(a)

1. (1) The annual license fee and the information required by subsection (c) of this section shall be submitted by each license holder to the Executive Director of the Arkansas Board of Hearing Instrument Dispensers on or before the expiration date of his or her current license or renewal.
2. (2) All such licenses shall expire on June 30 each year unless otherwise specified by the Arkansas Board of Hearing Instrument Dispensers, and all licenses shall be renewed annually.
3. (3) Responsibility for the renewal of a license shall rest with the license holder, and if reminders of such renewal are sent by the executive director, it shall be as a courtesy only and shall not be deemed a responsibility of the board.

(b)

1. (1) Renewal shall be judged delinquent if either the annual license fee or the renewal information is not postmarked before midnight of the date of expiration.

2. (2) A delinquent license may be renewed within thirty (30) days of the date of expiration by the:

   1. (A) Payment of the annual license fee, plus a penalty of ten percent (10%) of the annual license fee; and
   2. (B) Submission of the renewal information required by subsection (c) of this section.

3. (3)

   1. (A) If the renewal information and license fee, plus penalty, is not submitted within the thirty-day period following the date of expiration, the license shall be considered expired and no longer valid.
   2. (B) Any license considered expired may be reinstated by the board upon:

(i) Payment of the required fee; and

1. (ii) Submission of the renewal information.

2. (4) If the annual license fee and/or the renewal information is delinquent by at least sixty (60) days, the licensee shall be reexamined prior to the renewal of the license.

   1. (c) Each licensee applying for renewal of his or her license shall furnish to the board the following:

3. (1)

   1. (A) Proof of attending, during the preceding year, a minimum of twelve (12) hours of board-approved continuing education in the methods and techniques of testing and fitting hearing instruments, including at least one (1) hour of ethics.
   2. (B) All continuing education courses, including course content and presenter’s qualifications, must be submitted to the board for preapproval before such courses are taken by the licensee.
   3. (C) Failure to receive board approval of continuing education hours prior to the end of the license year shall be sufficient cause for nonrenewal of the license.

   4. (D)

      1. (i) Up to four (4) continuing education hours may be earned via courses taken over the internet for any one (1) renewal period.
      2. (ii) Each internet course must be fully completed prior to the end of the license year in which it is commenced.
      3. (iii) Proof of passage must be supplied in writing at the time of renewal for the upcoming year.

   5. (E)

      1. (i) The required one (1) hour of ethics cannot be earned through an internet course.
      2. (ii) The ethics hour must include a discussion of the statutes and rules of the State of Arkansas pertaining to hearing instrument dispensers and shall be presented by an Arkansas-licensed audiologist or Arkansas-licensed hearing instrument dispenser;
4. (2) Written evidence of annual calibration of all audiometers and tympanometers used by the license holder to current national standards;
5. (3) A blank copy of the currently used bill of sale or comparable document provided to patients as required by Arkansas Code § 17-84-104; and

6. (4) A statement regarding whether the licensee is engaged in the practice of dispensing in-office assembled hearing instruments.

   1. (d) Any hearing instrument dispenser who, because of illness or other unavoidable circumstance, is unable to comply with the requirements for license renewal, may make application to the board stating the circumstances as to why he or she is unable to so comply, and the board, in its discretion, may relieve the applicant from complying for such time and under such circumstances as the board deems proper.

(e) Inactive status.

1. (1) A licensee may be placed on inactive status by submitting a written request to the board at the time of license renewals.
2. (2) A licensee electing inactive status shall pay a reduced fee of fifty percent (50%) of the current renewal fee.

3. (3) A licensee may resume active status by:

   1. (A) Submitting a written request to the board;
   2. (B) Paying the full renewal fee; and
   3. (C) Following any requirements listed in this subsection.
4. (4) A licensee on inactive status may not actively engage in the practice of dispensing hearing instruments and must submit a statement acknowledging that at the time he or she elects inactive status.

5. (5)

   1. (A) Continuing education requirements under subdivision (c)(1) of this section shall be waived for a licensee on inactive status.
   2. (B) A licensee who resumes active status does not need to meet the annual continuing education requirements by the end of his or her first year after returning from inactive status, but he or she must attend twelve (12) hours of board-approved continuing education, including one (1) hour of ethics, by the end of the second year after returning to active status.

6. (6)

   1. (A) A licensee on inactive status shall be exempt from the requirements of subdivisions (c)(2) and (3) of this section.
   2. (B) A licensee electing to return to active status must comply with those sections before returning to active status.
7. (7) A licensee on inactive status may renew their license on an annual basis at the reduced renewal fee.