The BACB doesn't count CEUs by the year, it counts them by a 2-year recertification cycle: 32 CEUs total, 4 of them in ethics, 3 in supervision if you supervised anyone during the cycle (that number becomes 4 on January 1, 2027). Split evenly, 32 over 24 months is 1.33 CEUs a month, 16 a year, 8 a quarter. Nothing carries over, and the cycle is anchored to your certification date, not to any purchase.
Why doesn't the BACB just say 32 a year?
The BACB doesn't set an annual CEU quota. It sets a 2-year total: 32 CEUs by the end of your recertification cycle, with no rule for how you split them across the two years. That's why a search for "per year" gets you a fuzzy answer, there isn't one. There's no year-one minimum and no year-two minimum, just a single deadline at the end of the cycle. You could earn all 32 in month one, or wait until month twenty-three, and the BACB treats both the same, as long as every certificate falls inside your current cycle.
What does the math look like if you split it evenly?
Here's the arithmetic. 32 CEUs over 24 months works out to 1.33 CEUs a month. Split by year instead, that's 16 in year one and 16 in year two. Split by quarter, it's 8 CEUs every three months. None of those numbers are a BACB rule, they're just what 32 looks like divided evenly, and they're a reasonable pace if you'd rather not think about it again until the next quarter.
Do nothing in year one and year two owes you the full 32. That's still doable, but it compresses everything into a smaller window, including the ethics and supervision hours, which are the ones people go hunting for last because most CE is general-topic. Banking the ethics and supervision CEUs early, before the rest, removes that risk for free.
What's inside the 32: ethics, supervision, and everything else?
Of the 32, 4 have to be ethics CEUs, for every BCBA. 3 have to be supervision CEUs, but only if you supervised the ongoing practice of RBTs, BCaBAs, or trainees at any point during the cycle, if you didn't supervise anyone, that subtype doesn't apply to you. For BCBAs who supervised RBTs, BCaBAs, or trainees during the recertification cycle, the supervision requirement is 3 CEUs through December 31, 2026 and 4 CEUs beginning January 1, 2027. Subtract 4 ethics and 3 supervision from 32 and 25 CEUs are left over, open to any BACB-eligible topic, with no restriction on subject matter.
Do unused CEUs roll over to the next cycle?
No, unused CEUs don't roll forward. All 32 have to be earned inside the current cycle, by your certification expiration date. Finish the cycle with more than 32 logged and the extra doesn't carry into the next one, it's just gone. And the cycle itself isn't tied to when you bought a course or signed up for anything, it's tied to your certification date, which lives on your BACB account. Check it there before you count backward from any deadline.
What changed on July 1, 2026?
Two things changed on July 1, 2026, and neither touched the 32-CEU total. First, the definition of ethics CE got wider. Under the ACE Provider Handbook effective that date, ethics continuing education now covers events tied to the BACB's ethics requirements and, separately, events tied to cultural and contextual responsiveness, with most of the event focused on that content. Whether a specific course actually carries the ethics designation is still a course-by-course call made by the provider, the wider definition doesn't decide it automatically.
Second, self-paced CE has a new build requirement. Asynchronous courses now need participation monitoring built in. The handbook's example measure is at least 3 knowledge-check questions per CEU, or another form of required active responding, that's an example, not the only route to meeting it. Either way, this is a rule about how a provider builds a self-paced course, not a change to what you personally owe. Ask any provider whether their self-paced courses monitor participation before you buy one.
What does a CEU cost, and what happens at renewal?
Prices vary a lot between providers, so here's one reference point you can check the math on yourself. Special Learning's Video CE Library 1 is $199 for 32.5 CE hours, 25 general, 4 ethics, 3.5 supervision. $199 divided by 32.5 is $6.12 per CEU. That number doesn't by itself tell you whether it's enough for your cycle, it's a price per hour, nothing more, so compare it against whatever else you're pricing out, and check the ethics and supervision hours specifically before you buy.
Recertification itself is self-report. You attest to your CEU total when you renew, you don't submit every certificate up front. The BACB then audits a sample of BCBAs after the fact, and if you're picked, you'll need a certificate for every CEU you claimed. Keep them as you go, in one folder, with the date and provider on each one. An audit isn't a sign something's wrong, it's a random check, but a missing certificate turns a routine one into a real problem.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many CEUs does a BCBA need per year?
There's no per-year number. The BACB requirement is 32 CEUs across a 2-year recertification cycle, including 4 ethics and, if you supervised anyone during the cycle, 3 supervision CEUs (4 starting January 1, 2027). Split evenly that's about 16 a year, but nothing stops you from earning all 32 in a single year instead.
Do all BCBAs need supervision CEUs?
No. The 3 supervision CEUs, 4 from January 1, 2027, apply only if you supervised the ongoing practice of RBTs, BCaBAs, or trainees at some point in the cycle. If you didn't supervise anyone, that subtype doesn't apply, and your 32 splits between ethics and general-topic CEUs only.
Do unused CEUs carry over to my next cycle?
No. All 32 have to be earned inside your current 2-year cycle, by your certification expiration date. Anything extra you've logged doesn't roll into the next cycle, it just doesn't count for anything going forward.
What changed with self-paced CEUs on July 1, 2026?
Asynchronous CE now needs participation monitoring built in. The handbook's example measure is at least 3 knowledge-check questions per CEU, or another form of required active responding. It's a rule about how providers build self-paced courses, not a change to the 32-CEU total you owe.
How do I find my exact recertification deadline?
Your cycle is anchored to your certification date, not to when you bought a course, and that date lives on your BACB account. Log in and check it there, this page can't tell you your date or your current balance.
Does Video CE Library 1 meet the BCBA CEU requirement by itself?
That's not a yes or no a page can give you. What it gives you is fixed: $199 for 32.5 CE hours, 25 general, 4 ethics, 3.5 supervision, which is $6.12 per CEU. Whether that's enough depends on what you've already logged this cycle, so check your BACB account balance before you buy.
Bank the ethics and supervision hours first
Video CE Library 1 is $199 for 32.5 CE hours, 25 general, 4 ethics, 3.5 supervision, which comes out to $6.12 per CEU. Check what you still owe on your BACB account before you buy.
See Video CE Library 1 →Disclaimer: This guide is for informational purposes only. BACB renewal requirements are set and enforced by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB); always consult BACB.com for the current requirements. Special Learning is a BACB ACE Provider (OP-14-2437). Authorization as an ACE Provider does not imply endorsement or approval of the ACE event content by the BACB.