The BACB now requires 12 Professional Development Units every 2 years for all active RBTs — the first-ever recertification PDU requirement. Your first deadline is January 2028. Get the plain-English guide.
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Starting January 1, 2026, every active RBT must earn 12 Professional Development Units (PDUs) during each 2-year recertification cycle. This is the first time BACB has required ongoing professional development for the RBT credential.
Your 2-year PDU cycle started when you most recently renewed your RBT. If you renewed in 2026, your deadline is January 2028. The time to start banking PDUs is now — not next year.
For recertification, the 12 PDUs replace the recertification competency assessment going forward: RBTs who recertify in 2026 complete that assessment one final time, then meet the requirement by earning 12 PDUs each 2-year cycle instead. (The initial RBT Competency Assessment required to first earn the credential is unchanged.) PDUs must align to the RBT 3rd-Edition Test Content Outline (TCO), which became the governing standard on January 1, 2026.
The BACB recognizes three distinct pathways for earning RBT PDUs. No single pathway is required. You can mix and match.
Courses and training from BACB-authorized ACE providers. Self-paced, video-based, and structured formats all qualify as long as they meet BACB's current course-construction requirements.
Training delivered by a qualified BCaBA, BCBA, or BCBA-D instructor at your workplace. Employer-organized professional development by a supervising BCBA counts.
Relevant university courses that align to the RBT 3rd-Edition Test Content Outline. Check with BACB for current documentation requirements.
For the most current and complete PDU documentation requirements, always refer to the BACB's official RBT Handbook.
You may have seen references to a "July 1, 2026 deadline" — here's what that date actually means.
Starting July 1, 2026, the BACB requires that ACE Providers include a minimum of 3 knowledge-assessment questions per PDU/CEU in any asynchronous course. This is a course-construction standard for the providers who build PDU content — it is not a date by which RBTs must have PDUs completed, and it is not a ban on any course format. Article-based, video-based, and quiz-based formats all remain valid.
The practical upside for you: any course built by a compliant provider now includes stronger knowledge checks, which is a quality signal. When you shop for PDU content, look for providers already building to this standard.
Get the free guide — what counts, how to track it, and what to look for in a PDU provider.
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