How to Verify an Audiologist License

State licensure — the primary credential

All 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia license audiologists. A state audiology license is required to practice and is the baseline credential to verify for any clinical, school, or hospital setting.

State licenses are issued by the state audiology or speech-language pathology and audiology licensing board (the two professions are often regulated together). To verify a state license, use the state health professions license verification portal — search for “[state] audiologist license lookup” or find it through the state department of health or health professions board.

Confirm: the license is Active, the licensee name matches, and the expiration date is current. Also check for any disciplinary actions or conditions on the license.

ASHA CCC-A certification

The Certificate of Clinical Competence in Audiology (CCC-A) is issued by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). While not required by all states for licensure, the CCC-A is the de facto national certification standard and is required by many employers, schools, and Medicare/Medicaid programs.

To earn the CCC-A, audiologists must hold a doctoral degree (Au.D.) from a CAA-accredited program, complete a supervised clinical fellowship, and pass the Praxis examination in Audiology.

To verify the ASHA CCC-A:

1. Go to asha.org
2. Use the ASHA ProFind directory to search by name
3. Confirm: CCC-A certification, current certification status, and ASHA member standing

AAA board certification

The American Academy of Audiology (AAA) is the professional membership organization for audiologists, separate from ASHA. AAA membership does not confer board certification — it is a professional association. However, the AAA Board Certification in Audiology (BCAA) is a specialty credential available to AAA members who meet additional requirements.

For most verification purposes, focus on the state license and ASHA CCC-A. The BCAA is a supplemental credential. The AAA member directory at audiology.org can help locate practitioners but should not replace state license verification.

Degree requirement: Au.D.

Since 2007, the entry-level degree for audiologists is the Doctor of Audiology (Au.D.), a four-year clinical doctoral program. Audiologists who completed training before 2007 may hold a master's degree, which was the prior standard.

When reviewing credentials, an audiologist with a master's degree and an active state license is not necessarily underqualified — the degree requirement changed during their career. However, new entrants to the field after 2007 should hold the Au.D. from a CAA-accredited program.

Audiologist vs. hearing instrument specialist

Audiologists and hearing instrument specialists (hearing aid dispensers) are different licensed professions. Hearing instrument specialists are licensed to fit and dispense hearing aids but cannot perform diagnostic audiology evaluations or treat hearing disorders clinically.

For clinical audiology roles — diagnostic testing, vestibular evaluation, cochlear implant mapping, auditory processing assessments — confirm that the provider holds an audiologist license, not a hearing instrument specialist license.

Red flags

• No active state audiologist license in the state of practice
• State license expired or under disciplinary action
• No ASHA CCC-A in settings where it is required (Medicare, school IEPs)
• Presenting a hearing instrument specialist license as equivalent to audiology licensure
• Degree from a non-CAA-accredited audiology program (for post-2007 graduates)
• Title “audiologist” used without a state license in a licensed state

Verification checklist