Pathology Regulations
N.S. Reg. 148/2025
Nova Scotia — Regulations
This consolidation is unofficial and is for reference only.
For the official version of the regulations, consult the original documents on file with the Office of the Registrar of Regulations , or refer to the Royal Gazette
Part II .
Regulations are amended frequently.
Please check the list of Regulations by Act to see if there are any recent amendments to these regulations filed with our office that are not yet included in this consolidation.
Although every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this electronic version, the Office of the Registrar of Regulations assumes no responsibility for any discrepancies that may have resulted from reformatting.
This electronic version is copyright ©
, Province of Nova Scotia , all rights reserved. It is for your personal use and may not be copied for the purposes of resale in this or any other form.
Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Regulations
made under Sections 4, 13 and 14 of the
Regulated Health Professions Act
S.N.S. 2023, c. 15
O.I.C. 2025-225 (effective September 15, 2025), N.S. Reg. 148/2025
Table of Contents
Please note: this table of contents is provided for convenience of reference and does not form part of the regulations.
Click here to go to the text of the regulations .
Interpretation
Citation
Definitions
Regulator
Nova Scotia College of Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists continued
Bylaw authorization
Public representatives on Board
Composition of registration and licensing panel
Scope of Practice
Scope of practice of audiology
Scope of practice of speech-language pathology
Scope of practice of designations and licensing categories
Registration and Licensing
Practising licence categories
Conditional licence categories
Application and criteria for registration in practising register
Criteria for practising licence
Criteria for registration in conditional register
Criteria for conditional licence
Practice and Title Use Restrictions, Services Not Prohibited and Publication Restrictions
Restriction on practice of audiology
Restriction on practice of speech-language pathology
Restriction on use of “audiologist” title, description or designation
Restriction on use of “speech-language pathologist” title, description or designation
Restriction on use of bylaw licensing category title, description or designation
Services not prohibited by Act, regulations or bylaws
Restriction on use of title or designation in advertisement or publication
Fines
Professional conduct fine maximum
Interpretation
Citation
1 These regulations may be cited as the Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology
Regulations .
Definitions
2 In these regulations,
“Act” means the Regulated Health Professions Act ;
“Board” is further defined to mean the board of the Regulator;
“competency framework” means a framework approved by the Board establishing
the competencies that registrants are required to possess to practise safely and
ethically within the scope of practice of their designation or licensing category;
“former Act” is further defined to mean
Chapter 3 of the Acts of 2015, the
Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists Act ;
“General Regulations” means the Regulated Health Professions General
Regulations made under the Act;
“hearing test” means
(
i) the examination of a client to screen or assess their hearing in order
to quantify hearing loss, and
(ii) to use speech recognition testing for the purpose of fitting a hearing
aid to a client;
“Nova Scotia College of Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists” means
the college continued as the Nova Scotia College of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology under
Section 3 of the former Act;
“registration and licensing decision maker” means the registrar, the registration and
licensing committee or the registration and licensing review committee, as
applicable;
“Regulator” means the Nova Scotia Regulator of Audiology and Speech-Language
Pathology;
“title protection” means the restriction on the use of a title associated with a
particular designation or category of licence to persons who are authorized to
practise within the scope of that designation or registered and licensed in that
category of licence.
Regulator
Nova Scotia College of Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists continued
3 The Nova Scotia College of Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists is
continued as a regulatory body under the name Nova Scotia Regulator of Audiology and
Speech-Language Pathology with the purpose of regulating the professions of audiology
and speech-language pathology in accordance with the objects set out in
Section 6 of the
Act.
Bylaw authorization
4 The Regulator is authorized to make bylaws under clauses 12(2)(i), (k), (
l) and (
m) of the
Act, in accordance with the Act and these regulations.
Public representatives on Board
5 In addition to the requirement of subsection 7(2) of the Act, the number of public
representatives on the Board must be no fewer than 3 and no more than 4.
Composition of registration and licensing panel
6 In addition to the requirements of subsection 31(1) of the Act, a registration and
licensing committee panel or a registration and licensing review committee panel
appointed to review a matter must include at least 1 registrant of the profession that the
matter relates to.
