RBT Requirements by State (2026)
Here is the part that saves you a lot of searching: the RBT credential is national. The Behavior Analyst Certification Board sets one set of requirements, and they are the same whether you work in Texas or Vermont. Below are the national steps, then a state-by-state note on a separate question, whether your state also licenses behavior analysts at the BCBA level.
The RBT credential does not change by state. Anyone telling you a state has its own RBT exam or its own RBT training hours is mistaken. The steps below apply everywhere.
The national requirements
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Be at least 18
You have to be 18 or older to hold the credential.
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High school diploma or equivalent
A high school diploma, GED, or higher is required.
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40-hour training
Complete the 40-hour RBT training based on the current RBT task list, run by a qualified trainer.
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Background check
Pass a criminal background check dated within the last 180 days.
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Initial competency assessment
A qualified assessor watches you perform the skills and signs off that you can do them.
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Pass the RBT exam
Apply through the BACB, then sit and pass the RBT certification exam.
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Ongoing supervision
Once certified, you work under a qualified supervisor who reviews your work each month.
State-by-state: does your state also license behavior analysts?
This column is about licensing behavior analysts (the BCBA-level credential), not the RBT credential. It can matter later if you move up. Use the box to jump to your state.
51 states
| State | Behavior-analyst license | Note |
|---|---|---|
| AL Alabama | Licenses BAs | Licenses behavior analysts at the BCBA level. RBT steps still follow the national BACB standard. |
| AK Alaska | Verify locally | Confirm behavior-analyst licensure with the state board. RBT steps follow the national BACB standard. |
| AZ Arizona | Licenses BAs | Licenses behavior analysts at the BCBA level. RBT steps still follow the national BACB standard. |
| AR Arkansas | Licenses BAs | Licenses behavior analysts at the BCBA level. RBT steps still follow the national BACB standard. |
| CA California | No state license | No separate state license for behavior analysts; the field relies on BACB certification. RBT steps follow the national BACB standard. |
| CO Colorado | Verify locally | Confirm behavior-analyst licensure with the state board. RBT steps follow the national BACB standard. |
| CT Connecticut | Licenses BAs | Licenses behavior analysts at the BCBA level. RBT steps still follow the national BACB standard. |
| DE Delaware | Licenses BAs | Licenses behavior analysts at the BCBA level. RBT steps still follow the national BACB standard. |
| DC District of Columbia | Verify locally | Confirm behavior-analyst licensure with the local board. RBT steps follow the national BACB standard. |
| FL Florida | Licenses BAs | Licenses behavior analysts at the BCBA level. RBT steps still follow the national BACB standard. |
| GA Georgia | Licenses BAs | Licenses behavior analysts at the BCBA level. RBT steps still follow the national BACB standard. |
| HI Hawaii | Licenses BAs | Licenses behavior analysts at the BCBA level. RBT steps still follow the national BACB standard. |
| ID Idaho | Verify locally | Confirm behavior-analyst licensure with the state board. RBT steps follow the national BACB standard. |
| IL Illinois | Licenses BAs | Licenses behavior analysts at the BCBA level. RBT steps still follow the national BACB standard. |
| IN Indiana | Licenses BAs | Licenses behavior analysts at the BCBA level. RBT steps still follow the national BACB standard. |
| IA Iowa | Verify locally | Confirm behavior-analyst licensure with the state board. RBT steps follow the national BACB standard. |
| KS Kansas | Licenses BAs | Licenses behavior analysts at the BCBA level. RBT steps still follow the national BACB standard. |
| KY Kentucky | Licenses BAs | Licenses behavior analysts at the BCBA level. RBT steps still follow the national BACB standard. |
| LA Louisiana | Licenses BAs | One of the earliest states to license behavior analysts. RBT steps still follow the national BACB standard. |
| ME Maine | Licenses BAs | Licenses behavior analysts at the BCBA level. RBT steps still follow the national BACB standard. |
