Helpful Hints

Required Professional Experience (RPE) License Online Application

When applying for a RPE license, please read the following helpful hints to answer the most common questions about the license pathway:

Forms

  • Verify all emails are correct in the application. This includes your own as well as the training program director and your supervisor. If they are not correct, it will stop the application, and it will not be submitted for processing.
  • Clinical practicum must be signed by the training director of the university that was attended. It is not signed by the supervisor or the employer.
  • Be careful to only sign the portions for the applicant and not for the training program director or supervisor
    • Double check the dates on the form.
      • SP RPE can apply when they have met the graduation requirements.

Fingerprinting

  • A license cannot be issued without fingerprint clearances. You will submit your fingerprints to the Board using fingerprint cards or the LiveScan process depending on your status as a California resident.
  • If you are a California resident, complete the Livescan process and upload your completed Livescan form with your application. If the fingerprint clearances are not automatically reported, the Board will be able to search for your results by using the information on the Livescan form.
  • If you do not currently reside in California, fingerprint cards will need to be submitted. Make sure they are sent to the Board for processing. If they are sent anywhere else the results will not be reported to the Board.
  • If fingerprint cards are submitted and the application is processed before the fingerprint clearances are received, it is considered a deficient application. Please do not contact the Board. The application will be processed as soon as the fingerprint clearances are received.
  • The fingerprint card fee must be included with your application fee to be paid online.
  • If a fingerprint clearance delay notice is received, the board must wait for the report from the Department of Justice/FBI.
  • If the fingerprints on the cards are not legible, they will be rejected. If a fingerprint card is submitted and is rejected, the board will automatically submit the second card to the Department of Justice for processing. If a Livescan print is rejected, the board will send the applicant the reason for the rejection and request a resubmission. It is very important to return to the same Livescan facility where the first Livescan was processed and have them redo it so you will not be charged for the resubmission.
  • If there is a fingerprint rejection, the application remains deficient until the fingerprint clearances are received. A common reason for a fingerprint rejection is the prints were too low quality to be read. After one rejection, the 2nd fingerprint card will be submitted. If there is a 2nd rejection, a manual background check will be completed by the DOJ/FBI and then reported to the board.

Supervisors

  • If there is a change in supervision, location, time base, a Change of Supervision/Work Plan form is required to be submitted within 10 days. It can be emailed to the board.
    https://www.speechandhearing.ca.gov/forms_pubs/pdf/sup_state_change.pdf
  • If your supervisor is allowed to supervise more than three RPEs, please make a notation in the comment section of your application that they have been approved to supervise more than three RPEs and attach the approval letter your supervisor received. The board will verify this information.

Future Start Dates

  • If there is a future start date noted in the application, the application will be processed. However, it will not be finalized and the license will not be issued until just before the start date noted in the application. This will allow you the maximum amount of time for the experience. Please only contact the board if the future start date has passed, and your license has not been issued.
  • There will be a pending item on your application, so the license doesn't automatically issue before your requested start date.
  • The system is designed to approve the future start dates the first working day before your start date. For example, if the start date is on a Monday, the application will be finalized, and the license issued on the Friday before your start date.
  • If the externship requires the issuance of the license before the start date for onboarding purposes, please request your license be issued for the start of the externship. Please note: If the license is issued before your start date for any reason other than the start of your work experience, the length of time you have your license is dependent on when it is issued and not when you start your work experience.

Miscellaneous

A passing Praxis exam and transcripts are not required for the RPE license. They are both required for the permanent (full) SLP license.

