ABA licensure in Hawaii: who needs a license, how to get one and how to keep it
The short answer
Hawaii requires a DCCA license to practice applied behavior analysis or use the titles "licensed behavior analyst" or "behavior analyst," unless a statutory exemption applies. Application routes include passing the BCBA exam and maintaining active BACB certification as a BCBA or BCBA-D, or endorsement based on a current, unencumbered out-of-state behavior analyst license whose requirements the DCCA director determines are equivalent to or higher than Hawaii's. Exemptions for assistants, registered behavior technicians and other listed groups have specific conditions. Confirm with DCCA's Professional and Vocational Licensing Branch before you rely on this.
What the law says
Hawaii's behavior analyst law is Chapter 465D of the Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS). The DCCA director administers it. The law says:
"Beginning on January 1, 2016, except as specifically provided in this chapter, no person shall engage in the practice of applied behavior analysis or use the title "licensed behavior analyst" or "behavior analyst" without a valid license issued pursuant to this chapter."
"Any person who violates this section shall be subject to a fine of not more than $1,000 for each separate offense. Each day of each violation shall constitute a separate offense."
Source: HRS §465D-4.
The law defines the practice this way:
"“Practice of applied behavior analysis” means the design, implementation, and evaluation of instructional and environmental modifications to produce socially significant improvements in human behavior."
It "expressly excludes psychological testing, diagnosis of a mental or physical disorder, neuropsychology, psychotherapy, cognitive therapy, sex therapy, psychoanalysis, hypnotherapy, and long-term counseling as treatment modalities."
Source: HRS §465D-2.
### Who is exempt HRS §465D-7 lists the exemptions. It says the chapter "is not intended to restrict the practice of other licensed or credentialed practitioners practicing within their own recognized scopes of practice and shall not apply to" the people it lists. They include:
- A licensed psychologist and the psychologist's supervisees, within the psychologist's education, training and competence, as long as none of them purports to be a licensed behavior analyst.
- A licensed classroom teacher, or a person working as a classroom teacher while enrolled in a teacher preparation program, who "implements, but does not design, applied behavior analysis services in a school setting in direct collaboration with a licensed behavior analyst or a licensed psychologist;"
- A family member, legal guardian or caregiver who implements an applied behavior analysis plan under the direction of a licensed behavior analyst or Hawaii-licensed psychologist. The statute defines "caregiver" for this paragraph in terms of habilitative services in certain adult homes and programs under the Medicaid home and community-based services waiver.
- A person who implements applied behavior analysis services to participants in the Medicaid home and community-based services waiver program.
- A person who practices applied behavior analysis with nonhuman or nonpatient clients, such as applied animal behaviorists and practitioners of organizational behavior management.
- A matriculated graduate student or postdoctoral fellow in a defined applied behavior analysis program of study, practicum or intensive practicum, directly supervised by a licensed behavior analyst, a licensed psychologist, or an instructor from a nationally recognized training organization or in a Behavior Analyst Certification Board-approved course sequence.
- A person pursuing experience in applied behavior analysis consistent with the BACB's experience requirements, if a licensed behavior analyst supervises the experience.
The exemptions for assistants and technicians are quoted below. Read the full section for the exact conditions of each exemption.
Source: HRS §465D-7.
How to get licensed
HRS §465D-8 includes these requirements for a behavior analyst license:
"(1) Successfully passed the Board Certified Behavior Analyst examination; (2) Maintains active status with the Behavior Analyst Certification Board as a board certified behavior analyst or board certified behavior analyst-doctoral; and (3) Pays all fees for licensure established by the director."
Source: HRS §465D-8.
The law also allows licensure by endorsement:
"The director may issue a license by endorsement to an applicant who holds a current and unencumbered license as a behavior analyst in another state; provided that the requirements for a license in that state are deemed by the director to be equivalent to or higher than the current requirements for licensure in this State."
Source: HRS §465D-9.
DCCA's requirements form describes the same two pathways. It tells BACB-route applicants to attach their BACB Find a Certificant record and to have a BACB verification letter sent to DCCA. Endorsement applicants have each state where they hold or held a license send a verification form. The form adds that "an applicant shall be beyond the age of majority (18 years of age), a United States citizen, a United States national, or an alien authorized to work in the United States." It lists an application cost of $260 if you apply in an even-numbered year and $150 if you apply in an odd-numbered year. DCCA also posts a temporary license for military spouses, "for the duration of the active-duty military member's service in Hawaii." DCCA's pages list no separate state exam or training requirement.
Source: DCCA, Requirements/Information for License - Behavior Analyst; DCCA, Behavior Analyst Program application forms.
Assistants, RBTs and technicians
Hawaii does not issue a license or registration to assistant behavior analysts or behavior technicians. The law names both groups as exemptions. It exempts:
"An individual who implements or designs applied behavior analysis services and possesses board certification as an assistant behavior analyst by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board and who practices in accordance with the most recent supervisory and ethical requirements adopted by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board under the direction of a licensed behavior analyst;"
"An individual who directly implements applied behavior analysis services and is credentialed as a registered behavior technician by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board, and is under the direction of a licensed behavior analyst or a licensed psychologist;"
The assistant exemption names a licensed behavior analyst as the director. The technician exemption names a licensed behavior analyst or a licensed psychologist. The law also lists, among the grounds for discipline, "Employing, whether gratuitously or for pay, any person not licensed pursuant to this chapter to perform the functions or duties of the practice of applied behavior analysis;"
Source: HRS §465D-7(a)(3) and (4); HRS §465D-11(a)(15).
Renewal and state-required training
The law says licenses "shall be valid for two years and shall be renewed upon the payment of a renewal fee within sixty days before the expiration of the license." A license that is not renewed is forfeited. It "may be restored within one year of the forfeiture date upon payment of renewal and restoration fees." A license not restored within one year is automatically terminated, and the person must reapply as a new applicant.
Source: HRS §465D-10.
DCCA's program page says to renew by December 31 of every odd-numbered year, and shows a licensing period of January 1, 2026 to December 31, 2027. It lists the on-time renewal fee as $220.00 for active status and $12.00 for inactive status. It lists restoration of a late renewal at $320.00 for active status and $112.00 for inactive status. DCCA's application forms page says a licensee on inactive status "shall be considered as unlicensed" and "shall not engage in the practice of the licensed profession or vocation."
Chapter 465D sets no continuing education requirement. DCCA's frequently asked questions, in answer to "Are there continuing education (CE) requirements for licensure renewal?", say: "No, there are no CE requirements for renewal." We found no state-required training topic, such as ethics or jurisprudence, in the chapter or in DCCA's program documents. The law does let the director discipline a license for "Engaging in conduct or a practice contrary to recognized standards of the most recent ethical guidelines for the practice of applied behavior analysis as adopted by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board;"
Source: DCCA, Behavior Analyst Program; DCCA, application forms (inactive status); DCCA, Behavior Analyst Licensure FAQ; HRS §465D-11(a)(7).
Training the staff you supervise
If you run a program in Hawaii 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 Hawaii 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.