RBT renewal in 2026: the 12 PDUs, the last competency assessment and a checklist

The BACB’s handbook says people who recertify on or after January 1, 2026 meet the current requirements one last time before the 2-year cycle begins¹. If anyone tells you the 2026 assessment is gone, the BACB handbook and its December 2025 newsletter say otherwise¹².

The assessment shows you can perform the tasks on the Recertification Competency Assessment, which the BACB treats as part of the annual requirements⁴.

• It must be done no more than 45 days before your certification expiration date⁴.
• The responsible assessor is a BCaBA or BCBA who completed the 8-hour supervision training⁴.
• Assistant assessors do not need to be BACB certified, but the responsible assessor answers for their work⁴.
• No assessor can be related to, subordinate to or employed by you during the assessment⁴.
• You upload the completed assessment with your recertification application, and the application opens up to 45 days before your expiration date¹.

The application also asks whether you met the supervision requirements, were not practicing, or did not meet them¹. Answer truthfully.

You must earn 12 hours of professional development units (PDUs) in each 2-year cycle¹. All of them must occur inside the cycle: if your date is September 30, 2026, only PDUs from October 1, 2026 to September 30, 2028 count toward the next application¹. Extra PDUs do not carry over¹.

There is no limit per type, as long as the activities are not repeated¹. For courses, a semester credit counts as 15 hours of instruction and a quarter credit as 10¹.

Ongoing supervision and professional development are separate requirements, and one event cannot cover both¹.

• Enter each PDU in your BACB account as soon as you have the supporting documentation¹.
• Copy the information exactly as it appears on your documentation¹.
• Expect the event form within 45 days: organizations and ACE Providers must issue it in that time⁵⁶.
• Learning events for BCBAs do not earn RBT PDUs⁶.

From 2027 on, the application is available within 45 days of your date and once your PDUs are entered, and you must finish it on or before the date to avoid a lapse and late fees¹. The recertification fee is $50 every two years, and the late fee is $50¹².

If your date passes, your certification becomes inactive and you have 30 days to reinstate it by submitting an approvable application with the late fee¹. The BACB counts those days in US Mountain Standard Time¹. You cannot practice, bill or present yourself as an RBT meanwhile¹. You also cannot make up missed PDUs during that period¹.

After the 30 days, the certification expires. You must meet the requirements in force, reapply and retake the exam¹. If it lapses on or after January 1, 2026, you must also complete the new 40-hour training and the latest initial competency assessment before reapplying³. If you need a break, voluntary inactive status costs $25 and lasts up to two years, as long as you have not missed your date¹.

The ACE Provider Handbook in force since July 1, 2026 sets the rules for events⁶. Together with the BACB’s list of changes, it brings three points that affect your PDUs:

• Reading an article and taking a knowledge check may not count as an ACE event⁷.
• A journal club, an organized live group meeting that reviews published articles, can earn PDUs, capped at 1 PDU per article. Time spent reading beforehand does not count⁷⁶.
• Self-paced events measure participation with at least 3 questions per PDU⁶.

Before you enroll, look up the provider in the BACB’s ACE Provider Verification Registry, the new name of the ACE Provider Directory⁷. A provider that missed its renewal is not listed there during its 30-day reinstatement period⁶.

This reflects the RBT Handbook updated 06/2026 and the ACE Provider Handbook in force since July 1, 2026. The BACB publishes handbook versions as needed, so check your BACB account and the handbook before you act¹. Confirm with your supervisor how your employer plans PDUs.