Delaware Speech-Language Pathologist Licensure Guide - 2024

Initial Delaware Speech Pathology Licensure Process

The State of Delaware Board of Speech Pathologists, Audiologists, and Hearing Aid Dispensers issues licenses for speech-language pathologists (SLPs). After two years, the license must be renewed for SLPs to continue practicing legally. Read more about renewal requirements and other rules and regulations for SLPs to follow on the Board’s website.

Education Requirements

Licensed SLPs must hold a Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) in Speech-Language Pathology issued by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. ASHA is the nation’s professional, scientific, and credentialing agency for the field.

A division of ASHA, the Council on Academic Accreditation (CAA) is the accrediting organization for SLP graduate programs. Since you’ll also need a master’s degree in speech-language pathology to become licensed, be sure the program is properly accredited. Here you can find all Delaware speech pathologist degree programs.

Because the graduate program is designed to build on the SLP competencies established during undergraduate school, you will have an easier time understanding the masters-level courses. However, if you earned your bachelor’s degree in an unrelated field, you will have to take fundamental prerequisite classes before beginning the core coursework.

SLP graduate programs are extremely competitive and may require a grade point average of 3.5 or higher for admission. Once you’re accepted and enrolled, you can expect the curriculum to include:

• Neurogenic Disorders
• Fluency Disorders
• Foundations of Clinical Practice
• Dysphasia
• Phonological Disorders
• Communication in Autism Disorders
• Augmentative and Alternative Communication

Experience Requirements

Delaware’s experience requirements align with ASHA’s requirements for certification. During your graduate program, you will earn 400 hours of supervised clinical experience through a clinical practicum. You will work directly with patients under the guidance of your instructor. A minimum of 25 hours is to be spent in clinical observation and 375 spent in direct patient contact.

Direct contact includes:

• Assessment/diagnosis/evaluation
• Screening
• Treatment
• Report writing
• Family/client consultation/counseling

If your undergraduate degree was in speech-language pathology, you will have already fulfilled 75 hours and will only need to complete 325 while in graduate school. However, if speech-language pathology was not your undergrad major, you will have to earn all 400 hours in graduate school.

After graduation, your experience will continue as you participate in the SLP Clinical Fellowship (CF). It is a paid work experience where you must earn 1,260 hours before becoming eligible for licensure. Participation in the CF can be full or part-time depending on your schedule.

Full-timers working at least 35 hours per week are able to finish the CF in nine months. If you choose to work part-time, you must work more than 5 hours each week.

All supervisors must hold a CCC and valid SLP license in Delaware, and all Clinical Fellows must hold a temporary SLP license. If either of these credentials is missing, it will invalidate the entire experience.

At the end of the CF, your supervisor will confirm with the Board that you’ve completed the hours necessary for licensure and send any documentation required for proof.

Testing Requirement

Passing the national Praxis Exam for Speech-Language Pathology (5331) is another qualification for licensure. The fee to sit for the test is $146. Registration is easy if completed online and there is a handy FAQ section to answer any questions you may have about the process.

There are two more ways to register; by phone and by mail. Before you call ETS at (800) 772-9476 to sign-up for the test, create a Praxis account, and keep in mind that there is a $35 surcharge for registering this way. Mail registrations require you to complete a Test Authorization Voucher Request Form and send it to:

When registering for the computer-based exam, you can choose to take the test at home or one of the Prometric test centers in the state. One of the benefits of taking the test at home is it’s offered seven days a week. Just make sure your equipment and environment meet the Educational Testing Service (ETS) requirements by running a ProctorU Equipment Check.

The exam is graded on a scale of 100-200 and you need a 162 to pass. Scores are posted to your Praxis account and sent to any institutions you selected when registering. In the event you don’t pass the test it can be retaken in 28 days. If you want to give yourself more than 28 days to study, feel free to take as much time as you need. You have two years from your initial registration to complete the exam.

Use the ETS online resources to prepare for the exam. There are prep materials, videos, and webinars, as well as strategies and tips to make sure you’re ready.

Background Checks

SLP licensure requires a State of Delaware and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) criminal background check (CBC). Complete a Criminal History Record Check Authorization form to make an appointment to be fingerprinted. Take the form to one of the offices approved for fingerprinting along with the $65 background check fee.

If you live outside Delaware you can be fingerprinted at your local police station. Download the fingerprint form and complete the Authorization for Release of Information form. Mail the items along with payment to:

After approximately four weeks the CBC results will be sent to the Board’s office for review.

Application Process

Paper applications are no longer accepted by the board. Applications are now to be submitted using Delaware’s Professional Regulation Online Service (DELPROS). Create your DELPROS user account by registering on the website. After starting your application you have up to six months to complete and submit it to the board. If it’s not completed within that time you will have to start the entire process over.

Whether you’re applying for your temporary license to practice during the clinical fellowship or your permanent license you must submit the following items:

• If licensed in another state verification of your licensure must be sent directly to the board from the issuing state
• A Criminal History Record Check Authorization Form

In addition to these items applicants for temporary licensure must also submit:

• Post-secondary official transcript
• Verification from your clinical practicum supervisor that 400 hours were completed
• A completed Clinical Fellowship Plan form signed by you and your supervisor
• $65 temporary license fee

Temporary licenses are good for 12 months and may only be extended once under extenuating circumstances. Extension requests need to reach the board at least 60 days before the license expires. Also, before sending the extension request, you must have taken the Praxis exam at least once.

Permanent licensure requires you to submit your official transcript showing your master’s degree in speech-language pathology and verification of your clinical practicum, as well as the following:

• Verification that the CF was completed
• Praxis Exam score
• $165 licensure fee

All additional documents can be attached to your application. If you click ‘acknowledge’ those additional documents will need to be mailed or submitted by a third party directly to the Board’s office:

The online process helps the applications move through the system faster. it takes the board approximately two weeks to process your submission and issue a license. You can check the application status in DELPROS.