Published behavior analyst fees range from $130 for Virginia's initial license to Louisiana's $400 application. Texas charges $165 for two years, Washington $250 initially and $350 to renew, New York $300 for licensure and first registration. Oregon and Louisiana renew annually. BACB recertification adds $215 every two years. Confirm current amounts with each board.
State license fees are rarely the biggest cost of practicing in another state, but they are the easiest to get wrong. Boards publish them in different places (statutes, rules, board fee pages), several states have changed them in the last few years, and the renewal cycle changes the real annual cost. A state that charges less upfront but renews every year can cost more over four years than one with a higher fee and a two-year cycle.
Every figure below comes from the rule or page named, as we read it in October 2026. Boards change fees, so confirm the current amount on the board's site before paying. None of these include fingerprint vendor charges or BACB fees.
What do the states charge?
Texas (TDLR)
Behavior analyst: $165 initial license and $165 renewal. Assistant: $110 and $110. Licenses run two years from issuance (TDLR "Behavior Analysts at a Glance" and renewal page). Late renewal costs 1.5 times the fee if 90 days or less late, and twice the fee from 90 days to 18 months.
New York (Office of the Professions)
Licensed behavior analyst: $300 for licensure and first registration. Graduate permit: $10. Limited permit: $70 for each permit and each renewal (NYSED FAQ). Certified behavior analyst assistant: $225 for certification and first registration. NYSED notes the fee due is the one in law when your application is received.
Washington (Department of Health, WAC 246-805-990)
Licensed behavior analyst: $250 application and initial license, $350 renewal, $175 late renewal penalty, $50 temporary license. Licensed assistant: $160 and $175. Certified behavior technician: $95 and $150. All renew every two years on your birthday.
Virginia (Board of Medicine, 18VAC85-150-40)
Behavior analyst: $130 initial, $135 active renewal every two years in your birth month in odd-numbered years, $70 inactive renewal, $50 late fee, $180 reinstatement after two or more years lapsed. Assistant: $70 initial, $70 renewal, $30 late fee, $90 reinstatement. Letter of good standing or verification: $10.
Nevada (Board of Applied Behavior Analysis)
Behavior analyst and assistant: $100 application and $150 state jurisprudence exam, per the board's fee page; the initial license fee is prorated by quarter. Biennial renewal is $400 for a behavior analyst, $275 for an assistant and $70 for a registered behavior technician (NAC 641D.200). The statute caps these fees (NRS 641D.380).
Oregon (Health Licensing Office, OAR 824-020-0040)
Behavior analyst: $150 application plus $200 license. Assistant: $125 plus $175. Interventionist: $75 plus $100. Renewals equal the license fee but come every year, and the late fee is $50.
Louisiana (Behavior Analyst Board, rule 305)
Licensed behavior analyst: $400 application, $200 annual renewal, $75 jurisprudence exam, $50 criminal background check. State certified assistant: $250 application, $125 annual renewal. Registered line technician: $50 registration and $50 annual renewal. Late fee: $50.
Ohio (State Board of Psychology)
A certified Ohio behavior analyst pays a $150 biennial registration fee by August 31 of each even-numbered year (Ohio Rev. Code 4783.05). We could not confirm the initial application fee from a primary source; check the board directly.
Illinois (IDFPR)
The IDFPR qualification sheets we read do not list fees, and we did not find the fee rule in a source we could open. Check IDFPR before applying. What we can confirm: licenses expire October 31 of odd-numbered years, and an application stays active for three years.
How does the renewal cycle change the math?
Take a behavior analyst holding a license for four years. Using the fees above and ignoring late fees:
- Texas: $165 initial plus one $165 renewal at year two, about $330.
- Virginia: $130 initial plus one or two $135 renewals depending on your birth month and the odd-year cycle, roughly $265 to $400.
- Oregon: $350 the first year (application plus license), then $200 each year, about $950.
- Louisiana: $400 application, plus $75 for the exam and $50 for the background check, then $200 a year in renewals.
These are rough illustrations, not quotes; proration and first-cycle rules vary. The point is that annual-renewal states belong on your calendar, and in your budget, differently.
Which BACB fees sit underneath a state license?
A state license in most states depends on keeping BACB certification current, so the BACB's fees are part of the cost. From the June 2026 handbooks: BCBA certification application $245, exam appointment $125 per attempt, recertification $215 every two years ($290 for BCBA-D), late fee $50, verification letter $25. BCaBA recertification is $140. RBT: $65 certification application processing fee, $45 per exam appointment, and $50 recertification every two years. The BACB states its fees are nonrefundable and nontransferable.
What extra costs catch people?
- Fingerprints. Nevada lists LiveScan at $40 plus the vendor's fee. Louisiana's board notes the FBI portion rises from $13 to $15 on October 1, 2026.
- Verification letters from each state you are licensed in: $10 in Virginia, $15 in Louisiana and Nevada, $25 in Washington, $50 for an Oregon affidavit.
- Required training such as Texas's human trafficking prevention course or New York's child abuse identification training.
- Late fees, which in Texas double the renewal fee after 90 days.
- Repeat fingerprints when prints are taken out of order; see fingerprints and background checks.
Which fees are refundable, prorated or charged again?
- Nonrefundable as a rule. Washington's fees are expressly nonrefundable (WAC 246-805-990); Virginia's are not refundable unless otherwise provided (18VAC85-150-40); Illinois's statute says its fees shall be nonrefundable (225 ILCS 6/140); the BACB says its fees are nonrefundable and nontransferable.
- Partial refunds. New York says applicants who withdraw may be entitled to a partial refund, but anyone who later reapplies is treated as a new applicant and pays again.
- Fees fixed at receipt. New York charges the fee in law when the application is received and bills the difference if fees rise.
- Prorated first licenses. Nevada prorates the initial license fee by the quarter in which it issues, according to its board.
- Per-attempt exam fees. Nevada's exam fee is paid each time the exam is taken (NAC 641D.120); the BACB's exam appointment fee is charged per attempt.
- Repeat background checks. Louisiana and Nevada destroy results that arrive before an application and charge again for a new check.
- Abandoned applications. Illinois denies an assistant application not completed within three years and forfeits the fee (225 ILCS 6/35(c)).
Where do our fees fit in?
Our fees are separate from, and in addition to, state, BACB and fingerprint fees, which you pay directly. License by Endorsement is $599 per state; a Full State License Application is $749 per state; an Assistant Behavior Analyst License is $399 per state; Behavior Technician Registration is $149 per technician; Annual Renewal and CE Compliance is $299 per license, per year. We prepare and track the application; you review, sign, submit and pay the board. Our pricing page has the full list, and our renewal calendar post shows how the cycles above line up.
Common questions
- What is the cheapest state for a behavior analyst license?
- By initial fee among the states we checked, Virginia's $130 behavior analyst license is lowest, with a $135 renewal every two years. Annual-renewal states such as Oregon and Louisiana cost more over time even when the first payment looks similar.
- Do I still pay the BACB if I have a state license?
- Yes, in most states. Licensure usually depends on current BACB certification, and BCBA recertification costs $215 every two years under the June 2026 handbook. Texas, for example, will not renew an active license if your certification is inactive.
- Are behavior analyst license fees refundable?
- Usually not. Washington's fees are expressly nonrefundable, Virginia's fees are not refundable unless otherwise provided, and the BACB says its own fees are nonrefundable and nontransferable. New York says applicants who withdraw may be entitled to a partial refund.
- Do your fees include the state fees?
- No. Our service fees cover preparing and tracking the application. State, BACB and fingerprint vendor fees are separate and are paid directly by you to those organizations.
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