Welcome to the website of the Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation, an agency within the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation. We appreciate your visit to our homepage and we look forward to assisting you.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: Staff of the Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation is temporarily displaced while the building located at 76 Northern Avenue in Gardiner, Maine is closed for remediation work. During this temporary displacement, only limited staff will be located at 221 State Street in Augusta, Maine so the best way to contact us to resolve your issues, answer your questions, and continue to deliver high-quality services to consumers and our licensees is by email or by phone or through our other online services.
You may follow this link to the Secretary of State's office to view a list of board members. Members of the public should not contact board members with questions or comments. All questions, comments or any other board-related matters must be directed to the Board Staff; (207) 624-8624.
Thank you, and we look forward to hearing from you.
Purpose
The Board of Speech, Audiology & Hearing Aid is established to license qualified speech pathologists and audiologists and hearing aid dealers and fitters and to assure that communicatively disabled people in the State of Maine receive competent services.
The primary responsibilities of the Board are to evaluate qualifications of and examine applicants; grant licenses to those who meet board requirements, investigate complaints, and take disciplinary action against licensees when warranted.
Notice Regarding License Verification Requests (PDF)
Effective March 1, 2019, the Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation (OPOR) will no longer issue paper license verifications. License verifications are available, free of charge, on OPOR’s official database, https://www.pfr.maine.gov/ALMSOnline/ALMSQuery/Welcome.aspx?board=4170. This database is updated in real time as changes occur. The Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation considers this information to be a secure, primary source for license verification.
Are You a Mandated Reporter? - (Speech-Language Pathologists only)
Maine law requires that medical, mental health and social services personnel immediately report or cause a report to be made to the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) when the provider knows or has reasonable cause to suspect that an incapacitated or dependent adult has been or is likely to be abused or neglected or that a suspicious incapacitated or dependent adult death has occurred.
Future correspondence from the Board of Speech, Audiology and Hearing will be sent to you by email, so please be sure to keep your contact information current. Follow this link to verify your contact information.
What's New
HAD Trainee Examination Forms
Statutory/Law Changes
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TELEHEALTH: On June 21, 2021, the Governor signed LD 791, An Act Regarding Telehealth Regulations, into law as P.L. 2021, c. 291. This emergency legislation became effective immediately and authorizes licensees of the board to provide services via telehealth, subject to all applicable laws and rules governing confidentiality, professional responsibility and standards of practice. The board will be adopting more specific rules governing telehealth services. Please use the “GET NOTIFIED” link below if you would like to be notified of proposed rulemaking and other board news, information and updates. Notice of proposed rules will also be advertised in the Maine Secretary of State weekly rulemaking notice and in newspapers in the state, as well as posted on the board’s webpage.
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New Law Takes Effect September 19, 2019
Public Law Chapter 503 (LD1746, Part E) An Act To Amend the Licensing Laws of Certain Professions and Occupations
http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0580&item=8&snum=129 (PDF)This bill authorizes the issuance of licenses to speech-language pathology assistant applicants who have a degree higher than an associate degree and exempts temporary licensees, speech-language pathology assistants and trainee licensees from continuing education requirements at the time of license renewal. Please read the full text of the bill here (PDF).
Examination
Rulemaking Changes
Meetings
Follow this link to current board meeting information
Board Notices
NOTICE CONCERNING DELIVERY OF SPEECH, AUDIOLOGY & HEARING AID LICENSES
Speech, Audiology and Hearing Aid licenses are now delivered to licensees via email. The email sender is displayed as "noreply@maine.gov" and the subject as "YOUR OFFICIAL (license type) LICENSE IS ATTACHED". Paper licenses will NOT be mailed to licensees with an email address on file with the Board.
You have the opportunity to update your contact information when you renew your license online or you may update your email address and other contact information anytime here.