So, you’ve successfully become a Registered Behavior Technician (RBT). Congratulations! To maintain your certification, your RBT certificate must be renewed with the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) every year.
Read on to find out more about RBT renewal, what to expect from the timeline for RBT renewal, and how to prepare.
What is RBT Renewal?
Once you’ve completed your 40-hours of training and passed the BACB’s RBT certification exam, you’re ready to practice as a nationally certified RBT. In order to maintain this important credential, you’ll need to renew your certificate yearly.
The first thing you should know about RBT renewal is that it must be completed before the date your current RBT certificate expires. The expiration date of your certificate is one year from the day you passed the RBT exam (or, if you’ve already renewed your RBT certification previously, one year from the date you last renewed your certificate).
So, if you passed your BACB RBT certification exam on May 1, 2022, then your RBT certificate expires on May 1, 2023. In order to maintain your RBT certification with the BACB, you must complete the RBT renewal process before May 1, 2023.
If you do not complete the RBT renewal by the expiration date of your current RBT certificate, you will lose the ability to practice as an RBT on your expiration date. However, you can still complete the RBT renewal process late (along with paying a $50 late fee) to regain your ability to practice as a nationally certified RBT. You have 30 days from your current RBT certificate’s expiration date to complete the late renewal process.
So, if you passed your BACB RBT certification exam on May 1, 2022, and you miss the renewal deadline of May 1, 2023, you must complete the late renewal process before May 31, 2023. Note that in this example you will not be able to practice as an RBT between May 1, 2023 and the date of your successful late renewal (although you may be able to practice as a BT, if the state you live in allows it).
If you miss the late renewal deadline as well, you will need to retake (and pass) the full RBT Certification Exam in order to regain the ability to practice as an RBT.
More details regarding the recertification timeline can be found in “What is the RBT Renewal Timeline?” below.
When you pass the RBT certification exam and receive your official certification via email, it will include your certification’s expiration date. You can also check the online BACB Certificant Registry for your certification’s expiration date.
To renew your RBT certification with the BACB, you must:
- Complete the BACB Renewal Competency Assessment
- Complete and submit the BACB’s RBT Renewal Application
- Pay a $35 renewal fee
You can find detailed instructions about how to complete each of the above requirements on the RBT page of the BACB website. Below, we briefly discuss each of the requirements to help you plan your timeline for your RBT renewal.
What is the RBT Renewal Timeline?
It’s a good idea to understand the RBT renewal timeline so you can plan ahead and make sure you meet all of the requirements before your RBT certification expires. Keep in mind schedules and availability as you work around the timeframes associated with each requirement of the RBT renewal process.
Below are some key details to keep in mind as you plan your RBT renewal timeline.
First, let’s discuss some of the details of the BACB Renewal Competency Assessment.
What is the BACB Renewal Competency Assessment?
The BACB Renewal Competency Assessment is like a mini RBT certification exam. When you passed your first BACB RBT certification exam, you demonstrated that you knew all the important tasks and skills required to practice as an RBT.
When you complete your Renewal Competency Exam, you are demonstrating ongoing proficiency in all those same tasks and skills required to practice as an RBT.
Your BACB Renewal Competency Assessment must be overseen by a “responsible assessor” certified by the BACB (typically a BCBA).
As an RBT, you probably work with a BCBA or other BACB-certified individuals to develop and implement behavior treatment plans for your clients. This kind of collaboration is just as important for your RBT renewal as it is for your everyday RBT practice.
Your BACB Renewal Competency Assessment will be overseen by someone certified by the BACB, known as a “responsible assessor.” Your responsible assessor will observe you demonstrating the tasks and skills you use with clients, and will confirm your proficiency to the BACB. They’ll confirm this by completing an official BACB assessment form (The Assessor Checklist).
Talk to the BCBA or other BACB-certified individuals you work with to see if any of them might be able to serve as your responsible assessor. They will need to have completed an 8-hour supervisor training course in order to qualify as a responsible assessor. Many of your colleagues may have already completed this course!
You can complete your Renewal Competency Assessment over the course of one session or multiple sessions. You can complete these sessions in-person, live via the internet, or by recording videos of sessions specifically for the purpose of the assessment. Talk with your chosen responsible assessor about what arrangement would work best for both of your schedules.
Your BACB Renewal Competency Assessment must be completed no more than 45 days before your expiration date.
