Hearing Aid Dispensers Examining Committee

In order to become licensed, an applicant must submit:

• A completed application which has been notarized;
• An application fee of $50.00;
• Three (3) passport photos (two inches by three inches);
• A sponsor's affidavit form if the applicant is applying for a training permit or temporary license;
• SPONSOR: Original NIHIS (National Institute for Hearing Instruments Studies) continuing education certificates for 20 hours completed during the previous biennial registration period;
• Verification of any other licenses or certifications issued by the State of New Jersey and/or any other state;
• Official transcript for those who are graduates of an accredited college/university with a master's degree in audiology after January 1, 1993;
• If applying for a temporary license or licensure by examination, documentation of past experience and training;
• Endorsement applicants must submit or have submitted on their behalf:

  A copy of the applicable statutes and regulations in effect at the time of licensure, and a detailed description of the written and practical examination.

  NEW JERSEY DIVISION OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS
  BOARD OF MEDICAL EXAMINERS
  HEARING AID DISPENSERS EXAMINING COMMITTEE
  140 East Front Street
  Trenton, New Jersey 08625
  (609) 826-7100
  

LICENSURE INFORMATION

Applicants for licensure to fit and dispense hearing aids in New Jersey must successfully complete a written and practical examination, except for applicants who qualify for licensure by endorsement.The examination, the New Jersey rules and regulations sections, and the practical examination are given semiannually on or about the second Friday of the months of March and September.

ELIGIBILITY TO TAKE THE EXAMINATION

1. Proof of completion of a minimum of six months of continuous or interrupted training within a 24-month period ending with the deadline for making application to take the next examination.
2. Proof of successful completion of a master's degree in audiology after January 1, 1993, from a college or university accredited by the Speech Language Hearing Association.
3. Applicants with two years of clearly documented prior training and experience fitting and dispensing hearing aids may also be eligible to sit for the examination.
4. Applicants who have completed a county college course in hearing aid selection and fitting approved by the Committee and/or the Commission on Higher Education, may be eligible to take the examination.

TEMPORARY LICENSE: N.J.S.A. 45:9A-16a and N.J.A.C.13:35-8.4

The purpose of this limited license is to allow those applicants who have previously completed the required training and have the experience to work, under the supervision of a New Jersey licensed dispenser (sponsor), while waiting for the next scheduled licensure examination. A temporary license also gives the applicant an opportunity to improve his or her skills and to prepare for the written and practical examinations.

Applicants who can provide proof of at least two years of prior training and experience from another jurisdiction may be considered for a temporary license under the sponsorship of a New Jersey licensed hearing aid dispenser, or DIRECT EXAMINATION. Acceptable documentation (when appropriate) includes: 1) verification of licensure, Hearing Aid Dispensers(HAD) Form 13; 2) a letter from a former employer indicating the date of employment, the number of hours worked per day, the number of days worked per week and the number of hearing aids you fitted and dispensed; and 3) any other pertinent documentation and/or information you wish to have considered as proof of your experience. Applicants approved for DIRECT EXAMINATION are not required to obtain a sponsor.

TRAINING PERMIT: N.J.S.A.45:9A-16b and N.J.A.C.13:35-8.3

The purpose of this limited license is to allow applicants an opportunity to obtain the necessary six months' training and experience under the direct supervision of a sponsoring New Jersey licensed hearing aid dispenser. Applicants committed to train continuously on a full-time basis (at least 40 hours per week), and who complete such training in six months, will satisfy the training requirements to take the examination.

Those committed to train on a part-time basis (at least 20 hours per week) will need 12 months to complete the requirements. Less than 20 hours of training during a given week shall not be creditable toward the 1,040 hours of required training.

When part-time is indicated, the sponsor and the applicant are required to submit an affidavit indicating the number of hours per day and days per week the applicant will be training and/or dispensing under the direct supervision of the sponsor at the sponsor's business location. The affidavit must show the day of the week, followed by the starting and quitting times, and total hours, e.g., "Thursday, 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. -- 3 hours, Friday 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. -- 3 hours," etc. Also included in the affidavit must be the applicant's present work schedule.

LICENSURE BY ENDORSEMENT

Applicants for licensure by endorsement, must submit or have submitted on their behalf, the following documentation/information:

1. Verification of current licensure (HAD Form 13).
2. Information and documentation regarding the state's licensure laws, rules and regulations: (a) you must send a copy of the licensure laws, rules and regulations for hearing aid dispensers in effect at the time you were first licensed, and (b) you must send a detailed description of the written and practical examination you completed (other than the National Hearing Aid Society's Examination) and the grades you received at the time that you were licensed. If you were licensed based upon the National Hearing Aid Society's examination, send a report of your grades for each section.

   The applicant must be able to clearly document that the requirements under which he/she was licensed are equal to or more stringent than New Jersey's. Therefore, it is IMPORTANT that the information submitted by your state, regarding your licensure in response to 2(b) above, is of such clarity as to enable our Committee to make such a determination.

   Should the Committee find your application for endorsement acceptable, you will be required to complete a multiple-choice and true-false written examination (15 questions) on our rules and regulations as they pertain to hearing aid dispensing in New Jersey. These regulations will be sent to you along with a notice of your approval.

The Committee recognized that audiologists may gain some hands-on experience fitting and dispensing hearing aids while pursuing their master's degree and, in some cases, during their clinical fellowship year (CFY). Therefore, the Committee will, upon adequate documentation, accept such experience as credit toward the two years' experience requirement for a temporary license and/or to take the examination.

Upon verification that an applicant for temporary license or "direct examination" currently holds an unlimited license to practice audiology in New Jersey, the following procedure and policy applies regarding credit for training and experience:

1. A master's degree in audiology shall be deemed equivalent to six months of training.
2. A maximum of six months of additional experience may be credited upon receipt of satisfactory documentation of hands-on experience fitting and dispensing hearing aids, during a clinical fellowship completed after receipt of a master's degree.
3. Any other full-time licensed dispensing experience (or experience gained in such jurisdiction where licensure was not required) must be fully documented to the satisfaction of the Committee.

   The maximum credit for equivalent training (1 and 2 above) shall not exceed a total of 12 months.

   In order to receive credit for fitting and dispensing experience during clinical fellowship training, applicants must clearly document that such training took place in an environment where hearing aids were actually fitted and dispensed. Additionally, a letter from the firm, hospital or institution clearly indicating the hours worked per week, the number of weeks or months involved and the number of hearing aids you actually fitted and dispensed during the period of training must be submitted to the Committee.

   Experience, other than that acquired during a CFY or during clinical training as a degree requirement, must be listed. If you were licensed to practice hearing aid dispensing, this must be indicated and verified by submission of HAD Form 13. Evidence of experience fitting and dispensing hearing aids in a state where licensure was not required, must also be provided to the Committee and corroborated by your former employer on business stationery or in any other manner which subsequently may be required by the Committee.