Scope of Practice
Scope of practice of audiology
(1) The scope of practice of audiology is the application of specialized and evidence-based audiology knowledge, skills and judgment that have been taught in an
approved education program or are set out in 1 or more of the following approved
by the Board:
(
a) competency frameworks;
(
b) standards of practice;
(
c) practice guidelines.
(2) The scope of practice of audiology as described in subsection (1) includes the
performance of any or all of the following activities:
(
a) assessing, identifying, treating and managing hearing loss and audiological
disorders and conditions;
(
b) screening for speech-language disorders;
(
c) making an audiological diagnosis;
(
d) performing any other services, roles, functions and activities included in the
scope of practice of the designations and licensing categories set out in the
bylaws.
(3) The scope of practice of audiology also includes health promotion, research,
education, inter-professional collaboration, consultation, management,
administration, advocacy, regulation or system development that is related to the
activities and application of specialized and evidence-based audiology knowledge,
skills and judgment described in subsections (1) and (2).
Scope of practice of speech-language pathology
(1) The scope of practice of speech-language pathology is the application of
specialized and evidence-based speech-language pathology knowledge, skills and
judgment that have been taught in an approved education program or are set out in
1 or more of the following approved by the Board:
(
a) competency frameworks;
(
b) standards of practice;
(
c) practice guidelines.
(2) The scope of practice of speech-language pathology as described in subsection
(1) includes the performance of any or all of the following activities:
(
a) assessing, identifying, treating and managing communication and
swallowing disorders;
(
b) conducting hearing tests to identify hearing loss;
(
c) making a speech-language disorder diagnosis;
(
d) performing any other services, roles, functions and activities included in the
scope of practice of the designations and licensing categories set out in the
bylaws.
(3) The scope of practice of speech-language pathology also includes health
promotion, research, education, inter-professional collaboration, consultation,
management, administration, advocacy, regulation or system development that is
related to the activities and application of specialized and evidence-based speech-language pathology knowledge, skills and judgment described in subsections (1)
and (2).
Scope of practice of designations and licensing categories
9 Under clauses 12(2)(
k) and (
l) of the Act, the Regulator may make bylaws setting out all
of the following:
(
a) the scope of practice of each designation and licensing category established
(
i) in these regulations, and
(ii) in the bylaws;
(
b) the title protection authorized for each designation and licensing category
established in the bylaws.
Registration and Licensing
Practising licence categories
10 The following are the practising licence categories for audiology and speech-language
pathology:
(
a) audiologist practising licence;
(
b) speech-language pathologist practising licence;
(
c) any other category of practising licence established in the bylaws.
Conditional licence categories
11 The following are the conditional licence categories for audiology and speech-language
pathology:
(
a) audiologist conditional licence;
(
b) speech-language pathologist conditional licence;
(
c) any other category of conditional licence established in the bylaws.
Application and criteria for registration in practising register
(1) An application required by
Section 34 of the Act must be completed in the form
required by the registrar.
(2) In addition to the completed application, an applicant for registration in a practising
register must submit all of the following to the registrar:
(
a) proof satisfactory to the registration and licensing decision maker that the
applicant meets all of the following criteria, except if any or all of the
criteria are waived under
Section 59 of the Act:
(
i) they are a graduate of 1 of the following:
(
A) an education program approved for registration in the practising
register in which they seek to be registered,
(
B) an education program that, in the opinion of the registration
and licensing decision maker, is equivalent to an education
program approved for registration in the practising register in
which they seek to be registered,
(
C) an education program that, together with the applicant’s
additional education and experience and in the opinion of the
registration and licensing decision maker, provides the
applicant with the competencies to practise in the scope of
practice of registrants in the practising register in which they
seek to be registered,
(ii) they have successfully completed any examinations required by the
Board for registration in the practising register in which they seek to
be registered,
(iii) they have completed a competence assessment, if directed to do so
by the registration and licensing decision maker,
(iv) they have successfully completed any bridging education required for
registration that was determined to be necessary by a competence
assessment,
manner prescribed by the registrar,
(vi) they are a Canadian citizen or legally entitled to live and work in
Canada,
(vii) they have the capacity, competence and character to safely and
ethically engage in the practice of the profession in which they seek
to be registered without conditions or restrictions,
(viii) they have no outstanding complaints, prohibitions, conditions,
agreements or restrictions originating from the Regulator or any other
registration or licensing authority that would preclude registration in
a register other than a conditional register,
(ix) they are the person named in the documentation submitted in support
of the application,
(
x) under the requirements of the Act, these regulations and the bylaws,
they are eligible for a practising licence that corresponds with the
practising register in which they seek to be registered,
(xi) they meet any additional criteria for registration in a practising
register set out in the bylaws;
(
b) the applicable fee, within the time determined by the registrar and using a
method acceptable to the registrar.
