-experience requirement is connected to state licensure. ASHA’s Clinical Fellowship is part of the CCC-SLP certification pathway, and many new graduates may complete both processes at the same time, but applicants should keep state license documentation and ASHA certification documentation separate.

Does Missouri Offer a Temporary, Intern, Provisional, Limited, Conditional, or Clinical Fellow SLP Credential?

Yes, Missouri offers a provisional license for people completing the clinical fellowship or supervised postgraduate professional experience required for full licensure. A clinical fellow must hold a provisional license under RSMo 345.021.

Does Missouri Require the Praxis for SLP Licensure?

Missouri requires passage of the Board-approved national exam for speech language pathology and audiology. The rule names the National Examination for Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology and requires a passing score consistent with the minimum passing score accepted by ASHA for CCC applicants. See 20 CSR 2150-4.020.

The current speech language pathology Praxis exam is Praxis 5331. ASHA lists 162 as the certification passing score for Praxis 5331 on its Praxis score guidance. Applicants should still follow Missouri’s score-reporting instructions, including direct reporting from ETS when required.

Missouri’s rule requires a candidate to take the exam within one year of receiving approval or reapply to the Board to determine eligibility. Applicants should build the testing timeline into their provisional-to-full license plan.

Is CCC-SLP Required for Missouri SLP Licensure?

Missouri’s statutes and rules describe state license requirements directly; they do not make CCC-SLP the legal authorization to practice. A state license is what authorizes practice in Missouri unless an exemption applies. CCC-SLP is ASHA’s professional certification, governed by ASHA/CFCC standards.

In practice, CCC-SLP can be useful documentation because it reflects graduate education, supervised clinical experience, and Praxis completion, but applicants should not treat it as a substitute for a Missouri license. Review Missouri’s requirements in RSMo 345.050 and ASHA’s 2020 SLP Certification Standards separately.

How Do SLPs Apply for a License in Missouri?

Missouri applicants should start with the Board’s current application and forms page or the online MOPRO process, then choose the correct pathway: provisional, initial full license, provisional-to-full, renewal, reinstatement, or an out-of-state pathway, if applicable.

Missouri application rules require a completed and attested application, the application fee, official transcripts, a recent photograph, and supporting documentation. They also require official verifications from every other state or jurisdiction where the applicant has held a permanent license. See 20 CSR 2150-4.010.

Missouri law authorizes the Board to require fingerprints for license and provisional license applications and to request state and federal criminal background checks through the Missouri State Highway Patrol under RSMo 345.016. IdentoGO is the Board's approved fingerprinting vendor, with registration/scheduling through MACHS (Missouri Automated Criminal History Site)

Missouri SLP Application Checklist

Suggested Application Sequence

1. Confirm whether you need a provisional license before beginning supervised practice in Missouri.
2. Verify that your graduate program meets Missouri’s degree, coursework, and clinical practicum requirements.
3. Arrange your supervised postgraduate professional experience plan with a Missouri-licensed supervisor if you are applying provisionally.
4. Take Praxis 5331 or arrange official score reporting if you have already completed the exam.
5. Request official transcripts and license verifications early, especially if you have held a license in another jurisdiction.
6. Complete fingerprints or background-check steps if the current Board instructions require them.
7. Submit the application and fee through the current Board process. Do not begin independent practice until the Board authorizes it.

How Much Does an SLP License Cost in Missouri?

Fee information last reviewed: May 2026. Fees can change, so applicants should confirm current amounts with the Missouri Board of Registration for the Healing Arts before submitting payment. Missouri’s fee regulation is 20 CSR 2150-4.060.

How Often Do Missouri SLP Licenses Renew?

Missouri SLP licenses, except provisional licenses, expire biennially in odd-numbered years. Renewal forms postmarked February 1 or later are delinquent unless January 31 falls on a weekend or legal holiday. See 20 CSR 2150-4.050.

A licensee who practices after a license has expired may face disciplinary action. Renewal notices can help, but failure to receive a notice does not relieve the licensee of the responsibility to renew. Missouri’s statute and renewal rule both place that duty on the licensee. See RSMo 345.051 and 20 CSR 2150-4.050.

What Continuing Education Does Missouri Require for SLPs?

Missouri requires 30 clock hours of continuing education during each biennial reporting period. CE cannot be carried over from one reporting period to the next, and the continuing education period runs January 1 through December 31 of the reporting period. The CE rule is 20 CSR 2150-4.052.

Licensees attest to completion at renewal and must keep CE records for three years. Acceptable records include the course title, date, location, sponsor, category, and number of clock hours. Provisional licensees are exempt from CE requirements until they hold permanent licensure.

Can Out-of-State SLPs Apply by Endorsement or Reciprocity?

Missouri does not appear to use automatic reciprocity language for SLPs in the sources reviewed. Out-of-state applicants should expect to document their education, exam, supervised experience, and licensure history unless the current Board pathway provides a specific alternative. Missouri application rules require official verification from every jurisdiction where the applicant has held a permanent license. See 20 CSR 2150-4.010.

There are three lawful entry points into Missouri SLP licensure for an out-of-state practitioner: (1) ASLP-IC compact privilege to practice, if licensed in a member state; (2) §345.052 endorsement, the SLP-specific reciprocity provision; (3) §324.009 general Universal License Recognition, which is broader, carries the explicit mandatory substantial-equivalency waiver language, and the faster military/law-enforcement-spouse track, but cannot be used by someone whose only out-of-state credential is compact-based rather than a standalone license.

Applicants with a current license in another ASLP-IC member state should also check whether a compact privilege is available and whether it fits their intended practice. Compact privileges are separate from a full unrestricted state license.

