Behavior Analyst Licensure in North Dakota: BCBA and State License Requirements
North Dakota has required a licence to practise applied behavior analysis since January 1, 2020, under NDCC chapter 43-64.
The State Board of Integrative Health Care issues two licences, licensed behavior analyst and licensed assistant behavior analyst, and the route runs through the BACB: a current BCBA certification for the full licence, a supervised BCaBA for the assistant licence.
The rule also names a North Dakota professional responsibility examination, required once developed and approved by the board.
Technicians need no state credential.
Verify before you rely on this
At a glance
Two licences under NDCC ch. 43-64: licensed behavior analyst and licensed assistant behavior analyst.
Effective January 1, 2020, an individual may not practise applied behavior analysis without a current licence issued by the board.
The State Board of Integrative Health Care, created under NDCC ch. 43-57.
The BACB map's "2011" entry for North Dakota is the year that board was created, not the date licensure took effect.
Yes, by rule: a doctorate or master's from a program accredited or verified by the Association for Behavior Analysis International or approved by the BACB, a passed BCBA examination, certification by the BACB, and the North Dakota professional responsibility examination once developed and approved by the board (NDAC 112-05-01-02(1)).
Licensed assistant behavior analyst: a bachelor's from an ABAI-accredited or BACB-approved program, the BCaBA examination, the North Dakota professional responsibility examination once developed and approved by the board, and proof that the applicant will be supervised by a North Dakota licensed behavior analyst (NDAC 112-05-01-02(2)).
No state registration.
Behavior technicians are exempt while delivering services under a licensee's extended authority and direction, using titles that indicate nonprofessional status — the rule lists "ABA technician", "behavior technician", "registered behavior technician", or "tutor" (NDAC 112-05-01-14(7)); RBT certification is not required.
Both, since January 1, 2020: unlicensed practice is barred, and using the licensed titles as identification without a licence is itself treated as practising without a licence (NDCC 43-64-02).
NDCC ch. 43-64 (Behavior Analysts), practice requirement effective January 1, 2020; rules NDAC ch. 112-05-01 effective January 1, 2021.
The rules' history lines all read "Effective January 1, 2021"; the compiled statute text carries no amendment history at all.
The North Dakota credential ladder
- Behavior technicianOther
Not a state credential: a behavior technician is exempt under NDAC 112-05-01-14(7) while delivering applied behavior analysis services under the extended authority and direction of a licensed behavior analyst or licensed assistant behavior analyst, and must use a title that indicates nonprofessional status.
- Licensed assistant behavior analystOther
A licence for an applicant with a bachelor's from a program accredited or verified by the Association for Behavior Analysis International or approved by the BACB, a passed BCaBA examination, the North Dakota professional responsibility examination once developed and approved by the board, and proof that the applicant will be supervised by a North Dakota licensed behavior analyst (NDCC 43-64-01; NDAC 112-05-01-02(2)).
- Licensed behavior analystIndependent
The licence required to practise applied behavior analysis in North Dakota from January 1, 2020, issued to an applicant with the qualifying master's or doctorate, a passed BCBA examination, current certification by the BACB, and the North Dakota professional responsibility examination once developed and approved by the board (NDCC 43-64-02; NDAC 112-05-01-02(1)).
Two licences, and the titles date to 2020
North Dakota issues two licences, and NDCC 43-64-02 binds practice and titles together.
Effective January 1, 2020, an individual may not practise applied behavior analysis without a current licence issued by the board, and a person who uses the titles licensed behavior analyst or licensed assistant behavior analyst as identification without the matching licence is treated as practising without a licence.
For a BCBA weighing North Dakota job titles, the state credential is the licence; certification alone carries neither the right to practise nor the title.
The chapter also closed its predecessor era: anyone holding a valid licence or registration issued by the state board of psychologist examiners under chapter 43-32 on December 31, 2019 was deemed to have met the education, experience and examination requirements (43-64-05).
For how BACB certification and a state licence fit together, see BACB certification vs. state behavior analyst licensure.
“Effective January 1, 2020, an individual may not practice applied behavior analysis without a current license issued by the board under this chapter.”
The route: the statute keeps it generic, the rule pins the BACB
The statute states the route generically: education, examination and experience requirements established by the board, with certification from the behavior analyst certification board or a certifying entity accredited by the national commission for certifying entities or the American national standards institute given as the example (NDCC 43-64-04(1)(a)).
The rule pins the full licence to the BACB: a doctorate or master's degree from a program accredited or verified by the Association for Behavior Analysis International or approved by the behavior analyst certification board, a passed BCBA examination, and certification by the BACB (NDAC 112-05-01-02(1)).
North Dakota writes no coursework or fieldwork totals of its own; those are the BACB's national requirements, and the BCBA articles cover them.
What the state layer adds is the degree-source rule and the examination covered next.
