Does my BACB CE count for my state license?

In many states, yes. Texas accepts current certification as proof of CE, and Nevada adopts the BACB requirements by reference. Other states set their own hours or topics, such as Ohio's 23 hours or Oregon's 16 hours a year, though BACB-approved events usually qualify.

Which states require CE topics beyond the BACB's?

Nevada requires suicide prevention and six hours of cultural competency and DEI. Washington requires two hours of health equity CE every four years. Texas requires a human trafficking prevention course, and New York requires child abuse identification training.

Do I need CE for my first state license renewal?

Not always. Virginia exempts the first biennial renewal after initial licensure, Illinois requires no CE for the first renewal, and Louisiana exempts the remainder of the first licensure year.

How many BACB CEUs does a BCBA need?

32 CEUs in each two-year recertification cycle, including 4 in ethics and, for supervisors, 3 in supervision. The BACB's 2027 BCBA requirements raise the supervision portion to 4 CEUs.

Behavior Analyst CE Requirements Across States

If you hold one state license, continuing education is usually simple: meet the BACB's requirement and whatever your state adds. With three or four licenses it becomes a matching exercise, because states disagree on hours, cycles, required topics and what counts. The good news is that one well-chosen set of CEUs can usually satisfy all of them at once.

Do most states follow the BACB on CE?

The BACB's September 2026 regulatory brief sorts the 40 licensing states into three groups. Three require no continuing education for license renewal. Fourteen "follow the BACB's continuing education requirements by requiring continued certification for license renewal." Twenty-three "explicitly require continuing education" of their own. The brief does not name the states in each group, so we list the rules we have read.

What does the BACB require?

For BCBAs: 32 CEUs in each two-year recertification cycle, including 4 in ethics and 3 in supervision for those who supervise. All CEUs must be earned within the cycle they are applied to, excess CEUs do not carry over, and missed CEUs cannot be made up during the reinstatement period (BCBA Handbook, updated June 2026). The BACB's 2027 BCBA requirements raise the supervision CE to 4 CEUs for supervisors, and its definition of ethics CE, clarified in March 2025, covers events focused on ethics or cultural and contextual responsiveness. For BCaBAs: 20 CEUs per two-year cycle, with 4 in ethics and 3 in supervision for supervisors. RBTs now need 12 hours of professional development per two-year cycle.

Which states accept BACB certification as the CE proof?

Texas does: at renewal, TDLR verifies your current certification and accepts it "as proof that you have completed the continuing education hours required to maintain your certification." But Texas adds a one-hour, HHSC-approved human trafficking prevention course for every renewal (TDLR; House Bill 2059).

Washington gives a choice. A licensed behavior analyst either maintains certification from an approved credentialing entity that requires CE, or completes 32 hours every two years, with at least 20 on skill development and current clinical practice, at least 4 on ethics and boundaries, and no more than 8 on business practice. Either way, the LBA also completes two hours of health equity CE every four years (WAC 246-805-401). Assistants have the same structure with 20 hours (WAC 246-805-402).

Nevada adopts the BACB's CE requirements by reference, then adds at least two hours of evidence-based suicide prevention and awareness (NAC 641D.090 and 641D.160). Its statute also requires behavior analysts to complete at least six hours on cultural competency and diversity, equity and inclusion (NRS 641D.360(3)), and the board's renewal notice confirms that LaBA and LBA renewals require six DEI/cultural competency CEUs.

Which states set their own hours?

Virginia: 32 hours for a behavior analyst and 20 for an assistant each biennium, approved and documented by a sponsor recognized by the BACB, including 4 in ethics. Up to two hours can come from volunteer services to low-income patients at a ratio of three service hours per CE hour. You are exempt for the first renewal after initial licensure, must keep records four years, and may be randomly audited with 30 days to respond (18VAC85-150-100).

Ohio: at least 23 hours every two years, including at least 4 in ethics, professional conduct or cultural competency, from BACB-approved providers or others the board approves (Ohio Rev. Code 4783.05(B)).

