ABA licensure in Oregon: who needs a license, how to get one and how to keep it
The short answer
Oregon licenses behavior analysts and assistant behavior analysts and registers behavior analysis interventionists. ORS 676.820 allows licensed or registered individuals to practice applied behavior analysis and restricts use of the titles "licensed behavior analyst," "licensed assistant behavior analyst" and "registered behavior analysis interventionist." Confirm with the Health Licensing Office before you rely on this.
What the law says
ORS 676.820 sets who may practice and who may use the titles:
"(1) An individual licensed under ORS 676.810 or registered under ORS 676.815 may practice applied behavior analysis. (2) Only an individual who is licensed under ORS 676.810 or registered under ORS 676.815 may use the title "licensed behavior analyst," "licensed assistant behavior analyst" or "registered behavior analysis interventionist.""
ORS 676.802 defines the practice:
"(1)(a) "Applied behavior analysis" means the design, implementation and evaluation of environmental modifications, using behavioral stimuli and consequences, to produce significant improvement in human social behavior, including the use of direct observation, measurement and functional analysis of the relationship between environment and behavior."
The same section lists "licensed health care professionals" whose scope of practice includes applied behavior analysis, such as people licensed by the Oregon Board of Psychology, the State Board of Licensed Social Workers, the Oregon Board of Licensed Professional Counselors and Therapists and the Oregon Medical Board. We found no section in ORS 676.802 to 676.830 that lists exemptions from licensure for school employees, family members or others. Ask the Health Licensing Office how the law applies to your role.
ORS 676.806 creates the board:
"There is created, within the Health Licensing Office, the Behavior Analysis Regulatory Board consisting of nine members appointed by the Governor..."
Source: ORS 676.802, 676.806 and 676.820 (Oregon Legislature, ORS chapter 676, 2025 edition).
How to get licensed
ORS 676.810 directs the board to set licensing criteria. For a behavior analyst, ORS 676.810 requires the licensing criteria to include successful completion of a state and nationwide criminal records check that requires fingerprinting.
The board's rule for a behavior analyst, OAR 824-030-0010, requires the applicant to:
"(1) Submit a completed application form ... (2) Arrange for official documentation to be sent to the Office directly from the BACB proving ... (3) Pass a fingerprint-based nationwide criminal records check ... (5) Submit required license fees."
The rule says the BACB documentation must show the applicant satisfied the BACB's requirements to be credentialed as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. If the applicant holds or has held a license as a behavior analyst in another state, the rule also asks for an affidavit of licensure from that state.
The fees in OAR 824-020-0040 are:
"(a) Applications: (A) Behavior Analyst – $150. (B) Assistant Behavior Analyst – $125. (C) Behavior Analysis Interventionist – $75. (b) Original license or registration – valid for one year: (A) Behavior Analyst – $200. (B) Assistant Behavior Analyst – $175. (C) Behavior Analysis Interventionist – $100."
Source: ORS 676.810; OAR chapter 824, Health Licensing Office copy (unofficial copy, permanent rules effective October 1, 2026).
Assistants, RBTs and technicians
Oregon has two levels below the behavior analyst.
Assistant behavior analyst. ORS 676.810(3) allows criteria that include that the applicant "(A) Be certified by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board, Incorporated ... as a board certified assistant behavior analyst or equivalent; and (B) Be supervised by a behavior analyst who is licensed by the board." OAR 824-030-0020 requires the same two things, plus a fingerprint-based criminal records check.
Registered behavior analysis interventionist. ORS 676.815 requires that an applicant for registration:
"(a) Have a high school diploma, a modified diploma, a certificate for passing an approved high school equivalency test such as the General Educational Development (GED) test or a degree from a post-secondary institution; (b) Be at least 18 years of age; (c) Have successfully completed a state and nationwide criminal records check that requires fingerprinting; (d) Have completed at least 40 hours of professional training in applied behavior analysis approved by the office by rule; and (e) Receive ongoing training and supervision by a licensed behavior analyst, by a licensed assistant behavior analyst or by another licensed health care professional."
OAR 824-030-0040 lists five knowledge and skill areas for the 40 hours: professional and ethical issues, foundational knowledge of behavioral change principles, assessment, implementation of prescribed intervention plans, and data collection and documentation. The rule says the training must be verified by an individual listed in ORS 676.802(2)(a) to (h) or a board-licensed behavior analyst or assistant behavior analyst. The Office will issue a provisional registration when it receives a completed application, the applicant meets the registration criteria, and the Office has not issued an interventionist registration within five business days after receiving the completed application. Oregon's registration for interventionists is its own state registration. The statute does not name the BACB's RBT credential.
Source: ORS 676.810 and 676.815; OAR 824-030-0020 and 824-030-0040.
Renewal and state-required training
OAR 824-050-0010 says: "Authorization renewal under this rule is valid for one year." Renewal fees in OAR 824-020-0040 are $200 for a behavior analyst, $175 for an assistant behavior analyst and $100 for an interventionist, with a $50 late renewal fee. An authorization holder must also "pass a state criminal background check" at renewal. An inactive authorization "may be inactive for up to three years"; after more than three years it is expired and the holder must reapply.
Continuing education is in OAR 824-070-0005:
"(1) To maintain licensure, a behavior analyst must complete a minimum of 16 hours of continuing education every licensure year. At least one hour of continuing education must relate to ethics in applied behavior analysis as defined in ORS 676.802(1). (2) To maintain licensure, an assistant behavior analyst must complete a minimum of 10 hours of continuing education every licensure year. At least one hour of continuing education must relate to ethics in applied behavior analysis as defined in ORS 676.802(1)."
The rule requires licensees to attest to compliance on the license renewal application and retain compliance documentation for two years following renewal. A licensee may carry up to 10 continuing education hours forward to the next renewal cycle. Under OAR 824-070-0010, "The Office will audit 10 percent of licensees, to verify compliance with continuing education requirements." The rule on continuing education names licensed behavior analysts and assistant behavior analysts; we found no continuing education hours rule for registered interventionists in the text we read.
Source: OAR 824-050-0010, 824-070-0005 and 824-070-0010.
Training the staff you supervise
If you run a program in Oregon 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 Oregon 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.