RBT requirements in New Mexico

The rules that affect RBTs

• New Mexico has no state license, registration or certification for behavior technicians, and is not on the BACB's list of states requiring behavior analyst licensure.
• Medicaid payer rule, not a state credential: under 8.321.2 NMAC, a behavior technician supervised by a behavior analyst may assist with stage two and implement stage three ABA services through an ABA provider agency after a criminal background registry check.
• Medicaid payer rule: technicians enroll through Health Care Authority attestation forms, MAD 878 for holders of the BACB RBT or the BICC Board Certified Autism Technician (BCAT), and MAD 880 for a "Non-certified Behavior Technician" working toward one of them.
• Medicaid payer rule (MAD 880, issued 10/16/2024): a non-certified technician must be at least 18 with a high school diploma or equivalent, follow the BACB RBT ethics code or the BICC code of conduct, and pass a New Mexico criminal background registry check before providing ABA.
• Medicaid payer rule: a non-certified technician must complete at least 4 hours of autism spectrum disorder training and at least 20 hours of RBT or BCAT coursework before providing services, and the remaining 20 hours within six months.
• Medicaid payer rule: a non-certified technician must hold the RBT or BCAT within one year of the first day of service, or stop providing Medicaid ABA services until certified.

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. 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.