License Requirements for Licensed Behavior Analysts

Any use of the title "licensed behavior analyst" within New York State requires licensure.

You must submit an Application for Licensure (Form 1) and the other forms indicated, along with the appropriate fee, to the Office of the Professions at the address specified on each form. It is your responsibility to follow up with anyone you have asked to send us material.

The specific requirements for licensure are contained in Section 8804 of New York's Education Law and Subpart 79-17 of the Commissioner's Regulations.

You should also read the general licensing information applicable for all professions.

• The fee for licensure and first registration as a licensed behavior analyst is $300.
• The fee for a limited permit for a licensed behavior analyst is $70 (the limited permit fee is not refundable).

The fees listed are the fees in place when this page was posted. Fees are subject to change. The fee due is the one in law when your application is received (unless fees are increased retroactively). You will be billed for the difference if fees have been increased.

• Do not send cash.
• If you apply for licensure electronically using the online Application for Licensure, you will be required to pay by credit card.
• Other payments must be made by personal check or money order payable to the New York State Education Department. Your cancelled check is your receipt.
• Mail any required forms and fees to the indicated address on the form.

NOTE: Payment submitted from outside the United States should be made by check or draft on a United States bank and in United States currency; payments submitted in any other form will not be accepted and will be returned.

Individuals who withdraw their licensure/certification application may be entitled to a partial refund.

• For the procedure to withdraw your application, contact the Applied Behavior Analysis Unit at opunit5@nysed.gov or by calling 518-474-3817 ext. 592 or by fax at 518-402-2323.
• The State Education Department is not responsible for any fees paid to an outside testing or credentials verification agency.

If you withdraw your application, obtain a refund, and then decide to seek New York State licensure/certification at a later date, you will be considered a new applicant, and you will be required to pay the licensure/certification application and registration fees and meet the licensure/certification requirements in place at the time you reapply.

There were two pathways to licensure for licensed behavior analysts.

Pathway One (standard licensing provisions): Applicants may be licensed/certified as licensed behavior analysts if they meet the following requirements established by section 8804 of New York's Education Law and Subpart 79-17 of the Commissioner's Regulations.

• Submit an Application for Licensure (Form 1).
• Submit the licensure and registration required fees.
• Education: Submit a Certification of Professional Education (Form 2) to document that you have received an education, a master's or higher degree for a licensed behavior analyst, from an applied behavior analysis program registered by the Department or determined by the Department to be substantially equivalent to such a program, in accordance with the Commissioner's Regulations.
• If you are a graduate of an acceptable program and you are performing activities and services in New York to complete supervised experience and/or examination requirements for certification by the Behavior Analysis Certification Board, you must work under the supervision of a New York Licensed Behavior Analyst (LBA). Your supervising LBA must complete and submit the Certification of Supervision for Limited Permit (Form 5CS) to document that you are practicing legally in New York during this period.
• Experience: Submit a Report of Professional Experience (Form 4) to document that you have experience in the practice of applied behavior analysis satisfactory to the Board and Department in accordance with the Commissioner's Regulations.
• Examination: Pass an examination acceptable to the Board and the Department in accordance with the Commissioner's Regulations.
• Child Abuse Training: Submit evidence of completing coursework or training in the Identification and Reporting of Child Abuse and Maltreatment in accordance with Section 6507(3)(a) of the Education Law. See additional information and a list of approved providers for this training.
• Age: Be at least 21 years of age by the date of licensure
• Moral Character: be of good moral character as determined by the Department.

Pathway Two (licensure based on national board certification): Changes to Education Law that took effect on November 22, 2022, allow individuals to apply for a New York Applied Behavior Analyst (LBA) license based on certification from an acceptable national certifying body. As a result, individuals with relevant certification from the Behavior Analysis Certification Board (BACB) may apply for an LBA license on that basis. BACB certification alone is not sufficient to practice as an LBA in New York. Such certification provides a path to licensure; it is not an exemption from licensure.

• New applicants under this pathway must meet the following requirements:
  • Submit an Application for Licensure (Form 1), including licensure and registration fees.
  • Submit a Verification of Certification by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (Form 3C) to the BACB. The BACB must then submit the completed form directly to the Department to verify your education, experience, and examination. 
  • Child Abuse Training: Submit evidence of completing coursework or training in the Identification and Reporting of Child Abuse and Maltreatment in accordance with Section 6507(3)(a) of the Education Law. See additional information and a list of approved providers for this training.
  • Age: Be at least 21 years of age by the date of licensure.
  • Moral Character: be of good moral character as determined by the Department.
• If you applied for licensure previously under the standard pathway (“Pathway One”) but did not meet those requirements, you may apply for licensure under Pathway Two as follows if you hold relevant BACB certification: 
  • Submit Applied Behavior Analyst Application for Licensure (Form 1A). The Department will reach out to you directly if any additional information is needed to complete your application.

Answers to questions regarding the process of licensure and practice can be found on our web site.

A limited permit authorizes practice of applied behavior analysis under the supervision of an appropriately licensed professional, who is authorized to practice applied behavior analysis. For licensed behavior analyst applicants, their supervisor must be a licensed behavior analyst or a person who is licensed or otherwise authorized to diagnose, prescribe or order applied behavior analysis services for the purpose of providing behavioral health treatment for persons with autism and autism spectrum disorders and related disorders. You must meet all requirements for licensure as a licensed behavior analyst except for the licensing examination and/or professional experience requirements.

You may apply for a limited permit by submitting the Application for Limited Permit (Form 5) and limited permit fee of $70 at the same time or any time after you submit your Application for Licensure/Certification (Form 1) with the required fee. If you change supervisors or have additional supervisors after a permit is issued, you must obtain a re-issued permit. Complete a new Form 5 for each prospective supervisor, and return it to the Office of the Professions. A new fee is not required for a permit issued as a result of a change in supervisor. Limited permits expire one year from the date of issue and may be renewed for one additional year for good cause as determined by the Department.

NOTE: Your application for licensure, the initial licensure fee, and all other required documentation, including evidence of completing department-approved coursework or training in the identification and reporting of child abuse, must be received and approved before a limited permit can be issued.