Licensure guide · Arkansas
How to get a Arkansas speech-language pathology license
Speech-language pathologists in Arkansas are licensed by the Arkansas Board of Examiners in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology. Below is what the board requires, from education to renewal, with every requirement linked to the board page it comes from. Checked October 22, 2026.
Step by step
Getting licensed
- Education
- Applicants must hold a master's or doctoral degree in communicative disorders (speech-language pathology) meeting the requirements of a nationally recognized accrediting body. [2]
- National exam
- Applicants without ASHA certification must submit an official Praxis score of 162 or better sent directly from ETS. [3]
- Fees
- The application fee has been reduced from $100 to $5 under Act 114 of 2023, and it is non-refundable. [4]
- Where to apply
- Applicants apply through the online application linked from the Board's Application Information page and may begin work during a 30-day grace period once a complete packet is received. [4] Open the application →
Moving to the state
Already licensed somewhere else?
Arkansas has enacted the ASLP-IC but is not yet issuing compact privileges, so audiologists and speech-language pathologists licensed elsewhere still need a Arkansas license for now.
- Licensed in another state
- An applicant holding a current speech-language pathology license from another state with standards the Board considers equivalent may be licensed by reciprocity, and must provide verification of good standing from every state where licensed. [2]
- Interstate compact
- Arkansas appears in the ASLP-IC Commission's state table as not yet accepting compact privilege applications, with no jurisprudence exam required. [6]
Before your full license
New graduates and clinical fellows
- Temporary or provisional license
- Clinical fellows completing the 36-week professional experience are eligible for a provisional license only; it is renewable annually but cannot be renewed after 36 months from the start of the experience. [2]
After you are licensed
Keeping the license active
- Renewal
- Licenses must be renewed online annually by October 31, or by a mailed renewal postmarked on or before November 15, to avoid delinquent renewal fees. [5]
- Continuing education
- Licensees must complete at least 10 clock hours of continuing professional education each license period (November 1 through October 31), at least 5 of them in Content Area I; dual licensees need 15 hours. [5]
Working in Arkansas
Pay and openings
Speech-language pathologists in Arkansas earn a mean of $90,490 a year (BLS). We have 1 public speech-language pathology opening in Arkansas right now, and more searches that are never posted.
Sources
Every requirement above was checked against the official page listed here on October 22, 2026. Boards change fees and rules, so confirm with the Arkansas board before you apply. This page is a guide, not legal advice.
- [1] https://healthy.arkansas.gov/boards-commissions/boards/examiners-in-speech-language-pathology-and-audiology-arkansas-board/
- [2] https://healthy.arkansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/ABESPA-Rule.pdf
- [3] https://healthy.arkansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/Abespa-APPLICATION-CHECK-LIST.pdf
- [4] https://healthy.arkansas.gov/boards-commissions/boards/examiners-in-speech-language-pathology-and-audiology-arkansas-board/application-information/
- [5] https://healthy.arkansas.gov/boards-commissions/boards/examiners-in-speech-language-pathology-and-audiology-arkansas-board/licensee-renewal-information/
- [6] https://aslpcompact.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/State-Fee-and-Jurisprudence.pdf
Other Arkansas licenses
Speech-language pathology licenses in other states
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