Do Arkansas SLPs Need the CCC? License, Medicaid and CE Rules

Arkansas one-sheetOpen Arkansas on the mapSLPA rules

Arkansas at a glance

CCC	Required for Medicaid (in some cases)
License renewal CE	10 hrs every year (Jul to Jun)
Whose CE counts	Any relevant CE counts
Clinical fellowship	Provisional license for the clinical fellowship: 36 weeks full time or 1,260 hours. The supervisor needs an Arkansas license, not the CCC (rules 2.2, 2.10, 2.11).
School credential	CCC not required

Does Arkansas require the CCC?

Section 202.310 lists the same three routes as the federal rule and also requires an Arkansas license, so general enrollment does not require the CCC. Section 214.200(B)(1) requires the team that evaluates speech-generating devices to be led by an SLP who holds the CCC, with no alternative.

Sources: Licensure: ABESPA Rules (eff. 4-1-2024), healthy.arkansas.gov; Licensure: Arkansas Board of Examiners page; Medicaid: OT/PT/SLP manual section 202.310, text circulated with DDS public notice of Oct. 8, 2021 (opened; state domain); Medicaid: State Plan amendment memo, April 2022 (opened; speech-language therapists meet 42 CFR 440.110)

What you can do

• Ask Arkansas DHS to amend 214.200(B)(1): replace "has a Certification of Clinical Competence" with "is licensed in Arkansas and has documented training and experience in device evaluation." Section (B)(4) already asks for that training.
• Ask for 202.310 to be replaced with language B.

Continuing education for Arkansas SLPs

Hours: 10 hrs every year (Jul to Jun).
Topic rules: At least 5 hrs in Content Area I.
Whose CE counts: Licensee's choice; the board may pre-approve but has final say.

Sources: ABESPA Rules, Section 9

Compare every state in our CEU requirements by state guide.

Clinical fellowship and background checks

Provisional license for the clinical fellowship: 36 weeks full time or 1,260 hours. The supervisor needs an Arkansas license, not the CCC (rules 2.2, 2.10, 2.11).

Sources: ABESPA Rules

The compact requires fingerprint-based FBI checks for anyone applying for a compact privilege. Arkansas's board rules do not require a check for every applicant. You can ask for a pre-licensure ruling on a record (rules 2.17 and 2.18). Compact member; not issuing compact privileges yet.

Sources: ABESPA Rules; ASLP-IC compact map

School-based SLPs

DESE issues a five-year Ancillary License in Speech-Language Pathology (K-12). It needs a bachelor's and a master's in SLP, a passing score on the specialty assessment, and either a graduate-level accredited SLP program or the CCC. The CCC is one way to qualify, not a requirement. Renewal needs 36 hours of professional development a year.

Sources: DESE Rules Governing Educator Licensure, sec. 2-2.02.6; ASHA: Arkansas teacher requirements

SLP assistants in Arkansas

Assistants register with ABESPA (Rules, Section 13). School SLPAs work under the state education department's guidelines and still need an SLP supervisor.

Sources: ABESPA Rules (Section 13); ABESPA SLPA page

Other notes

• Older spreadsheet note: SB 294 (2023) limits classroom instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation before grade 5. Not re-checked in this update.

If your employer says you need the CCC

Many job posts and policies still list the CCC out of habit. Our employer education page has language you can share, and the Arkansas one-sheet puts the license and the CCC side by side on two printable pages.

Checked against state sources through October 31, 2026. This page summarizes public rules for general information and is not legal advice. Rules change, and employers and payers can set their own requirements, so confirm with the board before you rely on it.