| MD Maryland | Licenses BAs | Licenses behavior analysts at the BCBA level. RBT steps still follow the national BACB standard. |
| MA Massachusetts | Licenses BAs | Licenses behavior analysts at the BCBA level. RBT steps still follow the national BACB standard. |
| MI Michigan | Licenses BAs | Licenses behavior analysts at the BCBA level. RBT steps still follow the national BACB standard. |
| MN Minnesota | Licenses BAs | Licenses behavior analysts at the BCBA level. RBT steps still follow the national BACB standard. |
| MS Mississippi | Licenses BAs | Licenses behavior analysts at the BCBA level. RBT steps still follow the national BACB standard. |
| MO Missouri | Licenses BAs | Licenses behavior analysts at the BCBA level. RBT steps still follow the national BACB standard. |
| MT Montana | Verify locally | Confirm behavior-analyst licensure with the state board. RBT steps follow the national BACB standard. |
| NE Nebraska | Licenses BAs | Licenses behavior analysts at the BCBA level. RBT steps still follow the national BACB standard. |
| NV Nevada | Licenses BAs | Licenses behavior analysts at the BCBA level. RBT steps still follow the national BACB standard. |
| NH New Hampshire | Licenses BAs | Licenses behavior analysts at the BCBA level. RBT steps still follow the national BACB standard. |
| NJ New Jersey | Licenses BAs | Licenses behavior analysts at the BCBA level. RBT steps still follow the national BACB standard. |
| NM New Mexico | Licenses BAs | Licenses behavior analysts at the BCBA level. RBT steps still follow the national BACB standard. |
| NY New York | Licenses BAs | Licenses behavior analysts at the BCBA level. RBT steps still follow the national BACB standard. |
| NC North Carolina | Licenses BAs | Licenses behavior analysts at the BCBA level. RBT steps still follow the national BACB standard. |
| ND North Dakota | Licenses BAs | Licenses behavior analysts at the BCBA level. RBT steps still follow the national BACB standard. |
| OH Ohio | Licenses BAs | Licenses behavior analysts at the BCBA level. RBT steps still follow the national BACB standard. |
| OK Oklahoma | Licenses BAs | Licenses behavior analysts at the BCBA level. RBT steps still follow the national BACB standard. |
| OR Oregon | Licenses BAs | Licenses behavior analysts at the BCBA level. RBT steps still follow the national BACB standard. |
| PA Pennsylvania | Licenses BAs | Licenses behavior analysts at the BCBA level. RBT steps still follow the national BACB standard. |
| RI Rhode Island | Licenses BAs | Licenses behavior analysts at the BCBA level. RBT steps still follow the national BACB standard. |
| SC South Carolina | Licenses BAs | Licenses behavior analysts at the BCBA level. RBT steps still follow the national BACB standard. |
| SD South Dakota | Verify locally | Confirm behavior-analyst licensure with the state board. RBT steps follow the national BACB standard. |
| TN Tennessee | Licenses BAs | Licenses behavior analysts at the BCBA level. RBT steps still follow the national BACB standard. |
| TX Texas | Licenses BAs | Licenses behavior analysts at the BCBA level. RBT steps still follow the national BACB standard. |
| UT Utah | Licenses BAs | Licenses behavior analysts at the BCBA level. RBT steps still follow the national BACB standard. |
| VT Vermont | Licenses BAs | Licenses behavior analysts at the BCBA level. RBT steps still follow the national BACB standard. |
| VA Virginia | Licenses BAs | Licenses behavior analysts at the BCBA level. RBT steps still follow the national BACB standard. |
| WA Washington | Licenses BAs | Licenses behavior analysts at the BCBA level. RBT steps still follow the national BACB standard. |
| WV West Virginia | Licenses BAs | Licenses behavior analysts at the BCBA level. RBT steps still follow the national BACB standard. |
| WI Wisconsin | Licenses BAs | Licenses behavior analysts at the BCBA level. RBT steps still follow the national BACB standard. |
| WY Wyoming | Verify locally | Confirm behavior-analyst licensure with the state board. RBT steps follow the national BACB standard. |
No state matches that. Try the two-letter abbreviation.
Updated June 2026. The RBT credential is national: every state uses the same BACB requirements, so the steps to become an RBT do not change when you cross a state line. The column below is a separate thing. It flags whether a state also licenses behavior analysts at the BCBA level, which can matter later in your career. Licensing laws change, and 'unknown' means we would rather not guess. Always confirm the current rules with your state board before you rely on them.