ABA licensure in Alaska: who needs a license, how to get one and how to keep it
The short answer
Alaska requires a license to practice behavior analysis unless an exemption under AS 08.15.070 applies. The Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development licenses behavior analysts and assistant behavior analysts; certification requirements allow Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) certification or certification by another department-approved entity. Regular licenses expire September 30 of even-numbered years; temporary licenses have separate expiration rules.
What the law says
Confirm with the Alaska Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing before you rely on this.
Alaska's behavior analyst law is Chapter 15 of Title 8 of the Alaska Statutes (AS 08.15). The licensing duty and the penalty are in AS 08.15.010:
"(a) A person may not practice behavior analysis in this state without a license."
"(b) A person who practices behavior analysis in this state without a license is guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction is punishable by a fine of not more than $500, or by imprisonment for not more than six months, or by both."
The statute defines the practice this way (AS 08.15.090):
"'behavior analysis' means 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 utilization of contextual factors, motivating operations, antecedent stimuli, positive reinforcement, and other consequences to help people develop new behaviors, increase or decrease existing behaviors, and engage in behaviors under specific environmental conditions; '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;"
The exemptions are in AS 08.15.070. The chapter "does not apply to":
"(1) a person licensed in this state performing behavior analysis within the scope of practice for which the person's license was issued;
(2) a student or trainee who is enrolled in a behavior analysis program approved by the department while performing duties under the program under the direct supervision of a person licensed under this chapter;
(3) an individual who directly implements applied behavior analysis services, or 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;
(4) an applied animal behaviorist who practices exclusively with nonhumans;
(5) a person who works in organizational behavior management;
(6) a person supervised by a licensed behavior analyst who is gaining experience for certification by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board, Inc., or another certifying entity approved by the department."
Source: AS 08.15.010 to 08.15.090 (Alaska Legislature).
How to get licensed
Under AS 08.15.020(a), the department issues a behavior analyst license to a person who:
"(1) applies to the department on a form provided by the department;
(2) pays the fees established by the department;
(3) has passed the Board Certified Behavior Analyst Examination offered by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board, Inc., or another examination approved by the department;
(4) is currently certified by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board, Inc., or another certifying entity approved by the department;
(5) furnishes evidence satisfactory to the department that the person has not engaged in conduct that is a ground for imposing disciplinary sanctions under AS 08.15.060; and
(6) has been fingerprinted and has provided the fees required by the Department of Public Safety under AS 12.62.160 for criminal justice information and a national criminal history record check"
The department's regulation 12 AAC 77.100 adds that an applicant must submit a completed application with the applicant's "notarized signature certifying that the information in the application is correct to the best of the applicant's knowledge," pay the application, fingerprint processing and license fees, and provide a copy of the applicant's certificate of examination.
A person licensed in another state may apply by credentials (12 AAC 77.110), which requires "verification of a current license in another state on a form provided by the department" and "proof of current certification." The department may also issue a temporary license "for 30 days or less in a calendar year" to a person licensed in another state whose requirements are substantially equivalent (AS 08.15.030). Under 12 AAC 77.130, a temporary license is "not renewable."
The fees are set in 12 AAC 02.390: "nonrefundable application fee for initial license, $150," "behavior analyst license fee for all or part of the initial biennial licensing period, $100," and "behavior analyst biennial license renewal fee, $100."
Source: AS 08.15.020 and 08.15.030; 12 AAC 77.100 to 77.130; 12 AAC 02.390 (Alaska Legislature).
Assistants, RBTs and technicians
Alaska licenses assistant behavior analysts. Under AS 08.15.020(b), an assistant behavior analyst applicant must meet requirements like a behavior analyst's, including passing the Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst Examination or another department-approved examination, and holding current certification from the Behavior Analyst Certification Board or another department-approved certifying entity, and must also provide "proof acceptable to the department that the person is directly supervised by a licensed behavior analyst." The assistant license fee is "$50" for the initial period and "$50" for each biennial renewal (12 AAC 02.390).
We found no provision in AS 08.15 or 12 AAC 77 that licenses or registers RBTs or behavior technicians by name. The statute exempts "an individual who directly implements applied behavior analysis services, or 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)).
Source: AS 08.15.020 and 08.15.070; 12 AAC 02.390.
Renewal and state-required training
The renewal rule, 12 AAC 77.200, says:
"(a) Except as provided in 12 AAC 77.130(d), a license to practice as a behavior analyst or as an assistant behavior analyst expires on September 30 of even-numbered years."
A licensee applying for renewal must submit "a completed renewal application on a form provided by the department," "proof of current certification as required in AS 08.15.040" and "the license renewal fee specified in 12 AAC 02.390." The statute, AS 08.15.040, says: "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."
AS 08.15.080 directs the department to adopt regulations "including (1) continuing education requirements." We read the department's behavior analyst regulations, 12 AAC 77, and found no continuing education hours or required topics in them. Renewal requires a completed application, proof of current certification by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board or another certifying entity approved by the department, and the renewal fee.
Source: 12 AAC 77.200; AS 08.15.040 and 08.15.080.
Training the staff you supervise
If you run a program in Alaska and need new technicians or aides trained in the basics, this is what our Intro to ABA Level 1 course covers.
The Intro to ABA Level 1 course teaches methods and techniques of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) for parents and caregivers, teachers, paraprofessionals and behavior technicians who work with a child every day. Topics include what autism is, what ABA is, pairing, errorless teaching and prompting, and active student responding. Complete the course and pass its 40-question final exam with a score of at least 80%. Completing this course earns a Special Learning certificate of completion. That certificate is not a continuing education (CE) certificate. It is basic training in ABA methods for daily practice, not a professional credential. It is not the 40-hour training required for the RBT credential. We do not claim Alaska state approval or continuing education credit for this course.
Two ways to start
- For one person: try the first two sessions free for 7 days; account creation is required, with no payment information requested. The full course costs $199, paid once, with no subscription or recurring charge. Activate your license code within 90 days of purchase; the published completion window is 10 weeks after activation. You may request a later start date, no later than three months after purchase. Start the free sessions
- For your team: tell us how many people need training and when, and we will send a quote; each participant who completes the course and passes its 40-question final exam with a score of at least 80% earns an individual certificate of completion. Ask for a team quote
Last reviewed: October 30, 2026.