Can SLPs Use Telepractice in Missouri?

Missouri’s ASLP-IC statute defines telehealth as technology-based services delivered when the audiologist or SLP and the patient, client, or student are in different physical locations, and it states that practice takes place in the state where the patient, client, or student is located at the time of the encounter. See RSMo 345.085.

In practical terms, an SLP serving someone located in Missouri should confirm Missouri licensure or a valid compact privilege before providing services. An SLP licensed in Missouri who serves a client in another state should also check that state’s requirements. School telepractice may also involve district, DESE, and employer credential rules.

Is Missouri Part of the SLP Interstate Compact?

As of May 2026, ASLP-IC lists Missouri among member states, but compact privilege availability should be verified. Missouri has enacted the Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Interstate Compact in RSMo 345.085.

ASLP-IC announced that compact privilege purchasing had opened for licensed practitioners in Louisiana, Ohio, and West Virginia. Because Missouri was not one of those initially listed states at the time of this review, Missouri clinicians and out-of-state SLPs should confirm whether Missouri is issuing or accepting privileges before practicing under the compact. See ASLP-IC and the ASLP-IC privilege purchasing update.

A compact privilege is not the same as holding a full Missouri license. It is a compact-based authorization tied to privilege rules, home-state licensing, and client-location practice requirements.

Do School-Based SLPs Need a Separate Missouri Education Credential?

School-based SLP requirements in Missouri involve both the clinical license framework and DESE’s Student Services certification framework. DESE lists Speech Language Pathologist among Student Services certification areas, and its certification system is used to apply for, print, and view certificates; track fingerprint and background clearance status; and check transcript receipt. See DESE Student Services.

Missouri law includes a narrow public-school exemption for persons who held a valid certificate from DESE prior to January 1, 2016, who are employed by a public school while providing speech language pathology services within that employment. The exemption does not allow compensated practice outside the exempted area. See RSMo 345.025.

DESE requires applicants to have at least a master's degree from a college/university with a DESE-approved student services program. The applicant must have a recommendation for certification from the designated official at that institution. The online Initial application, submitted to the Missouri institution, will be forwarded to DESE. Fingerprint clearance is required if not completed within the past 12 months. DESE does not require a separate or additional content assessment for the SLP Student Services credential. Board license is the operative credential for new hires; the DESE certificate is legacy/renewal-only

What Is It Like to Work as an SLP in Missouri?

Missouri SLPs may work in public schools, early intervention, hospitals, rehabilitation settings, outpatient clinics, long-term care, private practice, university clinics, and telepractice. For students, that means clinical placement questions should cover both pediatric and adult settings, as well as rural and urban access to care.

Early intervention is one clear Missouri practice context. Missouri First Steps serves infants and toddlers from birth to age 3 who have delayed development or diagnosed conditions associated with developmental disabilities, and DESE identifies the program as Missouri’s Part C early intervention system. See Missouri First Steps.

Public schools are another major setting to understand. Missouri special education guidance includes eligibility categories that connect to SLP work, including language impairment, sound system disorder, speech/fluency, speech/voice, hearing impairment and deafness, traumatic brain injury, and young child with a developmental delay. See DESE’s Special Education Compliance Standards and Indicators Manual.

Rural access may shape service delivery and placement options. Missouri’s Office of Rural Health described 99 counties as rural in its 2022 biennial report, with rural communities also showing a larger share of older adults than urban counties. SLP students interested in rural schools, home health, skilled nursing, rehabilitation, or telepractice should ask programs how they arrange placements outside the state’s larger metro areas. See the Missouri Rural Health Biennial Report.

Language access is also worth planning for. Missouri’s MERIC language diversity data helps public agencies plan services for adults and children who do not speak English well. That can affect family-centered assessment, interpreter collaboration, and bilingual service planning in schools and healthcare settings. See Missouri language diversity data.

Are There Exemptions from Missouri SLP License Requirements?

Missouri exemptions are narrow. Read them carefully and confirm with the Board before anyone assumes they can practice without a Missouri license. The main exemption statute is RSMo 345.025.

Common Mistakes or Delays in Missouri SLP Licensure

• Beginning clinical fellowship before the provisional license is issued. Missouri requires a clinical fellow to hold a provisional license under RSMo 345.021.
• Using a supervisor who does not hold the required Missouri license. Missouri requires supervision by a licensed person in the same profession for clinical fellowship documentation under RSMo 345.050.
• Submitting license verification too late. Missouri application rules require direct verification from every jurisdiction where the applicant has held a permanent license. See 20 CSR 2150-4.010.
• Missing the exam timeline. Missouri candidates must take the exam within one year of Board approval or reapply for eligibility under 20 CSR 2150-4.020.
• Assuming compact membership means a privilege is available. Check current ASLP-IC privilege availability before relying on compact practice.
• Letting renewal or CE records slide. Missouri requires 30 CE hours each biennial cycle and three years of record retention under 20 CSR 2150-4.052.

What Should Students Ask SLP Master’s Programs Before Enrolling?

• Is the program CAA-accredited, in CAA candidacy, or otherwise able to meet Missouri’s degree requirement under RSMo 345.050?
• How does the program document clinical practicum hours and coursework for Missouri licensure?
• How are Missouri placements arranged, especially for students seeking school, early intervention, rural, medical, or rehabilitation experience?
• Does the program prepare students for Praxis 5331 and explain score reporting for state licensure?
• When should graduates apply for Missouri provisional licensure before clinical fellowship?
• Where is the program’s professional licensure disclosure for Missouri, and who helps students interpret it?
• For school-based students, does the program explain DESE certification requirements and district expectations?