A Texas SLP license renewal runs on a two-year cycle through the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR). You pay a $100 renewal fee, complete 20 hours of continuing education (including 2 hours of ethics), finish a state-approved human trafficking prevention course, and submit everything before your license expires on the last day of your birth month.1Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Renew Your Speech-Language Pathology or Audiology License Miss that date and you cannot legally practice until you pay a penalty and get the renewal processed. There is no grace period.
When Your License Expires
Every SLP license issued in Texas is valid for two years.2State of Texas. Texas Occupations Code 401-351 – License Term The expiration date lands on the last day of your birth month, so the window repeats on the same schedule every cycle. TDLR sends a renewal notice at least 30 days before expiration, and you can begin the renewal up to 60 days early.1Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Renew Your Speech-Language Pathology or Audiology License Starting early matters more than it sounds, because the fingerprint and background-check steps can stall a last-minute application.
Renewal Fees
The base renewal fee for a speech-language pathologist is $100. The same $100 applies to a speech-language pathology assistant; interns pay $75. All renewal fees are nonrefundable.3State of Texas. Texas Occupations Code 401-352 – License Renewal
Continuing Education
You need 20 clock hours of continuing education during each two-year renewal period, and at least 2 of those hours must be in ethics. The requirement is the same whether you hold a full SLP license or an assistant license.4Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Continuing Education for Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology All hours have to be finished before your license expires. If they aren’t, you fall into the late-renewal penalty structure even if you submit the application on time.
Carryover Hours
Texas allows a limited carryover. Up to 10 excess hours from your current renewal period can roll into the next one, and up to 2 of those rollover hours can be in ethics. Anything above the 10-hour cap is lost.4Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Continuing Education for Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology If a late-cycle conference pushes you well past 20 hours, the overflow isn’t wasted.
Audits and Record-Keeping
Keep documentation of your CE activities for at least three years. TDLR runs an automated random audit after renewal, so a CE shortfall won’t delay your renewal itself, but it can trigger enforcement later. If you’re selected, you’ll need to submit certificates, transcripts, or other proof of attendance and completion.4Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Continuing Education for Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology On the application itself you self-attest that the hours are complete; the verification happens on the back end.
Human Trafficking Prevention Training
Texas requires every licensed healthcare practitioner to complete a human trafficking prevention course approved by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC).5Texas Health and Human Services. Human Trafficking Prevention Training It’s a separate checkbox on the renewal application and must be done before TDLR will process the renewal.1Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Renew Your Speech-Language Pathology or Audiology License HHSC’s approved list must include at least one free option, so cost isn’t a barrier. Confirm the course appears on that list before you start, because unapproved courses won’t satisfy the requirement. Time spent on this training counts toward your 20 CE hours.
Fingerprints and Background Check
TDLR runs a criminal background check on every renewal application. Some licensees also have to submit new fingerprints before the renewal can be completed.1Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Renew Your Speech-Language Pathology or Audiology License TDLR maintains a database you can search with your TDLR Entity Number to find out whether new prints are needed this cycle. If they are, you’ll have to book an appointment at an authorized vendor before the application will go through. Discovering this during the last week of your renewal window is a common path to an accidentally lapsed license.
How to Renew Online
Before you log in, pull together:
- Titles, dates, and total hours for every CE course you completed this period
- Confirmation that your human trafficking prevention course was HHSC-approved
- Your current home and employment addresses
- Any criminal history or out-of-state disciplinary actions since your last renewal
Renew through TDLR’s online licensing system at vo.licensing.tdlr.texas.gov. You’ll enter your CE hours, identify how many were in ethics, confirm the human trafficking training, and attest under penalty of law that your answers are accurate. Payment is by credit card or electronic check. If you can’t renew online, you can request a paper form from TDLR by email.1Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Renew Your Speech-Language Pathology or Audiology License Save the confirmation number after payment. The updated expiration date usually appears in the TDLR public license search within a few business days.
Late Renewal Penalties
TDLR is explicit: no grace period. The day your license expires, you cannot practice until you complete the renewal and pay the penalty.1Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Renew Your Speech-Language Pathology or Audiology License Practicing without a current license violates the Texas Occupations Code.6State of Texas. Texas Occupations Code 401-301 – License Required
Late fees are multiples of your normal renewal fee:
- Expired 90 days or less: 1.5 times the normal fee ($150 for an SLP)
- Expired more than 90 days but less than 18 months: 2 times the normal fee ($200 for an SLP)
- Expired 18 months to three years: still 2 times the normal fee, plus written approval from the TDLR executive director before processing
The TDLR renewal page does not describe any pathway for restoring a license expired beyond three years, which likely means reapplying from scratch.1Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Renew Your Speech-Language Pathology or Audiology License
Military Members and Spouses
If your license expired while you were on active duty, you get an additional two years to complete the renewal, along with expedited review and a waiver of any examination requirement. Active-duty members and veterans also have late renewal fees waived entirely. Military spouses get the same two-year extension and expedited processing, but late fees still apply.7Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Military Licensing Homepage
ASHA Certification Is Separate
Your TDLR license and the Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC-SLP) from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association are maintained independently. ASHA runs on a three-year cycle requiring 30 professional development hours, including 3 in designated content areas, plus annual dues or a certification maintenance fee.8American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Maintaining Your Certification The two cycles won’t line up, and courses approved for one don’t automatically count toward the other, though many reputable providers offer credits accepted by both. Track them separately.
Interstate Practice
Texas has not enacted the Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Interstate Compact (ASLP-IC), so Texas SLPs cannot use compact privileges to practice in other states, and practitioners licensed elsewhere cannot use the compact to work in Texas.9ASLPCompact. ASLPCompact If you serve clients across state lines through telepractice or travel, you need a separate full license in each state where those clients are located.