The BACB requires that your Renewal Competency Assessment cannot be completed 45 days or more before your certification expiration date. So, for example, if you passed your certification exam on May 1, 2022, you cannot complete your Renewal Competency Assessment during the month of June, 2022. That would be significantly more than 45 days before your certification expires on May 1, 2023.
We recommend completing your Renewal Competency Assessment about a month (30 days) prior to your certification expiration date. So, if your certification expires on May 1, 2023, we recommend beginning your Renewal Competency Assessment on or around April 1, 2023.
As you decide on a timeline with your responsible assessor, be sure you know your certification expiration date. Remember, the official certification you received via email will include your certification’s expiration date. You can also check the online BACB Certificant Registry for your certification’s expiration date.
Once you’ve confirmed your certificate's expiration date, count back 45 days from that date. That’s the earliest date you can complete your Renewal Competency Assessment. Talk with your chosen responsible assessor about what arrangement would work best for both of your schedules.
Next, let’s discuss the remaining requirements of RBT renewal and their timeline.
Complete and submit the BACB’s RBT Renewal Application + $35 renewal fee
Once you’ve worked with your responsible assessor to complete the Renewal Competency Assessment, you can complete the remainder of the RBT Renewal Application. The BACB provides a handy checklist along with the online Renewal Application on their website.
You’ll submit the completed application along with the Renewal Competency Assessment (signed by your responsible assessor) online to the BACB. With your submission, you’ll be asked to pay a $35.00 renewal fee. All of this will need to be completed online via your BACB account.
All of the above should be completed and submitted within 45 days of your RBT certification expiration date. Once you’ve submitted your renewal materials, what happens next?
Wait Two Weeks
The BACB typically takes two weeks or less to review RBT renewal applications. Once your certification has been renewed, you’ll receive an email notifying you of your renewal along with your new certification expiration date. If you have not received your renewal in two weeks, check your BACB account to see if more information is needed.
If You Submit the Renewal Application Late
If you do not complete the RBT renewal by the expiration date of your current RBT certificate, you will lose the ability to practice as an RBT on your expiration date. You may still be able to practice as a BT, if the state you live in allows it.
However, you can still complete the RBT renewal process late (along with paying a $50 late fee) to regain your ability to practice as a nationally certified RBT. You have 30 days from your current RBT certificate’s expiration date to complete the late renewal process.
If you miss the late renewal deadline as well, you will need to retake (and pass) the full RBT Certification Exam in order to regain the ability to practice as an RBT.
How to Prepare for RBT Renewal
There are a few things that you can do to prepare for your RBT renewal.
The first step is understanding the process, so it’s great that you’ve taken the time to read this article. While this article has provided you with a general overview of RBT renewal, you should talk to your supervising BCBA or other BACB-certified individual about the process as well. This would also be a good time to ask them about serving as your responsible assessor.
If your supervising BCBA or other BACB-certified individual is unable or unwilling to serve as your responsible assessor, talk to them about potential colleagues who might be willing to do so. You can also reach out to other contacts in the ABA field to find a potential responsible assessor.
Next, confirm the expiration date of your current RBT certificate. Remember, RBT renewal must be completed before the date your current RBT certificate expires. The expiration date of your certificate is one year from the day you passed the RBT exam (or, if you’ve already renewed your RBT certification previously, one year from the date you last renewed your certificate).
So, if you passed your BACB RBT certification exam on May 1, 2022, then your RBT certificate expires on May 1, 2023. We recommend completing your Renewal Competency Assessment about a month prior to your certification expiration date. Be sure you know what your expiration date is so you can plan accordingly.
Next, review the Renewal Competency Assessment task list provided by the BACB.
This is the series of tasks your responsible assessor will ask you to perform so they can confirm your skills as a practicing RBT. If you’re unsure of any of these tasks or you feel there are some tasks and skills that you could improve on, take some time to do so in preparation for your assessment. Consider doing some additional reading on those tasks, or watching some YouTube videos demonstrating and explaining those tasks.
It can also be helpful to review the BACB’s RBT Handbook and other resources here: REGISTERED BEHAVIOR TECHNICIAN - Behavior Analyst Certification Board (bacb.com).
Finally, you should also confirm that your contact information is up-to-date online in your BACB account. If your contact information needs to be updated, it can save you time to do so before you are ready to submit your renewal application.
Renewing your RBT certification can take some time, but understanding the process and the timeline can help make your RBT renewal manageable. RBT renewal is an important step in continuing your ability to practice as a BACB-certified RBT.