The BACB does not require fingerprints, but many state boards do. Illinois wants prints under 60 days old processed by an Illinois vendor; Nevada and Louisiana destroy results that arrive before the application; Georgia runs state and FBI checks; Oregon checks at application and at each annual renewal. Prints done for an employer usually cannot be reused.
Background checks for behavior analysts happen in two places. The BACB requires a criminal background check and an abuse registry check for RBT applicants, confirmed by an attesting certificant no more than 180 days before the application, but it says "fingerprinting is not required by the BACB, but this requirement may vary by state and organization" (RBT Handbook, updated June 2026). State boards are where fingerprints come in, and each board has its own vendor, its own codes and its own timing rules. Prints taken for a school job, an employer or another board usually cannot be reused.
Which states fingerprint behavior analysts?
These are the rules we have read directly. The list is not complete; check the state page for any state not shown here.
Illinois
Fingerprints are checked against Illinois State Police and FBI databases. Illinois residents schedule with an approved Illinois fingerprint vendor. Applicants outside Illinois may be printed by a certifying agency such as a local police department, but the card must then go to an approved Illinois vendor with "Card Scan" capability; IDFPR says not to mail, scan or email results to it. Prints must be no more than 60 days old when the application is submitted, and the ORI/purpose code for behavior analysts and assistants is IL922015Z (IDFPR, Qualifications for Licensure 152 and 153). The statute requires fingerprints for assistants too (225 ILCS 6/35(d)).
Nevada
Applicants arrange fingerprints at their own expense for a Nevada and FBI report, and an application is not complete until the prints or electronic submission verification arrive (NRS 641D.300). The board says LiveScan costs "$40.00 plus the fee charged by the vendor," results return in about 10 to 14 days, LiveScan is not available out of state, and results received before an application is started "will be destroyed, per DPS requirements." Registered behavior technicians repeat the check at their third renewal and every third renewal after (NRS 641D.360).
Louisiana
The Louisiana Behavior Analyst Board uses IdentoGO. Its rules since February 5, 2024: the online application must reach the board before the background results do, or the results are destroyed and the check must be repeated with new fees. A background check is tied to the application type, so someone moving from line technician to SCABA needs a new one. A registered line technician's check stays valid for two years when changing supervisors. The board also notes the FBI portion rises from $13 to $15 on October 1, 2026, and its fee rule lists a $50 criminal background check fee (rule 305).
Georgia
A Georgia license requires "satisfactory results from a fingerprint record check report conducted by the Georgia Crime Information Center and the Federal Bureau of Investigation," with the applicant paying all fees (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 75-5-.01).
Oregon
Behavior analysts, assistants and interventionists all pass "a fingerprint-based nationwide criminal records check" (ORS 676.810 and 676.815; OAR 824-030-0010 and 824-030-0040). Renewal, which is annual, includes a state criminal background check (OAR 824-050-0010).
Washington
The Department of Health says background checks or fingerprinting checks from an employer "are not transferable." A temporary license for an out-of-state behavior analyst requires a completed FBI fingerprint card and a clean Washington background check (WAC 246-805-520).
Texas
TDLR says all applicants "must pass a criminal history background check as a condition of licensure," and the same at renewal. A conviction does not necessarily disqualify you, and Texas lets you have your criminal history evaluated before you apply and pay nonrefundable fees.
Why do people end up paying for prints twice?
- Printing before applying. Nevada and Louisiana destroy early results.
- Printing too early. Illinois rejects prints more than 60 days old at submission.
- Wrong vendor or code. An Illinois card printed out of state still has to go through an Illinois card-scan vendor with the right ORI code.
- Reusing an employer check. Washington says it does not transfer.
- Changing credential type. Louisiana requires a new check for a new application type.
The common thread is sequencing: apply first where the board requires it, then print within the window, using the board's vendor and code.
What should you do if you have something on your record?
Disclose it, with documents. Boards weigh the record and the answer on the application together, and an unexplained "yes" or a "no" that the fingerprint result contradicts is worse than the underlying event. Texas offers a pre-application criminal history evaluation. The BACB has its own self-reporting rules, with a 30-day deadline for many events (BCBA Handbook). Our post on disclosing discipline on an ABA application covers how to present it.
Who schedules the fingerprints?
Fingerprint coordination is part of every application we prepare. We tell you the board's vendor, code and window, schedule printing after the application is in where the board requires that order, and track the result to the board. You attend the appointment and pay the vendor and agency fees directly. A Full State License Application is $749 per state and License by Endorsement is $599 per state; see pricing and the state license index. For technicians in Nevada and Louisiana, see RBT state registration.
Common questions
- Does the BACB require fingerprints?
- No. The RBT Handbook requires a criminal background check and abuse registry check for RBT applicants but says fingerprinting is not required by the BACB and may vary by state and organization. State boards set their own fingerprint rules.
- Can I get fingerprinted for an Illinois behavior analyst license outside Illinois?
- Yes. IDFPR allows printing by a certifying agency such as a local police department, but the card must then be processed by an approved Illinois fingerprint vendor with card scan capability, and prints must be no more than 60 days old at submission.
- Why were my Nevada fingerprint results destroyed?
- The Nevada ABA Board says results received before an application is started, or before the completed waiver is received, are destroyed under Department of Public Safety requirements, and the applicant must obtain a new report.
- Can I reuse my employer's background check for a Washington ABA credential?
- No. The Washington Department of Health's FAQ says background checks and fingerprinting checks are not transferable and must be done again for the application.
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