The BACB’s own degree, coursework, fieldwork and exam requirements are covered in how to become a BCBA.
“c. The applicant is certified by the behavior analyst certification board.”
Two certification exams, plus a conditional state exam
The rule names the certification examinations as the licence's exams: the board-certified behavior analyst examination offered by the behavior analyst certification board for the full licence, and the board-certified assistant behavior analyst examination for the assistant licence (NDAC 112-05-01-02(1)(b); (2)(b)).
The state layer adds one exam of its own, and it is conditional: the applicant has passed the North Dakota professional responsibility examination once developed and approved by the board.
Whether the board has developed and approved that examination is not stated in the sources read, so check with the board before you file.
The BACB exam's format and content are national, and the BCBA articles cover them.
“d. The applicant has passed the North Dakota professional responsibility examination once developed and approved by the board.”
Assistants, students and technicians: who works under a licensee
Supervision is built into the lower tiers.
The application condition looks forward: the applicant provides proof acceptable to the board that the applicant will be supervised by a licensed behavior analyst in the state who is currently certified and in good standing with the behavior analyst certification board, and that the supervision complies with current BACB supervision requirements (NDAC 112-05-01-02(2)(d)).
The licence definition makes supervision ongoing: a licensed assistant behavior analyst is "an individual who is licensed under this chapter as a licensed assistant behavior analyst and is supervised by a licensed behavior analyst" (NDCC 43-64-01(2)).
Students seeking licensure must work under a qualified supervisor: a licensed behavior analyst in good standing, a licensed or registered psychologist certified by the American board of professional psychology in behavioral and cognitive psychology who was tested in applied behavior analysis, or a verified course sequence instructor supervising a practicum, with a written contract signed at the outset (112-05-01-06).
Unlicensed people accruing certifying-entity experience are exempt only while it is supervised under those requirements (112-05-01-14(2)), and technicians under subsection (7), quoted below.
“Behavior technicians who deliver applied behavior analysis services under the extended authority and direction of a licensed behavior analyst or a licensed assistant behavior analyst. Such individuals may not represent themselves as professional behavior analysts, and must use titles that indicate their nonprofessional status, such as "ABA technician", "behavior technician", "registered behavior technician", or "tutor".”
What the licence covers, and what it leaves to other professions
NDCC 43-64-01(4) defines the practice of applied behavior analysis as the design, implementation, and evaluation of instructional and environmental modifications to produce socially significant improvements in human behavior, and it includes the empirical identification of functional relations between behavior and environmental factors.
The definition then excludes the adjacent therapies outright: diagnosis of disorders, psychological testing, psychotherapy, cognitive therapy, psychoanalysis and counseling are outside it.
That exclusion comes from the definition itself, so a North Dakota licence in this profession is not a licence to diagnose or to practise psychotherapy; those services stay with the professions whose own licences cover them.
For a job posting, read the scope this way: behavior-analytic services, yes; diagnosis, psychological testing, psychotherapy, cognitive therapy, psychoanalysis and counseling, no.
“The term does not include the diagnosis of disorders, psychological testing, psychotherapy, cognitive therapy, psychoanalysis, and counseling.”
Moving to North Dakota: the five endorsement conditions
A licence by endorsement is granted when five conditions are met (NDAC 112-05-01-04): graduation from an accredited program; completion of the behavior analyst certification board national examination required by the board; a verified current valid licence in good standing in another state or jurisdiction; certification requirements in the other state that are substantially similar to North Dakota's current licensure requirements; and a filed application with a copy of the diploma, a copy of the licence and the fee.
The rule requires official verification of the other state's certification requirements to be received by the board from the other state or jurisdiction — the paperwork runs government to government, so build in waiting time.
Confirm current processing requirements with the board before you file.
“The applicant holds a verified current valid license in good standing to practice as a behavior analyst professional in another state or jurisdiction.”
Renewal each odd-numbered November 15, with 32 CE hours biennially
A licence renews on or before November 15 of each odd-numbered year, on the renewal application and fee; a licence not renewed by 11:59 p.m. on that date is lapsed (NDAC 112-05-01-08).
An initial licence issued after July 1 in an odd-numbered year is automatically renewed that November 15 for two more years without an additional renewal fee.
Renewal requires certifying on the application that continuing education has been or will be met by November 15: a minimum of 32 hours of approved continuing education biennially, including four ethics credits, one credit per 50 minutes of class time, from programs the behavior analyst certification board accepts (112-05-01-10, -11).
The board conducts random compliance audits of licensees, and failure to complete the hours is unprofessional conduct (112-05-01-08(2)); an audited licensee who fails to furnish documentation of compliance is subject to revocation of licensure (112-05-01-12).
Waivers exist for illness, military service, medical charitable activities, religious missionary activities, or other extenuating circumstances.
