BCBA and BCaBA Recertification: CEU Requirements Reference

Every BACB recertification cycle is 2 years (24 months). Here is exactly what each credential requires.

For BCBA and BCBA-D, use your recertification date: before January 1, 2027, or on/after that date.
Credential	Cycle	Total CEUs	Ethics	Supervision
BCBA	2 years	32	4	3 before 2027; 4 from 2027, if you supervised
BCBA-D	2 years	32	4	3 before 2027; 4 from 2027, if you supervised
BCaBA	2 years	20	4	3, if you supervised

The supervision CEUs are conditional. If you supervised RBTs, BCaBAs or certification trainees during your cycle, a BCBA recertifying before January 1, 2027 needs 3 supervision CEUs; a BCBA recertifying on or after January 1, 2027 needs 4 supervision CEUs. The recertification date determines this change, not the cycle start date. BCaBAs who supervise still need 3 supervision CEUs. If you did not supervise during the cycle, no supervision CEUs are required; the ethics and total requirements still apply.

Sources checked October 21, 2026: current BCBA Handbook; 2027 BCBA requirements; 2027 BCaBA requirements; and the March 2022 newsletter, page 5, for the recertification-date implementation rule. The newsletter’s older CE-category proposals are superseded by the current requirements linked here.

How to read the numbers

The totals include ethics and supervision. A BCBA needs 32 total CEUs, including 4 ethics CEUs and the applicable 3 or 4 supervision CEUs if supervising. A BCaBA needs 20 total CEUs, including 4 ethics CEUs and 3 supervision CEUs if supervising.
There is no separate "professional conduct" bucket beyond the 4 ethics CEUs.
BACB checks cycle totals at month 24, not an annual quota — but pacing your CEUs across the two years keeps renewal stress-free.

A simple pacing plan

Year 1: aim for about half your total, and knock out at least 2 of your 4 ethics CEUs early.
Year 2: log your supervision CEUs (if you supervised), finish ethics, and gap-fill the remainder in the final months.

These are recommended pacing targets, not a BACB annual sub-requirement.

BACB CE is paused

BACB CE from Special Learning is paused until the BACB approves our new ACE Coordinator.

Check any other qualifying supervision CEUs you have earned in the same cycle and confirm your remaining requirements in your BACB account.

Renewing a QABA or IBAO credential? See QABA and IBAO renewal CE

Special Learning is a BACB Authorized Continuing Education (ACE) Provider (#OP-14-2437). Authorization as a BACB Authorized Continuing Education (ACE) Provider does not imply endorsement or approval of any specific CE event's content by the BACB. The Behavior Analyst Certification Board® (BACB®) does not sponsor, approve, or endorse Special Learning or these materials. Requirements summarized from the BACB BCBA and BCaBA Handbooks; always confirm current requirements directly with the BACB at bacb.com. Special Learning has served 32,000+ customers in 140+ countries since 2010.