RBT requirements in Virginia

The rules that affect RBTs

• Virginia has no state credential for behavior technicians.
• Va. Code 54.1-2957.16(A) makes it unlawful to practice or hold oneself out as practicing as a behavior analyst or assistant behavior analyst without the corresponding Board of Medicine license.
• The exceptions in Va. Code 54.1-2957.17 cover other health-regulatory-board licensees, supervised students, people gaining supervised fieldwork for BACB certification or state licensure (up to five years), and school employees; technicians are not mentioned.
• Board regulations (18VAC85-150-170) require licensees to delegate client care only to subordinates who are properly trained and supervised.

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 Virginia, 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.