Oregon: 16 hours every licensure year for behavior analysts and 10 for assistants, each with at least one hour of ethics. The licensure year starts on the day of the month you were first licensed. Up to 10 hours carry forward, no more than half may come from teaching, and records are kept two years after renewal (OAR 824-070-0005).

Louisiana: starting with the reporting period that began July 2026, 32 credits for licensed behavior analysts and 20 for state certified assistants, each with 4 in ethics, reported per biennial period. BACB-sponsored events count fully; instructing counts for up to half; BACB credentialing events and scholarly work up to a quarter each. You are exempt for the remainder of your first licensure year (board rules 803 and 805). The board's 2026 reporting sheet shows which license numbers report in which window, so check yours.

Illinois: no CE is required for the first renewal (IDFPR). The statute directs IDFPR to set CE by rule (225 ILCS 6/50).

What about required non-ABA training?

Several states require training outside behavior analysis CE. Texas requires the human trafficking course. Washington requires health equity CE every four years, and its Department of Health says health care professionals other than physicians who offer telemedicine must complete telemedicine training. New York requires child abuse identification and reporting training for licensure, and updated mandated reporter training under Chapter 25 of the Laws of 2024 by November 17, 2026. These sit on top of BACB CEUs.

Do technicians and assistants have CE rules too?

Yes, though lighter. RBTs need 12 hours of professional development per two-year BACB cycle. Nevada is barred by statute from requiring continuing education for registered behavior technicians (NRS 641D.360(4)). Washington's certified behavior technicians meet continuing competency by keeping RBT certification or by a supervisor's skills assessment within 90 days before renewal (WAC 246-805-410). Assistants carry real hour requirements: 20 hours per biennium in Virginia and Washington, 20 per reporting period in Louisiana, and 10 every year in Oregon, each with ethics hours included.

Can one set of CEUs cover several states?

Usually, if you plan it. A practical approach:

Take the BACB's 32 as the base, all from ACE providers, with at least 4 in ethics and the supervision CEUs if you supervise.
Choose ethics CE that also covers cultural competency, which helps with Nevada's six hours and Ohio's ethics/cultural competency category.
Add the state-specific topics: suicide prevention (Nevada), health equity (Washington), human trafficking (Texas), child abuse identification (New York).
Watch the cycles. Oregon's annual 16 hours and Louisiana's biennial reporting window may not line up with your BACB dates; a CEU can count for several states only if it falls inside each one's period.
Keep certificates in one place. Virginia keeps audit rights for four years, Washington four years, Oregon two.

Which records should you keep, and for how long?

Audits are where CE plans fail, usually because a certificate is missing rather than because the hours were not done.

BACB: each CEU entry needs supporting documentation, and if an audit finds documentation missing or inadequate, "your certification will expire" (BCBA Handbook).
Virginia: keep the completed form and supporting documents for four years after renewal; audited licensees have 30 days to respond. The board may extend the CE deadline up to one year for good cause if you ask in writing before the renewal date (18VAC85-150-100).
Washington: keep records for four years, and the rule lists acceptable documentation, such as a certificate from the CE provider showing topic and hours (WAC 246-805-400).
Oregon: keep documentation for two years after renewal and produce it on request (OAR 824-070-0005).
Nevada: you sign a CE certification form with your renewal, and misrepresenting CE can lead to suspension, revocation or nonrenewal. A 60-day extension is possible if you ask in writing by December 1 before the license expires and give a compelling reason (NAC 641D.140).
Louisiana: extensions or exemptions are possible for extended active military service outside the state or for illness or hardship (board rule 805).

One folder per cycle, with each certificate tagged by the states it counts for, answers almost any audit.

Who keeps track of CE across licenses?

Our Annual Renewal and CE Compliance service is $299 per license, per year. We map every license's CE rule and cycle against your BACB cycle, tell you what each new certificate counts toward, flag gaps before a renewal opens, and prepare renewal paperwork for you to review and submit. We do not provide CE courses. See BACB recertification and state renewal and keeping several renewals on one calendar.