§34-14-2. Licenses or permits - Required; display; duplicates; corporations, partnerships, etc.

(a) No person shall engage in the sale of or practice of fitting hearing instruments or display a sign or in any other way advertise or represent himself or herself as a person who practices the fitting and sale of hearing instruments unless the person holds a license or permit issued by the board as provided in this chapter. The license or permit shall be conspicuously posted in his or her office or place of business. Duplicate licenses or permits may be issued by the board to valid license holders operating more than one office, upon additional payment determined by the board for each additional office. A license under this chapter shall confer upon the holder the right to select, fit, and sell hearing instruments.

(b) Nothing in this chapter shall prohibit a corporation, partnership, trust, association, or other like organization maintaining an established business address from engaging in the business of selling or offering for sale hearing instruments at retail without a license; provided, that it employs only properly licensed or permitted natural persons and that it shall have at least one licensed Alabama dispenser on its staff to provide direct supervision of any licensed fitters or apprentices employed in the direct sale and fitting of such products. Such corporations, partnerships, trusts, associations, or other like organizations shall file annually with the board a list of all licensed hearing instrument dispensers, fitters, and apprentices directly or indirectly employed by them. Such organizations shall also file with the board a statement on a form approved by the board that they submit themselves to the rules and regulations of the board and the applicable provisions of this chapter.

(c) Nothing in this chapter shall apply to physicians licensed to practice medicine or employees under the supervision of a physician licensed to practice medicine, or to the professional corporation or professional association of such physicians.

(d) Nothing in this chapter shall apply to licensed speech pathologists or to licensed audiologists.

(Acts 1971, No. 2425, p. 3858, §2; Acts 1989, No. 89-268, p. 408, §3; Acts 1991, No. 91-198, p. 365, §3; Acts 1994, No. 94-180, p. 224, §3.)