ABA licensure in Tennessee: who needs a license, how to get one and how to keep it
The short answer
Tennessee licenses behavior analysts and assistant behavior analysts through the Applied Behavior Analyst Licensing Committee. Under rule 1180-05-.03, a person must hold a current Tennessee license before practicing as a licensed behavior analyst or licensed assistant behavior analyst, unless exempted under T.C.A. § 63-11-306. Renewal requires proof of three continuing education hours on cultural diversity. Confirm with the Applied Behavior Analyst Licensing Committee before you rely on this.
What the law says
This page rests on the Committee's rules, chapter 1180-05 (revised May 2025), and the Department of Health's published guidance. We read the section titles of the statute, T.C.A. Title 63, Chapter 11, Part 3, but not its text, so we do not quote it here. That means this page does not list the exemptions in T.C.A. § 63-11-306.
"Prior to the engagement of the practice as a licensed behavior analyst or licensed assistant behavior analyst in Tennessee, a person must hold a current Tennessee license unless exempted from licensure pursuant to T.C.A. § 63-11-306." (Rule 1180-05-.03(1))
"It is unlawful for any person who is not licensed in the manner prescribed in T.C.A. §§ 63-11-301, et seq. to represent himself as a licensed behavior analyst or licensed assistant behavior analyst or to hold himself out to the public as being licensed by means of using a title on signs, mailboxes, address plates, stationery, announcements, telephone listings, calling cards, or other instruments of professional identification." (Rule 1180-05-.03(2))
The rule defines applied behavior analysis this way:
"The design, implementation, and evaluation of environmental modifications by a behavior analyst to produce socially significant improvements in human behavior. It includes the empirical identification of functional relations between behavior and environmental factors, known as functional assessment and analysis." (Rule 1180-05-.01(3))
The Committee's Unlicensed Practice Policy, effective March 30, 2022, sets out the consequence:
"Any person that practices or has practiced as an Applied Behavior Analyst without a valid license issued by the Board, unless that person is exempted pursuant to TCA 63-11-306, is in violation of the law and may be assessed civil penalties by the Board."
For out-of-state providers, the Department's FAQ says:
"A provider must be licensed in the state of Tennessee to provide treatment to a client in Tennessee or operated in a free clinic environment."
The official Code's contents list two versions of § 63-11-302, "Part definitions": one effective until January 1, 2027, and one effective on January 1, 2027. We have read neither.
Source: Rules, chapter 1180-05; Tennessee Code, Title 63, Chapter 11, Part 3 contents; Tennessee Department of Health, Applied Behavior Analyst Licensing Committee; Committee Unlicensed Practice Policy (March 30, 2022).
How to get licensed
Rule 1180-05-.04(1) says the Committee and the Board shall license no person as a behavior analyst unless, at the time of application:
"(a) The applicant is a board certified behavior analyst (BCBA) or a board certified behavior analyst-doctoral (BCBA-D) who is credentialed through the nationally accredited behavior analyst certification entity; and"
"(b) The applicant is not the subject of any disciplinary actions by the certifying entity at the time of application; or"
Alternatively, rule 1180-05-.04(1)(c) covers applicants qualified by the department of intellectual and developmental disabilities to provide behavior analysis services before July 12, 2012, who meet the requirements of T.C.A. § 63-11-307(c).
The application steps are in rule 1180-05-.05. They include:
- a passport style photograph taken within the preceding 12 months
- a certified copy of your birth certificate showing you are at least 21 years old
- proof of certification sent directly from the certifying entity
- two recent original letters attesting to your personal character and professional ethics
- a criminal background check sent directly from the vendor the Committee names
- verification of any license or certificate to practice applied behavior analysis you hold or have held in another state
- a notarized application
The Department's page says: "All applications must be submitted online through your LARS account or received as an original document in our office."
Fees in rule 1180-05-.06 for a licensed behavior analyst: $50 application, $40 license, $150 biennial renewal and a $10 state regulatory fee.
Source: Rules, chapter 1180-05; Tennessee Department of Health, Applied Behavior Analyst Licensing Committee.
Assistants, RBTs and technicians
Tennessee licenses assistant behavior analysts. Under rule 1180-05-.04(2), an applicant must be a BCaBA credentialed through the certification entity, must not be the subject of disciplinary actions by the certifying entity, and must provide "proof of ongoing supervision by a licensed behavior analyst (LBA) who is certified as a BCBA or BCBA-D under the certifying entity’s requirements for supervision". The same rule has a route for those qualified by the department of intellectual and developmental disabilities before July 12, 2012.
Fees for a licensed assistant behavior analyst: $50 application, $15 license, $100 biennial renewal and a $10 state regulatory fee.
The rules we read do not address registered behavior technicians, RBTs or technicians. The statute's exemptions, which we have not read, may. Ask the Committee how it treats these roles.
Source: Rules, chapter 1180-05.
Renewal and state-required training
Licenses renew by the expiration date. To be eligible, a licensee must submit these by that date, under rule 1180-05-.08(1)(c):
"1. A completed and signed renewal application form;"
"2. The renewal fee and state regulatory fee as provided in rule 1180-05-.06; and"
"3. Proof of current national certification by B.A.C.B."
"4. Proof of completing three (3) continuing education hours on cultural diversity as provided in rule 1180-05-.12(2)."
Tennessee ties continuing education to your certification and adds the cultural diversity hours:
"It is the responsibility of every licensee to maintain his or her national certification and comply with all continuing education requirements of the credentialing entity, regardless of whether he or she receives direct reminders to do so." (Rule 1180-05-.12(1))
Rule 1180-05-.12(2) says the topic of an activity "need not be on cultural diversity, but one of the objectives or descriptions of the topics covered, shall clearly indicate attention to cultural diversity."
A late renewal costs $100 and reinstatement costs $100, under rule 1180-05-.06. The Department says "It is a violation of the law and of the Committee’s rules to practice on an expired license."
Source: Rules, chapter 1180-05; Tennessee Department of Health, Applied Behavior Analyst Licensing Committee.
Training the staff you supervise
If you run a program in Tennessee 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 Tennessee 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.