(3) The processing under
Section 36 of the Act of an application and its associated
information, documents and fee described in subsections (1) and (2) must be
completed by the registrar as soon as practicable.
(4) A review and decision under Sections 37 and 38 of the Act regarding an
application must be completed by the registration and licensing committee as soon
as practicable.
Criteria for practising licence
(1) In addition to the completed application in a form approved by the registrar
required by
Section 35 of the Act, an applicant for a practising licence must submit
all of the following to the registrar:
(
a) proof satisfactory to the registration and licensing decision maker that the
applicant meets all of the following criteria, except if any or all of the
criteria are waived under
Section 59 of the Act:
(
i) they meet the registration criteria in subclauses 12(2)(a)(iii), (iv), (v),
(vi), (vii) and (ix),
(ii) they are registered in the practising register that corresponds with the
licensing category for which they are seeking a practising licence,
(iii) they have professional liability insurance or another form of
malpractice coverage or liability protection in the form and amount
set by the Board,
(iv) they meet the requirements of the continuing competence program
for the licensing category for which they are seeking a practising
licence,
(
v) they meet the currency of practice requirements for the licensing
category for which they are seeking a practising licence,
(vi) they have no outstanding complaints, prohibitions, conditions,
agreements or restrictions originating from the Regulator or any other
registration or licensing authority that limit their ability to practise,
(vii) they have completed any assessments or education required by the
Board for the licensing category for which they are seeking a
practising licence,
(viii) they meet any additional criteria for issuing a practising licence set
out in the bylaws;
(
b) the applicable fee, within the time determined by the registrar and using a
method acceptable to the registrar.
(2) The processing under
Section 36 of the Act of an application and associated
information, documents and fee described in subsection (1) must be completed by
the registrar as soon as practicable.
(3) A review and decision under Sections 37 and 38 of the Act regarding an
application must be completed by the registration and licensing committee as soon
as practicable.
Criteria for registration in conditional register
(1) The registrar must enter the name of a person who meets all of the following in a
conditional register:
(
a) for an existing registrant in a practising register, they have
(
i) agreed to conditions or restrictions that limit their ability to practise,
(ii) had conditions or restrictions that limit their ability to practise
imposed on them as a result of a regulatory process;
(
b) for an applicant for registration in a register, they meet all of the following
requirements:
(
i) all of the criteria for registration in a practising register, other than the
criteria in subclauses 12(2)(a)(vii), (viii), (
x) and (xi), and except as
provided in subsection (4),
(ii) they have the capacity, competence and character to safely and
ethically engage in the practice of the profession in which they seek
to be registered with conditions or restrictions,
(iii) they have either
(
A) agreed to conditions or restrictions that limit their ability to
practise, or
(
B) had conditions or restrictions that limit their ability to practise
imposed on them as a result of a regulatory process,
(iv) under the requirements of the Act, these regulations and the bylaws,
they are eligible for a conditional licence that corresponds with the
conditional register in which they seek to be registered,
(
v) any other requirements for registration in a conditional register set
out in the bylaws,
(vi) they have paid the applicable fee, within the time determined by the
registrar and using a method acceptable to the registrar.
(2) The processing of an application under
Section 36 of the Act for an applicant
described in clause (1)(
b) must be completed by the registrar as soon as
practicable.
(3) A review and decision under Sections 37 and 38 of the Act regarding an
application made by an applicant described in clause (1)(
b) must be completed by
the registration and licensing committee as soon as practicable.
