ABA licensure in Illinois: who needs a license, how to get one and how to keep it
The short answer
Illinois licenses behavior analysts and assistant behavior analysts through the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR). Under the Behavior Analyst Licensing Act (225 ILCS 6), practicing applied behavior analysis requires a license unless an exemption applies, and using the protected licensed titles requires actual licensure. Licenses expire October 31 of each odd-numbered year; renewal training requirements include a first-renewal exception for the profession's CE hours. Confirm with IDFPR before you rely on this.
What the law says
The Act defines the licenses this way:
"Licensed assistant behavior analyst" means an individual licensed under this Act to engage in practice as an assistant behavior analyst under the supervision of a licensed behavior analyst or a licensed clinical psychologist.
"Licensed behavior analyst" means an individual licensed to engage in the practice of applied behavior analysis.
On who needs a license and on the titles (Section 20):
"(a) Beginning 10 months after the adoption of the rules required under subsection (b) of Section 80, an individual shall not engage in the practice of applied behavior analysis unless licensed under this Act or covered by an exemption under subsection (c)."
"(b) Beginning 10 months after the adoption of the rules required under subsection (b) of Section 80, an individual shall not use the title "licensed behavior analyst", "L.B.A.", "licensed assistant behavior analyst", "L.A.B.A.", or similar words or letters indicating the individual is licensed as a behavior analyst or assistant behavior analyst unless the individual is actually licensed under this Act."
IDFPR's Behavior Analysts page says: "The Department commenced licensing behavior analysts and assistant behavior analysts on January 15, 2025." It also says IDFPR "will not begin enforcement actions for unlicensed practices provided by Behavior Analysts and Assistant Behavior Analysts until Monday, April 21, 2025."
Exemptions. Section 20(c) lists what the Act does not prohibit. Among them:
"(2) An individual from implementing a behavior analytic treatment plan under the extended authority, direction, and supervision of a licensed behavior analyst or licensed assistant behavior analyst."
"(1) Self-care by a patient or uncompensated care by a friend or family member who does not represent or hold oneself out to be a behavior analyst or assistant behavior analyst."
"(8) An individual with a learning behavior specialist or school support personnel endorsement from the State Board of Education, the school district in which the school is located, or a special education joint agreement serving the school district in which the school is located from delivering behavior analytic services in a school setting when employed by that school as long as those services are defined in the scope of practice for that endorsement and that person is not in any manner held out to the public as a licensed behavior analyst or licensed assistant behavior analyst."
Other exemptions cover certain clinical psychologists, social workers, psychiatric nurses, speech-language pathologists, audiologists, counselors, occupational therapists and marriage and family therapists (paragraph (3)), work with nonhumans (4), general services to organizations that involve no direct services to individuals (5), matriculated students and postdoctoral fellows in a defined program under direct supervision (6), supervised field experience (7), qualified intellectual disabilities professionals (9), and service providers designated by the Department of Human Services (10). Read paragraphs (3) through (10) in full before you rely on one.
Businesses. Section 150 says that, beginning 24 months after the Department commenced issuing licenses:
"no business organization shall provide, attempt to provide, or offer to provide behavior analysis services unless every member, partner, shareholder, director, officer, holder of any other ownership interest, agent, and employee who renders applied behavior analysis services holds a currently valid license issued under this Act."
IDFPR's Behavior Analysts page tells business owners: "By or before January 15, 2027 anyone who is not licensed as a behavior analyst or assistant behavior analyst pursuant to the Illinois Behavior Analyst Licensing Act, and who currently owns a business providing applied behavior analysis services must divest from the business." Section 150.1, added by Public Act 104-618 (effective July 24, 2026), says a public school, school district, charter school or 501(c)(3) nonprofit "may employ or contract with a licensed behavioral analyst regardless of whether each individual who owns, operates, or manages" it holds a license.
Penalty. Section 70 sets a civil penalty "not to exceed $10,000 for each offense" for practicing, or holding oneself out as a licensed behavior analyst or licensed assistant behavior analyst, without being licensed or exempt.
Sunset. Sections 20, 30, 35 and 150 carry notices stating that they are scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2028.
Source: Behavior Analyst Licensing Act, 225 ILCS 6, Illinois General Assembly (Sections 10, 20, 70, 150, 150.1, 999); IDFPR, Behavior Analysts.
How to get licensed
Both licenses require a degree in behavior analysis or a related field, supervised experience, a passing exam score, fees and a fingerprint background check. The Act's Section 30 sets the behavior analyst requirements:
"(2) is a graduate of a graduate level program in the field of behavior analysis or a related field with an equivalent course of study in behavior analysis approved by the Department from a regionally accredited university;
(3) has completed at least 500 hours of supervision of behavior analysis, as defined by rule; (4) has qualified for and passed the examination for the practice of behavior analysis as authorized by the Department"
For an assistant, Section 35(a)(2) requires graduation from a bachelor's-level program in behavior analysis or a related field, with an equivalent course of study in behavior analysis approved by the Department, from a regionally accredited university. The rules tie these to the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB). Under 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1376.30, "The examination approved by the Division for licensure as a licensed behavior analyst is the BCBA Certification Examination of the BACB," and for an assistant it is the BCaBA Certification Examination. Rule 1376.25 states:
"The Division has determined that the 500 hours of supervision required for licensure as a licensed behavior analyst required by Section 30 of the Act are satisfied by the field training required for certification as a BCBA or BCaBA."
