Licensure guide · Tennessee

How to get a Tennessee speech-language pathology license

Speech-language pathologists in Tennessee are licensed by the Tennessee Board of Communication Disorders and Sciences. 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 at least a master's degree in speech-language pathology from an accredited institution and either a current ASHA Certificate of Clinical Competence or documented completion of 400 clock hours of supervised clinical practicum, a clinical fellowship and the Praxis exam. [2]
National exam: Applicants must pass the Praxis examination, which the Board adopts as its licensure exam, using ASHA's passing score; the testing agency must send results directly to the Board. [2]
State law exam: Applicants must pass the Tennessee Jurisprudence Exam on the Board's rules and statutes before licensure or reinstatement. [2]
Background check: Applicants must have the results of a criminal background check sent to the Board directly from the vendor named in the application materials. [2]
Fees: The speech-language pathologist application fee is $50, and an initial licensure fee of $100 is due once licensure is granted; all fees are nonrefundable, and a $10 state regulatory fee is also charged. [2]
Where to apply: Applicants apply online for an initial license through the Tennessee Department of Health's online licensure system, linked from the Board's Applications section, and can pay by credit card, debit card or e-check. [1] Open the application →
Processing time: If a completed application arrives before the 30th day of the month preceding the next Board meeting, an initial determination is made before that meeting; the license is not issued until the full Board ratifies it. [2]

Moving to the state

Already licensed somewhere else?

Tennessee is a ASLP-IC member and is issuing compact privileges: audiologists and speech-language pathologists licensed in another member state can obtain a privilege to practice in Tennessee without applying for a new state license.

Licensed in another state: SLPs licensed in another state may be licensed by reciprocity if the Board finds the other state's licensure standards, when they were licensed there, at least equivalent to Tennessee's current requirements; each state where they hold or held a license must send an official statement directly to the Board. [2]
Interstate compact: Tennessee is an ASLP-IC member state and has been issuing compact privileges to practice since May 28, 2026. [3]

Before your full license

New graduates and clinical fellows

Temporary or provisional license: Clinical fellows must hold a provisional license and work under the supervision of a Tennessee-licensed or ASHA-certified speech-language pathologist, whom they must register with the Board. [2]

After you are licensed

Keeping the license active

Renewal: Licenses renew every two years (biennial renewal fee of $60), and renewal is due by the expiration date on the renewal certificate, with the renewal and state regulatory fees and an attestation of continuing education. [2]
Continuing education: SLPs must complete 20 hours of continuing education during the two calendar years before the renewal year, at least 10 of them in their own area of practice. [2]

Working in Tennessee

Pay and openings

Speech-language pathologists in Tennessee earn a mean of $85,050 a year (BLS). Most of our Tennessee searches are confidential and never posted; tell us what you want and we will match you quietly.

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 Tennessee board before you apply. This page is a guide, not legal advice.

Other Tennessee licenses

Speech-language pathology licenses in other states

State-by-state license guides →

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