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AZ · SLP licensure
Everything it takes to get your speech-language pathology license in Arizona — the licensing board and application steps, the required Praxis 5331 exam and its 162 passing score, the Clinical Fellowship, fees, and renewal rules.
Required Praxis test
Praxis 5331 — Speech-Language Pathology
Passing score
162 (out of 200)
Format
132 multiple-choice questions · 150 minutes · computer-based
Registration
Register through ETS · $146 test fee · offered year-round
Every US state — including Arizona — accepts the Praxis 5331 at the ASHA-set 162 cut score for SLP licensure. There is no separate state-specific SLP Praxis exam.
Licensing board
Arizona is one of a small number of states where SLPs are licensed by the Department of Health Services rather than a stand-alone board. Praxis 5331 at 162 satisfies the examination requirement for both the health-department license and the ADE speech-language pathologist certificate for schools.
Authoritative reference: ASHA state-by-state advocacy page for Arizona →
The Arizona SLP market
Arizona licenses Speech-Language Pathologists through the Arizona Department of Health Services, Audiologist and Speech-Language Pathologist Licensing Program, following a 2019 shift in oversight from a dedicated board to the department. Arizona's SLP market is heavily concentrated in the Phoenix and Tucson metro areas, with fast growth in the West Valley and strong demand for bilingual Spanish-speaking clinicians statewide. Praxis 5331 at the ASHA-standard 162 cut score is required for licensure with no Arizona-specific adjustment.
BLS OES, Arizona statewide (approximate range)
Passing score note: Arizona accepts the standard ASHA 162 passing score on Praxis 5331; the Department of Health Services does not apply a different cut score.
The Arizona Department of Health Services reviews SLP license applications for CAA-accredited graduate coursework, supervised clinical hours, and a passing Praxis 5331 score. Working in Arizona public schools additionally requires an Arizona Department of Education Speech-Language Pathologist certificate, which is a separate credential filed through the state's teacher-certification system rather than through ADHS.
The 162 Praxis 5331 score covers the exam requirement for both credentials, so candidates targeting school-based work should plan to file the ADHS license application and the Department of Education certificate application close together to avoid delays in a signed teaching contract.
Arizona issues a temporary license that allows new graduates to begin the 36-week Clinical Fellowship under a supervisor holding an active Arizona SLP license, following the standard ASHA CF structure for hours and supervision ratio. Applicants typically receive the temporary license within a few weeks of submitting Praxis scores, transcripts, and fingerprint clearance through the state's Level I fingerprint clearance card system.
Because school districts often want new hires in the classroom by the start of the academic year, many Arizona CFs begin in August under a temporary license processed over the summer. Once the CF year and CF-2 documentation are complete, ADHS converts the temporary license to a full, unrestricted license.
Public schools in the Phoenix metro area, including large districts like Mesa Public Schools and Deer Valley Unified, are major employers, alongside hospital systems such as Banner Health and HonorHealth. Tucson has a smaller but stable market anchored by Tucson Unified School District and Banner-University Medical Center.
Bilingual Spanish-speaking SLPs are in high demand throughout Arizona given the state's large Spanish-speaking population, and rural and border-adjacent communities in southern Arizona often struggle to recruit clinicians, sometimes offering relocation stipends or loan-repayment incentives. Private outpatient pediatric clinics have grown quickly across the fast-developing West Valley suburbs of Buckeye, Goodyear, and Surprise.
Arizona SLP licenses renew on a biennial cycle, and license holders must complete continuing education requirements set by ADHS, documented and subject to audit at renewal. Approved coursework includes ASHA-approved CEUs, university coursework, and relevant professional conference sessions.
SLPs holding the Department of Education school certificate must track a separate renewal timeline through that agency, which does not run on the same schedule as the ADHS license. Arizona's rapid population growth means CEU offerings and local conferences have expanded substantially in the Phoenix area in recent years, giving clinicians more in-state options than a decade ago.
A partial list of larger CAA-accredited programs. All programs listed prepare graduates to sit for Praxis 5331.
What Praxis score does Arizona require for SLP licensure?
Arizona requires the standard ASHA-set passing score of 162 on Praxis 5331, with no state-specific modification.
Which state agency licenses SLPs in Arizona?
The Arizona Department of Health Services, through its Audiologist and Speech-Language Pathologist Licensing Program, issues SLP licenses; it replaced a dedicated licensing board in 2019.
Do Arizona school SLPs need a separate teaching certificate?
Yes. In addition to the ADHS license, school-based SLPs need an Arizona Department of Education Speech-Language Pathologist certificate.
Is bilingual SLP demand strong in Arizona?
Yes, Spanish-speaking SLPs are in high demand across the Phoenix and Tucson metro areas as well as border-adjacent communities in southern Arizona.
Earn a master's degree in Speech-Language Pathology
Complete a graduate program accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation (CAA) — the near-universal requirement across US jurisdictions.
Pass the Praxis 5331 with a score of 162 or higher
The Speech-Language Pathology Praxis (5331) is the single national exam accepted by all state boards. 162 is the ASHA-set passing score and every state uses that same cut score.
Complete a Clinical Fellowship (CF)
A 36-week (9-month full-time equivalent) mentored clinical experience under a licensed CCC-SLP. Some states use their own name for it (California calls it the RPE) but the requirement is functionally equivalent.
Submit fingerprints and a background check
Standard across all state boards. Processing typically takes 2–6 weeks and must be completed before the license is issued.
Apply to the state licensing board
Send your Praxis score (ETS score report), transcripts, CF verification, and background clearance to the state board. Some states also require a jurisprudence exam on state SLP practice law.