  • Transcripts cannot be accepted from the applicant unless they are received in a sealed envelope.
  • The degree must be posted on the transcripts, otherwise, they will not be accepted.
  • The Praxis exam score must be reported to the board's reporting code 8544.
  • If you have a maiden name or other last name, make sure to note it in the application ,otherwise, the supporting documents may not be able to be matched with the application.
  • If you have applied and have not heard from the board and it is beyond the processing times noted on the website, please contact the board and ask about the status of your application. It probably means your application has not been officially submitted for processing.
  • Steps in the process:
    • Apply
    • Email links will be sent to the supervisor and training director. Each of these is a two-step process and they will receive two emails.
    • Once steps are completed, the application will be sent back to the applicant for Review, Approval and Signature. This is also a two-step process.
    • After the applicant completes the steps and pays the application fee, it will be officially submitted to the board for processing
    • Wait time for processing begins when the application is completed and submitted to the board for processing. Applications are processed in the date order received.
  • If there is an issue with the supervisor's email or the training director's email, the board can resend the email notification. Until the supervisor and training director have completed the steps in the application process, the application is not officially submitted to the board for processing.
  • Please send a message to the Board to request that the email link be resent to the supervisor and/or the training director. Please do not call to make the request. We require the necessary information in writing to correct the issue.

Full SLP Licensure Process

When applying for the full SLP license, please read the following helpful hints to answer the most common questions about the license pathway:

Required Documents

  • Official transcripts with the degree notation are required for licensure. Please request a copy of the official transcript be emailed to the Board. This does not have to be resent if you have already sent it in. Please verify with the board if you aren't sure.
  • A passing Praxis score is required for licensure. If the Praxis exam has been passed, please request the score be reported to our board's reporting code 8544 if you have not done so previously.

Work Experience Verification (VEX) Forms

  • Submit the work experience verification form when the work experience has been completed by accessing the full license application.
  • Verify the form is complete including the facility name and address. If there is anything missing on the form, it will significantly increase the processing time for the application because a resubmission will be required.
  • Verify the dates of experience. A common error in reporting dates is noting them in the future. Future dates are not acceptable and will be returned for resubmission.
    • If the work experience ending date is noted in the future, the work experience will be verified and credit given corresponding to the date the form was signed. If additional work experience is needed, an additional work experience verification form will need to be submitted using the Additional Vex email link that will be sent to the applicant.
  • Verify the supervisor signing the work experience verification form is the supervisor of record. If it is not the supervisor of record, the experience will not be verified.
  • The board verifies experience from the date the supervisor relationship begins and the date the RPE license was issued. The board cannot verify any work experience that occurred before the RPE license was issued.
  • For school settings, holidays and school breaks are not included in the verification of work experience. Also, the board only verifies work experience when services are being provided which means school must be in session to receive credit.
    • If you need to continue into the next school year to complete the work experience, please wait to submit the work experience verification forms until you have completed all the work experience.
  • If there is more than one supervisor, please request a work experience verification form for the first supervisor and complete the process for the first supervisor. When it has been verified by the first supervisor and additional work experience is still needed, the applicant will be sent an Additional Vex email link to report the additional work experience. The supervisor steps are completed one supervisor at a time.

Full SLP Licensure Requirements

  • Work Experience Verification Form
    • 36 weeks full-time work experience or 72 weeks part-time work experience for SLP
    • 52 weeks full time work experience or 104 weeks part-time work experience for AU
  • Official transcript with degree notation
    • Request the official transcript be emailed the Board.
  • Passing Praxis score
    • If the exam has been passed, please request the score be reported to our board's reporting code is 8544.
  • If the work experience verification form has been completed and verified, the license application will not be approved until the official transcripts and Praxis exam score have been received by the board. If possible, please request the official transcripts and Praxis exam score be submitted to the board before the work experience verification forms have been completed. This will expedite the license application approval process.

Payment

  • If there is an issue with the payment, please contact the Board. A payment resubmit link will be sent.

After Approval

  • After all requirements have been met, the license application will be finalized and approved.
    • You can search the online system at search.dca.ca.gov and verify your license
    • Printed licenses should be received within 2-4 weeks. You do not have to wait for a paper license to begin work. The license just needs to be posted on the website.

To Avoid Delays

  • Make sure all questions on the application are answered.
  • Note any changes to the address or email address.
    • If the address has changed and notification is not sent to the board, the license will not be delivered and will be returned to the board. You will need to pay for a second license to be sent.
  • Make sure all forms have signatures.
  • Emails are sent at each stage of the process and contain very valuable information. Please read each email that is sent as it will guide you through the process. Once you have received an email that says final review, please check the website the following day to verify your SLP license has been issued at: https://search.dca.ca.gov/.