Do you need a license to practice ABA in Maine? What Maine law says
The short answer
In our October 30, 2026 review of Maine statutes generated October 5, 2026 and the state's professional licensing list, we found no state license for behavior analysts. To be eligible for coverage under Maine's autism insurance statutes, ABA must be provided or supervised by a person professionally certified by a national board of behavior analysts. For MaineCare Section 28 services, supervisors of direct care staff providing ABA must be a BCBA or a duly licensed psychologist with training and/or experience in behavioral analytic principles. Confirm with the Maine Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation and MaineCare before you rely on this.
What we found
On October 30, 2026, we read the Maine Legislature's table of chapters for Title 32 (Professions and Occupations) and searched the full text of Title 32, as generated October 5, 2026, for "behavior analyst," "behavioral analysis" and "applied behavior". We found no match in any licensing chapter. We ran the same search on Titles 5, 22 and 34-B and found nothing. We read the list of professions published by the Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation (OPOR), the Maine agency that runs the state's licensing boards and programs. It has boards and programs for psychologists, counseling professionals, alcohol and drug counselors and occupational therapy practice, among others. It has no board or program for behavior analysts.
We did not search for bills introduced or passed after the date of the statute text above. Check the Maine Legislature's website for current bills.
What Maine does have
### Insurance coverage for autism treatment (24-A M.R.S. §2847-T) Maine's group health insurance law for autism spectrum disorders defines treatment to include applied behavior analysis, and says who must provide it:
"To be eligible for coverage, applied behavior analysis must be provided by a person professionally certified by a national board of behavior analysts or performed under the supervision of a person professionally certified by a national board of behavior analysts;"
The law requires coverage for an individual who is "10 years of age or under", and says the policy "may not include any limits on the number of visits." To the extent allowed by federal law, §2847-T permits a group policy, contract or certificate to limit ABA coverage to $36,000 per year. Individual policies (§2768) and health maintenance organization contracts (§4259) carry the same certification wording and the same $36,000 limit. The statute names "a national board of behavior analysts" and does not name the BACB.
Source: 24-A M.R.S. §2847-T; 24-A M.R.S. §2768; Title 24-A, full text.
### MaineCare: Adaptive Behavior Services for Children (10-144 C.M.R. ch. 101, ch. II, §28) MaineCare is Maine's Medicaid program. Its rule for children's ABA services took effect April 29, 2026. The rule says a "Community Provider" must "maintain a current license for the provision of mental health services in accordance with 10-144 C.M.R. ch. 123, Behavioral Health Organizations Licensing Rule." That is a license for the organization, not for the behavior analyst.
On who may supervise ABA, the rule says:
"Supervisors of direct care staff providing ABA must be: A BCBA; or A duly licensed psychologist with training and/or experience in behavioral analytic principles."
Direct care staff providing ABA must meet the rule's BHP certification and training requirements or hold RBT certification through the Behavior Analyst Certification Board at hire.
The rule marks these requirements with an asterisk, and the asterisk reads: "The Department is seeking and anticipates approval from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services of a State Plan Amendment related to this provision." All direct care staff must also be 18 or older, have a high school diploma or equivalent, and receive regularly scheduled supervision. Staff who provide 20 hours or more of direct service a week "must receive at least four (4) hours of supervision per month."
The rule lists functional behavior assessments among the ABA components that, when clinically indicated, may only be delivered by a supervisor.
Source: MaineCare Benefits Manual, Chapter II, Section 28 (Maine Secretary of State, rule file); MaineCare Benefits Manual index, Maine Secretary of State.
### Who else Maine licenses If you also hold another Maine license, OPOR's list of professions shows the boards for psychologists, counseling professionals, alcohol and drug counselors and occupational therapy practice. Source: OPOR, List of Professions.
Training the staff you supervise
If you run a program in Maine 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 Maine 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.