(4) An applicant who has not passed the examinations required for registration, but
who otherwise meets the requirements of subsection 15(1), may be granted
conditional registration by the registration and licensing decision maker pending
the passing of the registration examinations.
Criteria for conditional licence
(1) The requirements to be met for issuing a conditional licence under
Section 43 of
the Act are as follows:
(
a) for a person who is an existing registrant holding a practising licence, they
have
(
i) agreed to conditions or restrictions that limit their ability to practise,
(ii) had conditions or restrictions that limit their ability to practise
imposed on them as a result of a regulatory process;
(
b) for an applicant for a licence, they meet all of the following requirements:
(
i) all of the criteria for registration in a practising register, other than the
criteria in subclauses 12(2)(a)(vii), (viii), (
x) and (xi), and except as
provided in subsection (4),
(ii) they are registered in a conditional register that corresponds with the
licensing category for which they are seeking a conditional licence,
(iii) the requirements for a practising licence in subclauses 13(1)(a)(iii)
and (vii),
(iv) they have the capacity, competence and character to safely and
ethically engage in the practice of the profession in which they seek
to be licensed with conditions or restrictions,
(
v) any additional criteria for issuing a conditional licence set out in the
bylaws,
(vi) they have either
(
A) agreed to the registration and licensing decision maker’s
imposition of conditions or restrictions that limit their ability to
practise, or
(
B) had conditions or restrictions that limit their ability to practise
imposed by the registration and licensing decision maker or a
statutory committee;
(
c) for all applicants, they have paid the applicable fee, within the time
determined by the registrar and using a method acceptable to the registrar.
(2) The processing of an application under
Section 36 of the Act for an applicant
described in clause (1)(
b) must be completed by the registrar as soon as
practicable.
(3) A review and decision under Sections 37 and 38 of the Act regarding an
application made by an applicant described in clause (1)(
b) must be completed by
the registration and licensing committee as soon as practicable.
(4) An applicant who has not passed the examinations required for registration, but
who otherwise meets the requirements of subsection (1), may be issued a
conditional licence by the registration and licensing decision maker pending the
passing of the registration examinations.
Practice and Title Use Restrictions, Services Not Prohibited and Publication Restrictions
Restriction on practice of audiology
16 No person may engage or offer to engage in the practice of audiology or describe their
activities as “audiology” unless they are 1 of the following:
(
a) a registrant holding an audiologist practising licence or an audiologist
conditional licence;
(
b) otherwise authorized to practise audiology, in accordance with the Act,
these regulations, the General Regulations or the bylaws;
(
c) exempt from the application of the Act, these regulations, the General
Regulations or the bylaws.
Restriction on practice of speech-language pathology
17 No person may engage or offer to engage in the practice of speech-language pathology or
describe their activities as “speech-language pathology” unless they are 1 of the
following:
(
a) a registrant holding a speech-language pathologist practising licence or a
speech-language pathologist conditional licence;
(
b) otherwise authorized to practise speech-language pathology, in accordance
with the Act, these regulations, the General Regulations or the bylaws;
(
c) exempt from the application of the Act, these regulations, the General
Regulations or the bylaws.
Restriction on use of “audiologist” title, description or designation
18 No person may take or use the title, description or designation of “audiologist” or any
derivation or abbreviation of them either alone or in combination with other words,
letters or descriptions unless the person is 1 of the following:
(
a) a registrant holding 1 of the following under these regulations or the bylaws:
(
i) an audiologist practising licence, as permitted by clause 40(
a) of the
Act,
(ii) an audiologist conditional licence;
(
b) otherwise authorized to practise as an audiologist or to use the relevant title,
description or designation in accordance with the Act, these regulations, the
General Regulations or the bylaws.
Restriction on use of “speech-language pathologist” title, description or designation
19 No person may take or use the title, description or designation of “speech-language
pathologist”, “speech and language clinician” or “speech and language therapist” or any
derivation or abbreviation of them either alone or in combination with other words,
letters or descriptions unless the person is 1 of the following:
(
a) a registrant holding 1 of the following under these regulations or the
bylaws:
(
i) a speech-language pathologist practising licence, as permitted by
clause 40(
a) of the Act,
(ii) a speech-language pathologist conditional licence;
(
b) otherwise authorized to practise as a speech-language pathologist or to use
the relevant title, description or designation in accordance with the Act,
these regulations, the General Regulations or the bylaws.
