RBT requirements in Colorado

The rules that affect RBTs

• Colorado has no state credential for behavior technicians.
• HB26-1425 (approved June 2, 2026) exempts a behavior technician who provides ABA under the supervision of a licensed behavior analyst or licensed assistant behavior analyst, follows a certifying entity's requirements, and does not design assessment or intervention plans (C.R.S. 12-247-115(1)(b)).
• The license requirement and the title rules in C.R.S. 12-247-106 take effect July 1, 2028.
• A technician must not claim to be a licensed behavior analyst and must use a nonprofessional title such as "ABA technician", "behavior technician" or "tutor", but may use "registered behavior technician" when working under that current credential (C.R.S. 12-247-106).
• Medicaid payer rule, not a state credential: Health First Colorado reimburses ABA services delivered by a registered behavior technician certified by a certifying entity (C.R.S. 25.5-4-437).
• Medicaid payer rule: subject to federal approval, a not-yet-certified technician may be reimbursed for one temporary period of at least 45 days while pursuing certification, after a name-based judicial record check, all training required for certification, and abuse and neglect reporting training; payment stops if the technician is not certified by the end of that period.
• The same Act adds state licensing of ABA clinics by the Department of Human Services.

BACB requirements apply everywhere

Whatever the state adds, RBT certification itself is the same in every state: the 40-hour training, the Initial Competency Assessment, the BACB exam, and ongoing supervision of at least 5% of your service hours each month. In Colorado, your supervising BCBA must also hold the state license. Your employer and the programs that pay for services, such as Medicaid or insurers, can have their own requirements too. See how to become an RBT.