Fees: $50 application, $500 initial licence prorated quarterly, $100 temporary, $100 renewal, $75 late, $25 duplicate (112-05-01-13).
“All active licensees shall complete a minimum of thirty-two hours of approved continuing education credits biennially, including four credits in ethics.”
The nine exemptions in section 112-05-01-14
NDAC 112-05-01-14 exempts nine groups.
(1) Students and postdoctoral fellows in a defined program, directly supervised by a licensed behavior analyst, using trainee titles.
(2) Unlicensed people pursuing certifying-entity experience under that entity's supervision.
(3) Psychologists licensed under ch. 43-32 and those they supervise — ABA in scope, within competence, no licensed-title claims unless licensed under ch. 43-64.
(4) Other licensed professions and their supervisees: same three conditions, (4)(a) names "the psychologist's licensure law", a drafting slip; (4)(c) bars both licensed titles, where (3)(c) names only the LBA.
(5) Lecturers and professors: no practising ABA, no licensed-title claims; lecturing excludes clinic practice, training, research.
(6) ABA in a public school setting: no licensed-title claims unless themselves licensed.
(7) Behavior technicians under a licensee's extended authority and direction.
(8) Caregivers serving an immediate family member, and paid or volunteer caregivers implementing procedures established by the family, the individual served, or a licensee, in any setting: no licensed-title claims.
(9) Professionals serving organizations: services must benefit the organizations and involve no direct services to individuals; the behavior analyst title alone is allowed.
“The following individuals are exempted from the licensure requirements of this chapter:”
What This Page Does — and Doesn’t — Cover
This page summarizes the North Dakota 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 State Board of Integrative Health Care 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 State Board of Integrative Health Care before you count hours, register for an exam or apply — and before you take one of the board certified behavior analyst jobs in North Dakota that asks for it.
Frequently Asked Questions
I am a BCBA. Do I need a North Dakota licence to practise?
Yes.
Effective January 1, 2020, an individual may not practise applied behavior analysis without a current licence issued by the State Board of Integrative Health Care (NDCC 43-64-02).
Your BACB certification is the route to that licence, not a substitute for it: the rule requires the qualifying degree, the BCBA examination, and certification by the BACB (NDAC 112-05-01-02(1)).
Check the rule's North Dakota professional responsibility examination condition with the board before you apply, and read the exemptions if your setting might fit one.
Do RBTs need a North Dakota licence or registration?
No. The state registers no technicians.
NDAC 112-05-01-14(7) exempts behavior technicians who deliver applied behavior analysis services under the extended authority and direction of a licensed behavior analyst or licensed assistant behavior analyst.
They may not represent themselves as professional behavior analysts and must use titles showing nonprofessional status, such as ABA technician, behavior technician, registered behavior technician or tutor.
The rule lists registered behavior technician as an example title; it does not require RBT certification.
Employers and payers may set their own requirements.
I am licensed in another state. How do I get a North Dakota licence by endorsement?
The board grants endorsement under NDAC 112-05-01-04 when five conditions are met: graduation from an accredited program, the required BACB national examination, a verified current licence in good standing in another state, certification requirements in that state substantially similar to North Dakota's, and a filed application with diploma and licence copies and the fee.
Official verification of the other state's requirements must reach the board from that state or jurisdiction, so build in waiting time and confirm current processing with the board.
What happens if my North Dakota licence lapses?
A licence not renewed by 11:59 p.m. on November 15 of an odd-numbered year is lapsed, and the rule bars practising or using a reserved title until a new licence is issued (NDAC 112-05-01-09).
Reactivation takes a good-standing letter from every state where you practised since the lapse, a personal appearance before the board if you cannot show active practice for at least six months of the last two years, and re-passing the BACB national examination after two or more years out of active practice.
That list is not closed: the board may require any applicant to take that examination or any other evaluation at its discretion (112-05-01-09(2)(c)).
How often do I renew, and what continuing education do I need?
Every two years: renewals are due on or before November 15 of each odd-numbered year, and the renewal application must certify that your continuing education has been or will be met by that date (NDAC 112-05-01-08).
The CE minimum is 32 hours of approved continuing education biennially, including four ethics credits, one credit per 50 minutes of class time, from programs the behavior analyst certification board accepts (112-05-01-10, -11).
Renewal applicants certify their hours on the application, the board audits compliance randomly, and failure to complete the hours is unprofessional conduct (112-05-01-08(2)); a licensee audited who fails to verify compliance is subject to revocation of licensure (112-05-01-12).
More North Dakota & Board Certified Behavior Analyst Resources
Sources
- North Dakota Legislature — NDCC ch. 43-64, Behavior Analysts (compiled chapter) (retrieved 2026-09-24)
- North Dakota Legislature — NDAC ch. 112-05-01, Behavior Analysts (rules effective January 1, 2021) (retrieved 2026-09-24)
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 State Board of Integrative Health Care.