Rule 1376.35(a)(1) requires current valid BCBA certification that includes the minimum supervised experience under Section 30(a)(3). If proof of current valid certification is unavailable, the applicant must provide certification of graduation from an approved program meeting Section 1376.15 and proof of passing the BCBA Certification Examination, forwarded by the BACB.
The rule also requires "Verification of a fingerprint-based background check submitted to the Illinois State Police (ISP) electronically through a licensed live scan fingerprint vendor." Fingerprints must be taken "not more than 60 days prior to the application."
Until July 1, 2028. Sections 30(b) and 35(b) of the Act let the Department issue a license to a certified behavior analyst or certified assistant behavior analyst who does not have the supervised experience in Section 30(a)(3) or 35(a)(3), if the person applies "before July 1, 2028" and meets the other listed conditions. Rule 1376.35(b) and (d) set the documents for that route.
Licensed in another state. Section 40 lets the Department license an applicant licensed in another jurisdiction if that jurisdiction's requirements are "substantially equivalent." Someone "licensed in another United States jurisdiction for 10 consecutive years without discipline is not required to submit proof of completion of the education, professional experience, and supervision." The endorsement application is in 1376.40.
Fees. Rule 1376.65 states: the application fee is $400 for a licensed behavior analyst and $100 for a licensed assistant behavior analyst; renewal is $300 and $75. Sections 30(c) and 35(c) give applicants three years after the application date to complete the application process.
Source: 225 ILCS 6/30, 6/35, 6/40; 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1376.25, 1376.30, 1376.35, 1376.40, 1376.65.
Assistants, RBTs and technicians
Assistants are licensed. A licensed assistant behavior analyst may practice only under supervision. Section 20(a-5) says:
"An individual licensed under this Act as an assistant behavior analyst shall not engage in the practice of applied behavior analysis unless supervised by a licensed clinical psychologist or licensed behavior analyst."
Technicians. We found no Illinois license or registration for registered behavior technicians (RBTs) or other technicians. The Act does not name them. Section 20(c)(2), quoted above, exempts an individual who implements a behavior analytic treatment plan "under the extended authority, direction, and supervision of a licensed behavior analyst or licensed assistant behavior analyst." Beginning January 15, 2027, Section 150 requires business organizations' employees who render applied behavior analysis services to hold a license, notwithstanding the supervised treatment-plan exemption in Section 20(c)(2). Confirm with IDFPR how these provisions apply to a particular technician role.
Source: 225 ILCS 6/20 and 6/150.
Renewal and state-required training
Cycle. 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1376.45(a): "All licenses issued under the Act shall expire October 31 of each odd-numbered year. The holder of a license may renew the license during the 60 days preceding the expiration date by paying the required fee." The next expiration date after today is October 31, 2027. Under 1376.45(c), "Practice on an expired license shall be considered unlicensed practice."
Continuing education. Rule 1376.50(a):
"Beginning with the 2027 renewal period, all licensed behavior analysts shall complete 30 hours of approved CE during the 24 months preceding renewal. All licensed assistant behavior analysts shall complete 20 hours of approved CE during the 24 months preceding renewal."
"A renewal applicant shall not be required to comply with CE requirements for the first renewal of an Illinois license."
Under 1376.50(b), approved sponsors include continuing education providers approved by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board, the American Psychological Association, Illinois universities and colleges that offer a degree in behavior analysis, and others the Division approves. Each renewal applicant certifies compliance on the renewal application, and "It is the responsibility of each renewal applicant to retain or otherwise produce evidence of compliance" (1376.50(c)).
State-required topics. The rule says CE "must be obtained as provided 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1130, Subpart E." The state training requirements that name behavior analysts are:
- Sexual harassment prevention, one hour each renewal. 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1130.400(a): "a one-hour course in sexual harassment prevention training. A licensee may count this one hour for completion of this course towards meeting the minimum credit hours required for continuing education." Subsection (g): "Completion of this course shall be a condition of renewing a license. This course must be repeated for each subsequent renewal period." The statute is 20 ILCS 2105/2105-15.5.
- Cultural competency, one hour, repeated once every six years. 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1130.525(b) lists "28) Behavior analyst; and 29) Assistant behavior analyst." Subsection (g): "The course shall be repeated once every six years." The statute is 20 ILCS 2105/2105-370, which names "the Behavior Analyst Licensing Act." The hour may count toward CE hours. IDFPR's continuing education page says the course "must be completed prior to the first renewal that requires continuing education and then retaken once every six years after that."
- Mandated reporter training. IDFPR lists licensed behavior analysts and licensed assistant behavior analysts among non-medical mandated reporters and states that non-medical personnel must complete training at least every three years following initial training. Section 4(j) of the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act (325 ILCS 5/4) requires people subject to its reporting duty to complete initial training, including implicit bias, within three months of engagement, or within another applicable statutory time frame, and at least every three years thereafter.
Behavior analysts and assistant behavior analysts are not listed in 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1130.500(b) for the separate implicit bias awareness training requirement.
Restoration. A license expired five years or less is restored on payment of lapsed renewal fees and proof of the CE in the two years before restoration (1376.55). IDFPR's behavior analyst page says IDFPR's renewal email tells you which licensing platform (ILES or CORE) to use.
Source: 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1376.45, 1376.50, 1376.55; 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1130.400 and 1130.525; 20 ILCS 2105/2105-15.5, 2105-370; 325 ILCS 5/4; IDFPR, Illinois Continuing Education (CE) Requirements.
Training the staff you supervise
If you run a program in Illinois 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 Illinois 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.