Behavior Analyst Licensure in Alaska: BCBA and State License Requirements
Alaska licenses behavior analysts at two levels: a licence to practise behavior analysis and a licence to practise as an assistant behavior analyst, both under AS 08.15.010–.090.
BACB certification is the route — the BCBA exam and current certification for the full licence, the BCaBA exam plus direct supervision by a licensed behavior analyst for the assistant licence.
Practice without a licence is a misdemeanor.
Direct implementers are exempt under a licensee's direction; the statute does not mention RBT certification.
Verify before you rely on this
At a glance
Two licences under AS 08.15.010–.090: a licence to practise behavior analysis and a licence to practise as an assistant behavior analyst.
The sources read establish no effective date; 2014 is the BACB map's enactment year, and the session law was not read.
The Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development issues the licences (AS 08.15.090(2)); there is no separate behavior analyst board.
The department's board page was CAPTCHA-blocked at retrieval, so its application instructions were not read.
Yes.
The licence to practise behavior analysis requires the Board Certified Behavior Analyst Examination and current BACB certification, or an examination and certifying entity approved by the department (AS 08.15.020(a)(3)–(4)).
Yes.
The assistant licence requires the Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst Examination, current certification by the BACB or an approved equivalent, and proof acceptable to the department of direct supervision by a licensed behavior analyst (AS 08.15.020(b)).
No registration and no technician licence in the chapter as read.
An individual who directly implements applied behavior analysis services, or a family member implementing a plan within the home, is exempt when acting under the direction of a licensed behavior analyst or licensed assistant behavior analyst (AS 08.15.070(3)).
The statute does not mention RBT certification.
Practice.
AS 08.15.010(a) provides that a person may not practise behavior analysis in the state without a licence; the chapter as read (AS 08.15.010–.090) contains no separate restriction on using the title behavior analyst.
Alaska Statutes 08.15.010–.090, read on akleg.gov on 2026-09-24.
The enactment session law was not read; the 2014 year on the BACB's map is the enactment year, not a verified effective date.
The Alaska credential ladder
- Direct implementer (no credential)Other
Not a credential: an individual who directly implements applied behavior analysis services, or a family member implementing a behavior analysis plan within the home, is outside the chapter when acting under the direction of a licensed behavior analyst or licensed assistant behavior analyst (AS 08.15.070(3)).
The statute names no titles for this role and does not mention RBT certification.
- Licensed assistant behavior analystOther
A licence to practise as an assistant behavior analyst, issued to a person who has passed the Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst Examination (or another department-approved exam), holds current BACB or approved-equivalent certification, and provides proof acceptable to the department of direct supervision by a licensed behavior analyst (AS 08.15.020(b)).
- Licensed behavior analystIndependent
The licence required to practise behavior analysis in Alaska, issued to a person who has passed the Board Certified Behavior Analyst Examination and is currently certified by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board, Inc., or holds approved equivalents (AS 08.15.020(a)).
Two licences, and practice without one is a misdemeanor
Alaska issues two licences: a licence to practise behavior analysis and a licence to practise as an assistant behavior analyst.
The practice ban is the chapter's first section, and unlicensed practice is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than $500, imprisonment for not more than six months, or both.
The practical upshot for a BCBA relocating to Alaska is that certification alone is not permission to practise: the BACB credential is the route to the licence, not a substitute for it.
The chapter as read (AS 08.15.010–.090) contains no separate sentence restricting use of the title behavior analyst — the restriction the sources establish is on practice, not on the job title.
For how BACB certification and a state licence fit together, see BACB certification vs. state behavior analyst licensure.
“A person may not practice behavior analysis in this state without a license.”
What the application requires: certification, fingerprints, background
The department issues the licence to an applicant who applies on its form, pays the fees it establishes, has passed the BCBA examination, is currently certified by the BACB or another certifying entity approved by the department, furnishes satisfactory evidence of no conduct that is a ground for disciplinary sanctions, and has been fingerprinted — with fees paid to the Department of Public Safety under AS 12.62.160 — for a report of criminal justice information and a national criminal history record check under AS 12.62.400.
Alaska writes no degree, coursework or fieldwork rule of its own in the chapter as read: the education gate is the certification itself.
