If your NBCOT or ASHA certification lapses or expires
NBCOT says an expired certificant cannot use the OTR or COTA credential until reinstatement is approved, and the steps depend on how long it has been expired. ASHA says a CCC-SLP expires for nonpayment or noncompliance with maintenance, and reinstatement is a new certification with professional development hours and, after more than a year, a passing exam score. Certification is not a state license; license lapses are handled by the board.
Quoted from official pages checked November 10, 2026. Confirm current requirements, fees, and dates on those sites. This page is not legal advice and does not guarantee eligibility, certification, or licensure.
NBCOT (OTR and COTA)
NBCOT’s Certification Renewal Handbook (PDF, ID 46 rev091126), checked November 10, 2026, states:
Expired: Individuals who do not satisfy the NBCOT certification renewal requirements by their scheduled renewal date are Expired and CANNOT 1) identify themselves to the public as an OTR or COTA or 2) use the OTR or COTA credential after their name.
NBCOT’s Lapsed Certification page states: “If you did not renew your certification within your renewal year, you will need to apply for reinstatement and be approved before you can use the OTR or COTA credential. The length of time your certification has been expired will determine the type of reinstatement application you must submit.”
For certification expired within the last three years, that page lists: at least 30 units from the Professional Development section of the Certification Renewal Activities Chart within the last three years; the General Practice Self-Assessment; the reinstatement application with payment; uploaded verification to CE Broker; and “the required six Competency Assessment Units (CAUs) through Navigator.”
For certification expired for more than three years, it lists: “Attain at least 12 units from categories 18, 19, and/or 21” on the chart; at least 12 more units from the Professional Development section; the reinstatement application with payment; uploaded verification; and “the required 12 Competency Assessment Units (CAUs) through Navigator.”
Under “Important Information for Expired Individuals,” the page states that beginning November 1, 2027, “any individual who has allowed their certification to lapse for 9+ years” must apply, “undergo a background check, and pass the current entry-level NBCOT certification exam.” The renewal handbook describes the same November 1, 2027 rule for anyone who has allowed certification “to lapse for three or more cycles”. Fees are on NBCOT’s pages and are not copied here.
ASHA (CCC-SLP)
ASHA’s Reinstatement of the CCC-SLP page, checked November 10, 2026, defines expired this way: “Individuals with this status have lost the Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) due to nonpayment of annual certification fees and/or noncompliance with certification maintenance requirements.” ASHA’s 2027 SLP certification standards state: “If maintenance of certification is not accomplished within the 3-year interval, then certification will expire.”
The reinstatement page says the number of professional development hours (PDHs) depends on how long you have not held certification:
- 1 year or less: “10 PDHs completed no more than 1 year prior to submitting your application for reinstatement.”
- 1–2 years: “20 PDHs completed no more than 3 years prior to submitting your application for reinstatement.”
- 2 years or more: “30 PDHs completed no more than 3 years prior to submitting your application for reinstatement.”
On the exam, ASHA’s Pathway to Reinstatement states: “If your CCC-SLP has been expired for more than 1 year:” and “You must provide confirmation of a passing Praxis exam score that was achieved no more than 5 years before applying for reinstatement.” It explains: “Reinstatement is the issuing of a new certification, not the continuation of a previous certification.” It also states: “Wait until you receive notification from the National Office that your certification has been reinstated before presenting yourself as holding the CCC-SLP or as being certified by ASHA.”
ASHA’s Changing ASHA Certification Status page describes Retired and Inactive statuses as alternatives to letting certification lapse. It states: “Inactive certification status cannot be held for more than 4 years.” Reinstatement fees are not copied here.
Certification is not a license
NBCOT’s After your exam page states: “Passing your exam is different from applying for state licensure.” A lapsed state license is handled by the board that issued it, under its own rules. This page does not describe state license reinstatement. Use the state and territory directory.