A few licensing states allow short-term practice by out-of-state behavior analysts. Texas exempts up to 20 days a calendar year with notice to the client. Georgia and Alaska require a temporary license capped at 30 days a calendar year, and Washington issues temporary licenses to nonresidents for a period its health secretary sets. Ongoing work needs a full license.
Most states that license behavior analysts expect you to hold their license before you serve a client there. A handful carve out a short window for someone licensed elsewhere or BACB certified. Those windows are narrow, they are counted in days, and several of them require a temporary license rather than letting you just show up. There is no interstate compact to fall back on (see why), so these rules are the only short-term option.
Which states allow temporary practice, and for how long?
| State | Window | License needed? | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | Not more than 20 days in a calendar year | No; exemption with client notice | Tex. Occ. Code 506.057 |
| Georgia | Not more than 30 days in a calendar year, or a shorter term the board approves | Yes; temporary license and background check | Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. R. 75-5-.03 |
| Alaska | 30 days or less in a calendar year; one temporary license per year | Yes; nonrenewable temporary license | Alaska Stat. 08.15.030; 12 AAC 77.130 |
| Washington | "A limited period of time, as defined by the secretary" | Yes; temporary license for nonresidents | RCW 18.380.080 |
That is not a complete list of every state's provision. It is the set we have confirmed in statute or rule. Many licensing states have no visiting-practice provision at all, in which case any service in the state needs a full license or another exemption.
How does the Texas 20-day exemption work?
Texas does not issue anything. Its licensing law simply does not apply to a behavior analyst "licensed in another jurisdiction or certified by the certifying entity" if the work in Texas is within the behavior analyst's customary area of practice, is "conducted not more than 20 days in a calendar year," and does not otherwise violate the chapter (Tex. Occ. Code 506.057).
There is a notice requirement that people miss. You must tell the client, or the parent or guardian of a client under 18, that you are not licensed in Texas and that your services are time-limited. TDLR's telehealth page repeats the rule for out-of-state providers and describes the services as "time-limited to no more than 20 days." Count days of service, not weeks, and keep a record of the notice. Beyond 20 days, TDLR is clear that telehealth must be "within the scope of your Texas license." See getting a Texas license.
What does Georgia require for a temporary license?
Georgia issues a temporary license to a BCBA or BCaBA "residing and practicing in another state who temporarily provides applied behavior analysis services in this state to a resident of this state." You need a satisfactory criminal background check, and the services must fall within "a limited and defined period of not more than a total of 30 days within a calendar year or shorter term otherwise approved by the board" (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. R. 75-5-.03).
Two points stand out. The rule names BCaBAs as eligible, which most temporary provisions do not. And the background check means the temporary license is not instant; plan the fingerprints before the trip, not during it.
How do Alaska and Washington compare?
Alaska's temporary license is for someone licensed in a state "whose requirements to practice behavior analysis are substantially equivalent" to Alaska's (Alaska Stat. 08.15.030). The application is the same one used for licensure by credentials, with the application fee and a temporary license fee. You may receive only one temporary license per calendar year, it cannot be renewed, and it is valid for 30 days from issuance (12 AAC 77.130).
Washington lets the Secretary of Health grant a temporary license to someone who does not live in Washington and is licensed in another state or a Canadian province, or who meets other qualifications the Secretary sets. The holder may practice "only for a limited period of time, as defined by the secretary" (RCW 18.380.080). Check the Department of Health's current rule for the length before relying on it.
Where do these rules come from?
The Association of Professional Behavior Analysts' Model Licensure Act, which the BACB recommends as the foundation for state laws, offers two versions. One is an exemption for behavior analysts licensed elsewhere or certified who practice in the state "no more than [X hours/days/weeks] within a calendar year." The other is a temporary license. Texas chose the exemption; Georgia, Alaska and Washington chose a license. The model's commentary notes that if temporary practice "involves supervision of candidates for BACB certification/licensure," the law should say that supervision must meet the BACB's standards.
Does supervision or telehealth count toward the days?
Assume it does. The BACB's December 2025 newsletter says "providing supervision or services to someone who resides in another jurisdiction may require a behavior analyst to be licensed in that jurisdiction," and that remote supervision "may require that the supervisor be licensed in the state where the trainee or supervisee is providing services, as oversight of client programming by the supervisor may constitute service provision." If supervision counts, a weekly remote call with an RBT in Texas would use up 20 days in under five months. See remote supervision across state lines and ABA telehealth across state lines.
When should you get a full license instead?
Whenever the work is ongoing. Temporary provisions are built for a consultation, a training visit, an assessment trip or a transition when a family moves. They are not built for a caseload. Signs you need the full license:
- You will see the same client in that state more than the window allows.
- You supervise RBTs, BCaBAs or trainees who work in that state on a regular schedule.
- You are moving there, or your agency is opening a location there.
- A payer in that state wants a state license number to enroll you.
If one of those applies, start the full application now; reciprocity is usually the route (how it works). We prepare temporary and full license files on the same model: we build the package and track the board; you review, sign and submit. A License by Endorsement for a BCBA is $599 per state, and a Readiness Review that maps which states your work actually touches is $149. See pricing or the multistate ABA hub.
Common questions
- Can I see a client in Texas without a Texas license?
- For up to 20 days in a calendar year, if you are licensed in another jurisdiction or BACB certified, the work is in your customary area, and you tell the client or parent you are not Texas licensed and the services are time-limited.
- Can a BCaBA get a temporary license in Georgia?
- Yes. Georgia's temporary license rule covers a BCBA or BCaBA who lives and practices in another state and temporarily serves a Georgia resident, for up to 30 days in a calendar year, after a background check.
- How many temporary licenses can I get in Alaska?
- One per calendar year. Alaska's temporary behavior analyst license is nonrenewable and valid for 30 days from issuance.
- Does remote supervision count as practicing in another state?
- It can. The BACB says remote supervision may require the supervisor to be licensed where the supervisee provides services, because overseeing client programming may count as providing services.
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