Qualifications For Licensure Hearing Aid Dispensers

  1. Must submit to fingerprinting.
  2. Be at least 18 years of age.
  3. Be a high school graduate (or equivalency).
  4. Pass California Hearing Aid Dispensing Written and Practical Examinations.

THREE PATHWAYS TO LICENSURE:

Option #1

Applicant/Written Exam - No License

This pathway to licensure requires you to pass both the California written and practical exams to obtain your full license. You are not allowed to work without a license.

Option #2

Trainee with Supervision - Temporary License

This pathway to licensure requires you to find a hearing aid dispenser who has been licensed at least three years in California to become your supervisor. The trainee temporary license is issued for six months and can be renewed two times. As a trainee, you must take the written exam within the first 10 months of issuance.

Option #3

Licensed in Another State - Temporary License

You must possess an active and current hearing aid dispensing license from another state. This temporary license is issued for 12 months and allows you to work as a hearing aid dispenser. It is not renewable. During these 12 months you must take and pass both the California written and practical exams. If you fail either exam, you must immediately surrender your temporary license.

MILITARY SPOUSE/DOMESTIC PARTNER TEMPORARY LICENSE APPLICATIONS:

Pursuant to AB 107 (Chapter 693, Statutes of 2021, Salas) the Board must issue a 12-month temporary license to any applicant who 1) holds a current, active and unrestricted audiology license in another state, 2) is married to or in a domestic partnership with an active duty member of the military, and 3) where that active duty military member is currently stationed in California. The temporary license is nonrenewable and expires 12 months after issuance, upon issuance of a permanent license, or upon denial of an application for permanent licensure. The Board has 30 days after receipt of all necessary documentation and clearance of the applicants Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation background check to issue the temporary license. NOTE: the individual’s license from another state cannot have been disciplined by a licensing entity in another jurisdiction and cannot be the subject of an unresolved complaint, review procedure, or disciplinary proceeding conducted by a licensing entity in another jurisdiction.

Temporary licenses will be issued electronically and displayed on the DCA Search website at https://search.dca.ca.gov/.

The applications for these temporary licenses can be accessed at the links below:

Hearing Aid Dispenser Trainee Military Spouse/Domestic Partner Temporary License

Hearing Aid Dispenser Military Spouse/Domestic Partner Temporary License for Individuals Licensed in Another State