Restriction on use of bylaw licensing category title, description or designation
20 No person may take or use the title, description or designation of a licensing category
established in the bylaws under clause 12(2)(
l) of the Act, unless the person is 1 of the
following:
(
a) a registrant holding a licence in the category that authorizes the use of that
title, description or designation;
(
b) otherwise authorized to practise within the scope of the designation or to
use the title, description or designation of that licensing category, in
accordance with the Act, these regulations, the General Regulations or the
bylaws.
Services not prohibited by Act, regulations or bylaws
(1) In addition to the services set out in
Section 164 of the Act, nothing in the Act,
these regulations or the bylaws prohibits a person authorized to fit or sell hearing
aids under the Direct Sellers’ Regulation Act from providing any of the following
services to clients who are 18 years of age or older:
(
a) conducting hearing tests and selecting, dispensing, fitting and verifying
hearing aids, other than hearing aids that are surgically implanted under the
skin, to address any of the following types of hearing loss that present with
or without tinnitus:
(
i) sensory hearing loss,
(ii) conductive hearing loss, if the client’s use of a hearing aid has been
cleared by a medical practitioner,
(iii) retrocochlear hearing loss, if the client is concurrently managed by an
audiologist or an otolaryngologist;
(
b) providing cerumen management, if the person has completed a cerumen
management training program that meets the requirements approved by the
Board;
(
c) providing hearing aid maintenance and education relating to the services
described in clauses (
a) and (b);
(
d) engaging in hearing loss prevention, education and advocacy.
(2) Nothing in subsection (1)
(
a) prohibits or restricts audiologists from engaging in any of the services
described in subsection (1);
(
b) prohibits or restricts speech-language pathologists from conducting hearing
tests to identify hearing loss; or
(
c) permits persons authorized to fit or sell hearing aids under the Direct
Sellers’ Regulation Act to otherwise engage in the practice of audiology or
describe their activities as “audiology”.
Restriction on use of title or designation in advertisement or publication
22 In any advertisement or publication, including business cards, websites and signage, that
refers to activities that fall within the scope of practice of audiology or speech-language
pathology, the following restrictions apply:
(
a) only a person who is authorized to do so by these regulations may use the
following alone or in combination with other words, letters or descriptions:
(
i) the title of “audiologist” or “speech-language pathologist” or any
other title or designation protected by these regulations or the bylaws,
(ii) any derivation or abbreviation of the titles or designations described
in subclause (i);
(
b) only a person who is authorized to do so under
Section 18 may describe
their activities as “audiology”;
(
c) only a person who is authorized to do so under
Section 19 may describe
their activities as “speech-language pathology”.
Fines
Professional conduct fine maximum
23 A fine imposed by the professional conduct committee under clause 110(1)(
m) of the
Act must not exceed a maximum amount of $50 000.
Legislative History
Reference Tables
Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Regulations
N.S. Reg.
148/2025
Regulated Health Professions Act
Note: The
information in these tables does not form part of the regulations and is
compiled by the Office of the Registrar of Regulations for reference only.
Source Law
The current consolidation of the Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Regulations made
under the Regulated Health Professions Act includes all of the following regulations:
N.S.
Regulation
In force
date*
How in force
Royal Gazette
Part II Issue
148/2025
Sep 15, 2025
date specified
Aug 8, 2025
The following regulations are not
yet in force and are not included in the current consolidation:
N.S.
Regulation
In force
date*
How in force
Royal Gazette
Part II Issue
*See subsection 3(6) of the Regulations Act for
rules about in force dates of regulations.
Amendments by Provision
ad. = added
am. = amended
fc. = fee change
ra. = reassigned
rep. = repealed
rs . = repealed and substituted
Provision affected
How affected
..........................................................
Note that changes to headings are not
included in the above table.
Editorial Notes and Corrections
Note
Effective
date
Repealed and Superseded
N.S.
Regulation
Title
In force
date
Repealed
date
Note: Only
regulations that are specifically repealed and replaced appear in this
table. It may not reflect the entire
history of regulations on this subject matter.