Apply for a Behavior Analyst or Assistant License

You must meet the educational requirements of the Behavior Analyst Certification Board® for the Board Certified Behavior Analyst or the Board Certified Behavior Analyst-Doctoral, or the educational requirements of the Qualified Applied Behavior Analysis Credentialing Board® for the Qualified Behavior Analyst to apply for a Texas Behavior Analyst license.

You do not need to submit proof of meeting the educational requirements to TDLR. When we verify your current certification from the Behavior Analyst Certification Board® or the Qualified Applied Behavior Analysis Credentialing Board®, we will accept that as proof that you have met the education requirements. In some circumstances, TDLR may request an official copy of your college transcripts or other information related to your education and training.

To qualify for licensure as a behavior analyst, a person must:

• Hold current certification as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst or a Board Certified Behavior Analyst-Doctoral issued by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board®, or hold current certification as a Qualified Behavior Analyst issued by the Qualified Applied Behavior Analysis Credentialing Board®.
• Be in compliance with all professional, ethical, and disciplinary standards established by the certifying entity.

You must meet the educational requirements of the Behavior Analyst Certification Board for the Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst or the educational requirements of the Qualified Applied Behavior Analysis Credentialing Board® for the Qualified Autism Services Practitioner Supervisor to apply for a Texas Assistant Behavior Analyst license.

You do not need to submit proof of meeting the educational requirements to TDLR. When we verify your current certification from the Behavior Analyst Certification Board or the Qualified Applied Behavior Analysis Credentialing Board®, we will accept that as proof that you have met the education requirements. In some circumstances, TDLR may request an official copy of your college transcripts or other information related to your education and training.

To qualify for licensure as an assistant behavior analyst, a person must:

• Hold current certification as a Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst issued by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board or current certification as a Qualified Autism Services Practitioner Supervisor issued by the Qualified Applied Behavior Analysis Credentialing Board®.
• Be in compliance with all professional, ethical, and disciplinary standards established by the certifying entity.
• Be in compliance with the applicable supervision requirements of the certifying entity at all times when practicing behavior analysis.

There is no Texas exam to get a license. When we verify your current certification from the Behavior Analyst Certification Board or the Qualified Applied Behavior Analysis Credentialing Board®, we will accept that as proof that you have passed the examination required by the certifying entity. TDLR may request a copy of your examination score report, if necessary.

The following individuals are not required under the law to obtain a behavior analyst license:

• College or university students, interns, and fellows, under the following conditions:
  • the activity or service is part of a defined behavior analysis program of study, course, practicum, internship, or postdoctoral fellowship;
  • the activity or service is directly supervised by a licensed behavior analyst or an instructor in a course sequence approved by the certifying entity; and
  • the person is designated as a "student," "intern," "fellow," or "trainee"
• Paraprofessionals, if the applied behavior analysis services are provided under the extended authority and direction of a licensed behavior analyst or licensed assistant behavior analyst, including:
  • Applied behavior analysis technicians
  • Behavior technicians
  • Tutors
  • Front-line therapists
• Unlicensed persons pursuing supervised experience in applied behavior analysis if the supervised experience is consistent with the requirements of the certifying entity and commission rules
• Family members and guardians implementing a behavior analysis treatment plan for a recipient under the extended authority and direction of a licensed behavior analyst or licensed assistant behavior analyst

Texas law exempts the following professions from needing a license if they meet all requirements:

• Licensed psychologists, if the applied behavior analysis services provided are within the scope of the licensed psychologist's education, training, and competence
• Other licensed professionals, if the applied behavior analysis services provided are within the scope of the licensed person's education, training, and competence
• Teacher or school employee of a private or public school who provide applied behavior analysis services if the teacher or employee is performing duties within the scope of the teacher's or employee's employment
• Out of state behavior analysts providing temporary services for no more than 20 days per calendar year

Your certification must be current and in good standing with the Behavior Analyst Certification Board or the Qualified Applied Behavior Analysis Credentialing Board® before your Texas license can be issued. If you are subject to or have received a disciplinary action by the certification board, you may be ineligible to hold a Texas license.

License holders must notify the department within 30 days of any initiation of disciplinary action by the certifying entity.

All applicants must pass a criminal history background check as a condition of licensure.

Having a criminal conviction does not necessarily disqualify you from licensure. Texas allows you to have your criminal history evaluated before submitting your application and non-refundable fees. Please see Guidelines for License Applicants with Criminal Convictions for further information.