Ohio Speech Pathology State License Guide

State licensure requirements for speech pathologists in Ohio outline the education, experience and other credentials a practitioner must possess. This article reviews the requirements for a speech pathology license in Ohio, including initial licensure, exemptions, reciprocity rules and continuing education requirements.

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To meet Ohio speech pathology licensure requirements, an applicant must have a master’s in speech pathology or equivalent education as determined by the Ohio Speech and Hearing Professionals Board. Applicants must meet clinical practicum hour requirements, professional experience requirements and pass a licensing exam, key components of most state speech-pathology licensing requirements.

For Ohio SLP licensure, the first requirement is to obtain a master’s degree. Applicants must document supervised student clinical experience that meets current ASHA accreditation standards. If the graduate program is not accredited under those standards, Ohio requires at least 400 total hours of supervised clinical experience, including 25 hours of clinical observation and 375 hours of direct clinical practicum, with at least 325 hours completed at the graduate level. 

Other Ohio SLP licensing requirements include completing a full-time, 30-hour-a-week professional experience for 36 weeks or a part-time experience of 15 hours per week for 72 weeks. Applicants must pass the national exam required by Ohio, currently the Praxis Speech-Language Pathology test (5331) (Ohio references a minimum score of 162 for conditional licensure eligibility).

Ohio law requires the Board to waive the examination, educational, and professional experience requirements for applicants who submit proof of a current CCC-SLP in good standing from ASHA. CCC-SLP ASHA certification requires education and practicum experience that may be similar to Ohio’s own requirements. 

Ohio law provides several situations where a person may offer certain speech-language pathology services without holding an Ohio SLP license, including federal employees acting within their federal duties; students/interns/trainees in accredited programs who are properly supervised and clearly identified by a training title; individuals completing required supervised professional experience under an Ohio conditional license; and certain licensed professionals (such as physicians, nurses, and occupational therapists/OTAs) practicing within their own scopes as long as they don’t represent themselves as SLPs. Ohio also allows a business to offer speech-language pathology services without being licensed as an individual if it employs a licensed practitioner for direct practice and files the required statement with the Ohio Speech and Hearing Professionals Board. 

Ohio offers licensure by endorsement for out-of-state speech-language pathologists. Under Ohio law, the Board may issue a license to applicants who hold an out-of-state license that is substantially similar and authorizes practice in the same profession, consistent with Ohio Revised Code Chapter 4796. Ohio also recognizes the ASHA Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC-SLP); applicants who provide verification of a current CCC-SLP in good standing qualify for a statutory waiver of the examination, education, and supervised professional experience requirements.

Graduate students who need Board authorization to provide services in certain settings may apply for an Ohio Speech-Language Pathology Student Permit, which requires enrollment in an Ohio graduate SLP program accredited by ASHA’s CAA, an approved university plan, completion of at least one year of postgraduate training (or equivalent coursework as determined by the Board), and any student clinical experience the Board requires by rule; practice under the permit must be supervised and the permit has a defined expiration/renewal structure under Ohio law and Board rules. For post-graduation supervised practice, Ohio uses a Conditional License, which authorizes practice while completing the required supervised professional experience under an Ohio-licensed supervisor and is valid for 18 months (unless suspended or revoked). 

Ohio SLP licenses are renewed biennially, and licensees must complete 20 clock hours of continuing education during the two-year period immediately preceding renewal. Of the 20 hours, at least 10 hours must be specific to the clinical practice of speech-language pathology, and at least 2 hours must relate to ethics. The remaining hours may be in other areas related to SLP practice (such as practice management and supervision), and up to one hour may be counted for completing a Board-approved human trafficking training program. 

Individuals seeking SLP licensure in Ohio should contact the Ohio Speech and Hearing Professionals Board for more information. The board’s website includes forms, fee schedules, information on the exam and other details applicants need.

The Ohio Department of Health office responsible for monitoring SLP state licensure is the Ohio Speech and Hearing Professionals Board. Their website has additional information regarding the licensure application process.

Ohio Speech-Language-Hearing Association

For professional association resources (separate from the state licensing board), contact the Ohio Speech-Language-Hearing Association (OSLHA).

The primary regulatory agency for speech language pathology in Ohio is the Ohio Speech and Hearing Professionals Board. They may assist with questions on examinations, continuing education and licensure applications/renewals in Ohio.

77 South High St., Suite 1659

Columbus, OH 43215-6108

Ohio Department of Health

The Infant Hearing Program mandates that newborns receive a hearing screening before leaving the hospital. If hearing loss is suspected, the infant should receive additional testing and, if indicated, early intervention services.

Ohio Department of Health

Infant Hearing Program

246 N. High St., 5^th Floor

Columbus, OH 43215

The Ohio Department of Health requires hearing screenings for schoolchildren to detect possible hearing loss. Children enrolling in kindergarten or first grade for the first time must be screened, and parents must be notified of the screening results. The board of education or health should make referrals for follow-up care.

Ohio Department of Health

Children’s Hearing and Vision Program

246 N. High St.

Columbus, OH 43215

For ASHA advocacy support in Ohio, use ASHA’s State-Based Advocacy Networks hub, which is updated as volunteer roles and contacts change. It includes links to Ohio’s current State Education Advocacy Leaders (SEALs) and to the appropriate ASHA contacts for State Advocates for Medicare Policy (StAMPs) and State Advocates for Reimbursement (STARs) questions.

Information last updated: February 2026