The fee amounts are set by the department and are not stated in the sources read.
Build in time for the fingerprint and national background-check step before you plan a start date.
The BACB’s own degree, coursework, fieldwork and exam requirements are covered in how to become a BCBA.
The BACB exam is the licensing exam
The statute's exam requirement is the certifying entity's own: the Board Certified Behavior Analyst Examination for the full licence and the Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst Examination for the assistant licence, in each case or another examination approved by the department.
Chapter 08.15 names no separate Alaska exam.
Whether the department has approved any alternative examination is not stated in the sources read, so treat the BACB exam as the operative requirement and confirm with the department before relying on anything else.
The exam's length, content and retake rules belong to the BACB, not to this chapter.
“(3) has passed the Board Certified Behavior Analyst Examination offered by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board, Inc., or another examination approved by the department”
Who works under a licensee: assistants, implementers, students
Proof of supervision is a condition of issuing the assistant licence, not a continuing licence condition: an applicant must provide proof acceptable to the department that they are directly supervised by a licensed behavior analyst, so an assistant candidate needs a supervising licensee before filing.
Renewal turns on continued certification alone (AS 08.15.040), and nothing else in the chapter as read makes supervision an ongoing condition of a licensed assistant's licence.
The same chapter exempts, rather than licenses, the people who deliver hands-on services: direct implementers and family members acting under the direction of a licensed behavior analyst or licensed assistant behavior analyst; students and trainees in a department-approved program under a licensee's direct supervision; and people gaining experience for BACB certification while supervised by a licensed behavior analyst.
The chapter sets no supervision ratios, and the department's implementing regulations were not among the sources read.
“(7) provides proof acceptable to the department that the person is directly supervised by a licensed behavior analyst.”
What behavior analysis means in Alaska — and what it excludes
Behavior analysis is defined as the design, implementation and evaluation of instructional and environmental modifications to produce socially significant improvements in human behavior, the empirical identification of functional relations between behavior and environmental factors, and the use of contextual factors, motivating operations, antecedent stimuli, positive reinforcement and other consequences.
The definition then subtracts: psychological testing, diagnosis of a mental or physical disorder, and the practice of neuropsychology, psychotherapy, cognitive therapy, sex therapy, psychoanalysis, hypnotherapy, or long-term counseling are outside it.
Practically, an Alaska behavior analyst licence authorizes behavior-analytic work, not diagnosis or long-term counseling.
The exemption list also keeps the chapter away from other state licensees working within their own scope, applied animal behaviorists working exclusively with nonhumans, and organizational behavior management.
There is no exemption for school staff as such, so a behavior analyst employed by a school still needs the licence unless another listed exemption fits.
“behavior analysis does not include psychological testing, diagnosis of a mental or physical disorder, or the practice of neuropsychology, psychotherapy, cognitive therapy, sex therapy, psychoanalysis, hypnotherapy, or long-term counseling”
Moving to Alaska: the 30-day temporary licence
An out-of-state licensee has one statutory route for short work: the department may issue a temporary licence for 30 days or less in a calendar year, and only where the person is licensed in a state with substantially equivalent requirements.
That 30 days is a calendar-year cap, not a per-engagement allowance, so a visiting clinician should track it across clients.
For ongoing practice, the chapter directs the department to adopt regulations that include standards for licensure by credentials — but those regulations were not among the sources read, so whether Alaska operates a full endorsement pathway and what it requires is not stated in the sources read.
Confirm with the department before counting on it.
“The department may issue a temporary license to practice behavior analysis in this state for 30 days or less in a calendar year if the person is licensed to practice behavior analysis in another state whose requirements to practice behavior analysis are substantially equivalent to the requirements of AS 08.15.020”
Renewal rides on continued BACB certification
Renewal is certification-driven: the department may renew a licence upon proof of continued certification by the BACB or another certifying entity approved by the department.
A lapse at the BACB is therefore a licensing problem in Alaska, not just a professional one.
The chapter as read states no renewal cycle and no renewal fee — the fees it mentions are established by the department — so both are not stated in the sources read.
Section 080(1) directs the department to adopt continuing education requirements, but the regulations that would carry them were not among the sources read, so the CE totals an Alaska licensee must actually post are not stated in the sources read either.
“The department may renew a license upon proof of continued certification by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board, Inc., or another certifying entity approved by the department.”
Discipline: what can cost an Alaska licence
The department may suspend, revoke, censure or reprimand a licensee, or place one on probation with conditions, for grounds including securing the licence by deceit, fraud or intentional misrepresentation; fraud in providing services; false or misleading advertising; a conviction for a felony or other crime that affects the ability to continue to practise competently and safely; failure to comply with the chapter, its regulations or a department order; continuing to practise after becoming unfit through professional incompetence, addiction or severe dependency on alcohol or a drug, or physical or mental disability; and lewd or immoral conduct connected to delivering professional services.
Where a licensee poses a clear and immediate danger to public health and safety, the department may summarily suspend the licence before final hearing or during the appeals process; a licensee whose licence is summarily suspended is entitled to a hearing before the office of administrative hearings not later than seven days after the effective date of the order.
What This Page Does — and Doesn’t — Cover
This page summarizes the Alaska statute, rules, board pages and other documents cited above, as read for this state-by-state behavior analyst licensure series, current as of September 2026.
It does not list application forms, fees beyond those cited above, or processing times, and it is not a substitute for the instructions the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development (Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing) publishes.
Hour totals, exams and supervision rules change by statute and by board rule; for how BACB certification and a state licence fit together, see BACB certification vs. state behavior analyst licensure.
Confirm every requirement with the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development (Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing) before you count hours, register for an exam or apply — and before you take one of the board certified behavior analyst jobs in Alaska that asks for it.
Frequently Asked Questions
I am a BCBA. Can I practise in Alaska on my certification alone?
No. AS 08.15.010(a) provides that a person may not practise behavior analysis in Alaska without a licence, and unlicensed practice is a misdemeanor carrying a fine of not more than $500, imprisonment for not more than six months, or both.
Passing the BCBA exam and holding current BACB certification is what qualifies you for the licence under AS 08.15.020(a); it is not a substitute for it.
Apply to the Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development before you practise.
Do RBTs or behavior technicians need an Alaska credential?
The chapter as read creates no technician registration and does not mention RBT certification.
Its exemption covers an individual who directly implements applied behavior analysis services — or a family member implementing a behavior analysis plan within the home — who acts under the direction of a licensed behavior analyst or licensed assistant behavior analyst (AS 08.15.070(3)).
Students and trainees in department-approved programs, and people accruing certification experience under a licensee, have their own exemptions (AS 08.15.070(2), (6)).
What does the assistant behavior analyst licence require?
Under AS 08.15.020(b): an application, the department's fees, the Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst Examination (or another approved exam), current certification by the BACB or an approved equivalent, evidence of no disqualifying conduct, fingerprinting with a national criminal history record check — and proof acceptable to the department that you are directly supervised by a licensed behavior analyst.
Line up that supervisor before you apply, because the supervision is part of what the department requires.
I hold a behavior analyst licence in another state. Can I work in Alaska first?
Only briefly.
AS 08.15.030 lets the department issue a temporary licence for 30 days or less in a calendar year to a person licensed in another state whose requirements are substantially equivalent to AS 08.15.020.
For anything ongoing you need the Alaska licence itself.
The chapter also directs the department to write standards for licensure by credentials (AS 08.15.080(2)), but those regulations were not among the sources read — ask the department what endorsement, if any, it operates today.
How does renewal work, and what continuing education does Alaska require?
AS 08.15.040 ties renewal to your certification: the department may renew a licence upon proof of continued certification by the BACB or another approved certifying entity, so a lapsed certification blocks renewal.
The renewal cycle and fee are not stated in the chapter as read.
The department is directed to adopt continuing education requirements (AS 08.15.080(1)), but the regulations carrying them were not among the sources read, so Alaska's CE totals are not stated here — check the department's current rules.
More Alaska & Board Certified Behavior Analyst Resources
Sources
Sourced from the statute, rules, board pages and other documents cited above.
Verified September 2026.
This is career information, not legal or clinical advice — confirm current rules with the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development (Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing).