Castleport Test Prep

BACB Certification Lookup: How to Verify a BCBA, BCaBA, RBT, or BCBA-D

Use the BACB Certificant Registry for a BACB certification lookup by name or certification number; this is the Behavior Analyst Certification Board's own free search. It is updated daily, needs no account, and includes RBT, BCaBA and BCBA certification, plus BCBA-D — a designation, not a separate certification.

→ Open the BACB Certificant Registry

  1. Have a certification number? Choose Certification Number and copy it into the fields shown. A BACB account ID is not the same number.
  2. Searching by name? Choose General Search, select the Certification Type and Country, set Status to All, and enter the name on the BACB record. Leave optional filters off for the first pass.
  3. Read and agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, then run the search and match the person before interpreting the status.

These are our suggested search steps for the official form, not a separate Castleport database. Check state licensure separately when required.

What the registry form asks for

In General Search, certification type, status, and country are marked required. Here are the form's search fields and what to do with them.

What the registry form asks for
Field on the formWhat to put in itWhy it matters
Search OptionsGeneral Search (name and location) or Certification NumberIf you have the certification number, use it. It avoids ambiguity from name spellings and similar names.
Certification Type — required in General SearchRBT · BCaBA · BCBA · BCBA-DBCBA-D is listed separately from BCBA, even though the BACB describes it as a designation rather than a separate certification. If you don't know which credential the person holds, make sure your search covers every type that could apply — including BCBA-D when that designation is claimed. Don't assume one pass covered all four.
Status — required in General SearchAll · Active · Inactive · ExpiredChoose All on your first search. Filtering to Active hides inactive and expired records, and an empty result looks exactly like "this person was never certified." See the record before you judge it.
Country — required in General SearchSelect the person's country of recordThis is the person's country of record with the BACB, not necessarily where they work today.
State/Territory, Province, or another displayed region fieldOptionalLeave it blank on the first pass. Add it only if a common surname returns more rows than you can scan.
Postal Code + rangeOptionalUseful for a geographic search. Leave it off when first verifying a named person so it does not exclude a possible match.
CityOptionalLeave it blank on the first pass unless you need it to narrow a long results list.
First Name / Last NameThe legal name on file with the BACBBACB applicants must set up their account with their full legal name exactly as it appears on their government ID. Nicknames, shortened first names, and name changes can create a mismatch; ask the person which name is on the record.
"Only list certificants who…" filtersCompleted supervision training · Willing to supervise BCaBAs · Willing to supervise those pursuing BCBA or BCaBA certification · With current disciplinary actionsLeave all four unchecked when you're verifying one person — each one narrows the results and can hide the record you want. The supervision filters serve a different job: BACB trainees are told to use the registry to confirm a supervisor completed the 8-hour supervision training and to find people willing to supervise. The disciplinary filter restricts the search to records with current disciplinary actions.
Certification NumberCopy the complete certification number into the form's displayed segmentsThe number is available in the certificant's BACB account or certification documentation. A BACB ID is not a substitute.
Terms of Use agreement — requiredRead the linked Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, then tick the agreement boxThe registry terms require users to be at least 17 years old and limit how registry information may be used.

The certification names are Registered Behavior Technician (RBT), Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst (BCaBA), and Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). The BCBA-D designation does not confer additional practice privileges beyond BCBA certification. (BACB credential descriptions)

Which number are you holding?

The number you're holding may identify an account or a training course rather than a certification.

If you're unsure which number you've been given, go back and ask for the certification number specifically.

What the results actually show you

The registry's result columns give you the person's name, their location and country, the certification they hold, and their status. Rows expand for more detail.

Two markers are worth knowing before you see them:

One practical detail: the registry displays a Date Accessed line. If the check has to go in a personnel or credentialing file, save or print the page with that stamp visible and record your own check date and time. Preserve the displayed stamp rather than changing it to match your local date. (Official registry)

Active, Inactive, Expired: what each one means

The registry gives you one word, and the word covers more than one situation.

Active

The person holds an active BACB credential. That is not a blanket authorization for every job or jurisdiction. For RBTs, active also requires a qualified supervisor or requirements coordinator on record with the BACB — and the registry shows who that is. (RBT Handbook, p. 15)

BCaBAs also need a qualified supervisor on record who provides ongoing supervision. Without that relationship, the BACB considers the certification inactive and says the BCaBA may not practise. The supervisor is publicly identified in the BCaBA's registry record. (BCaBA Handbook, p. 37; p. 47)

Inactive

The person may not practise or bill under an inactive credential, or represent it as active. That part is clear. What the word Inactive alone does not tell you is why, and the reasons are not equivalent; an expanded record may identify the reason. (BACB status guidance; RBT inactive policy)

For RBTs, the BACB names four causes:

Inactive
Why they're inactiveWhat it means
Voluntary inactive status, or active-duty/reserve statusAn approved pause. Voluntary inactive status can cover time away from the credential; military-related inactive status has its own conditions.
No qualified RBT Supervisor or Requirements Coordinator on recordThe required supervisory relationship is missing from the BACB record. The registry names this reason directly: No Supervisor/Coordinator on Record.
Missed the expiration date and inside the reinstatement periodThe RBT has an opportunity to reinstate, not proof that a renewal is being processed. The BACB allows 30 days from the expiration date to reinstate with an approvable application and a late fee.
Sanctions against the certificationA disciplinary matter. Read any published action rather than assuming every inactive record has the same cause.

So a person who has just passed the RBT exam and a person under sanction can both read as Inactive. If that distinction changes your decision, the BACB's written verification letter is the document that states the reason.

The other credentials have their own inactive rules. Voluntary inactive status runs up to 2 years for an RBT and up to 4 years for a BCaBA or BCBA. Each handbook sets out its own list: RBT · BCaBA · BCBA.

Expired

The certification has ended. Two things are worth knowing:

RBT recertification changed from a one-year to a two-year cycle for people certified or recertified in 2026. An RBT still completing the preceding annual cycle transitions at recertification, so two RBT records can legitimately show different cycle lengths during the transition. Copy the expiration date shown in the record rather than calculating it from the exam date. (RBT Handbook, pp. 27–30)

And an expired lower-level record can be a sign of promotion, not lapse. The BACB provides a 180-day transition after a higher-level certification is earned, but the lower credential can reach its existing expiration date sooner. The handbook permits a recertification application to maintain that lower credential through the 180-day transition while relevant stakeholders recognize the new one. If someone's RBT record shows expired, check whether they now hold a BCaBA or BCBA. (BCaBA Handbook, p. 1; p. 37)

Suspension or revocation

These appear through the disciplinary detail rather than the status dropdown. Someone under suspension or revocation is strictly prohibited from representing that they're credentialed by the BACB during that period. Do not treat the credential as usable, and take any question about the specific action to the BACB.

Six checks before you finish

This is our suggested checking sequence, not a BACB approval process.

  1. Match the person, not just a similar name. Record the full name, certification level, and certification number. If they do not match, ask the person to confirm the number and repeat the official search.
  2. Read the status and its dates together. Copy dates with their field labels, and note when you checked. An old certificate is not a substitute for the current record.
  3. Read published disciplinary information. Open any marked action and record whether you reviewed it. An unresolved detail stays unresolved; a clean current display is not a lifetime disciplinary history.
  4. Resolve supervision where relevant. For an RBT, check the listed supervisor or coordinator; for a BCaBA, check the required supervisory relationship. Do not impose a supervisee requirement on every BCBA.
  5. Check a separate licence when the role requires it. Record the jurisdiction, the official board, and the outcome or remaining question. A BACB result is not a licence lookup.
  6. Match the proof to the request. Ask which verification document the receiving employer, payer, or board accepts, then record the route you used.

The checks use the BACB's verification options, disciplinary publication rules, the credential-specific supervision rules above, and the official licensure directory.

What to write down

If you're verifying someone for a job, a payer, a school district, or your own records, a search you can't reproduce isn't much use six months later. Capture these ten things in a note or your credentialing file. This is our suggested record, not a BACB form — nothing here gets sent to the BACB or to Castleport.

  • Name as it appears in the registry
  • Credential (RBT, BCaBA, BCBA, or BCBA-D)
  • Certification number
  • Status
  • Any dates the record displays, copied with their field labels
  • The registry's Date Accessed stamp, plus your own check date and time
  • Whether a disciplinary marker appeared, and whether you read the detail
  • Supervisor or coordinator if the person is an RBT; supervisor if the person is a BCaBA
  • State licence check: the jurisdiction, the board, and the outcome or the open question
  • Which proof you used, and anything still unresolved

Two habits make the record hold up. Match on the certification number rather than the name when a name is common. And when something is unresolved, write "unresolved" instead of rounding it to a conclusion.

You searched and found nothing. Now what?

Work down this list before you conclude anyone lied.

  1. Status was set to Active, or optional filters were left on. Re-run with All and remove unnecessary location, supervision, and disciplinary filters.
  2. Wrong certification type. Try the others — including BCBA-D.
  3. Wrong country. The registry files people by their country of record with the BACB.
  4. The name doesn't match the legal name on file. Try the full legal first name, the maiden or married name, and hyphenated variants.
  5. You were given a BACB account ID, not a certification number. See above.
  6. They just passed. Do not assume a new certification will appear immediately. Ask the person to check their BACB portal account for their certification confirmation. A new RBT also needs the supervisor/coordinator step described above before the certification becomes active. (RBT Handbook, p. 15)
  7. They're an FL-CBA. Florida Certified Behavior Analysts are maintained by the BACB but are not an option on the registry form. The BACB directs you to its Verification Letter Request form to verify an FL-CBA. If someone in Florida tells you they hold this credential, a blank registry result is expected, not suspicious.
  8. They moved up a level, or their record lapsed. An expired record may still show under All. Check for a higher-level credential as well as the lower-level record; the transition rule and its earlier-expiration condition are explained above.
  9. The mismatch is still unresolved. Do not turn an unsuccessful search into a finding that someone is uncertified. Ask the BACB to help resolve the record discrepancy. The BACB maintains a Falsified Credentials page listing individuals it has information on who misrepresent themselves as certificants, plus a form for reporting a suspected misrepresentation. Use that form only if you actually have evidence of misuse — a search that came back empty isn't evidence on its own.

One caution before you act on a name. As of 1 July 2026 the BACB reported 85,587 BCBAs, 5,246 BCaBAs, and 260,174 RBTs holding certification. The BACB's own falsified-credentials list carries a note distinguishing one listed individual from a genuinely certified person with the same name in the same state. Match on the certification number before you draw a conclusion; location is supporting information, not a substitute for an identity match.

If the record still looks wrong, the certificant is the person who can check their account information and ask the BACB to correct a discrepancy. They manage their own BACB portal account — you don't need their login, and you shouldn't ask for it. Check the BACB's current portal-issue guidance, then use the Contact Us form for an unresolved account or record problem.

One thing the registry will never find: a company. The BACB certifies people, not organisations. There's no lookup for an ABA agency, clinic, or school district. You verify the individuals who work there.

What the registry doesn't tell you

The registry answers whether the matched person currently holds a BACB certification and whether it displays a reportable disciplinary action. Three things it does not answer.

Whether they have ever been disciplined

The BACB's Disciplinary Actions page lists reportable sanctions and, where available, links to the relevant state board's published action. But once a sanction has been fulfilled, the BACB removes that name from the page. Invalidations and revocations are the exception and stay public for as long as the law permits.

So a clean result means no reportable action displayed for that matched record when you checked. It does not mean no history. If you need more on a published action, the BACB's stated route is to ask the certificant directly for a copy of their Disciplinary Determination, which you can then submit through the official Responding to Requests process using the case ID.

Whether they can legally practise in your state

BACB certification is a credential. A state licence is permission to practise. They're separate. Whether a licence is required depends on the jurisdiction, role, and any applicable exemption; the relevant board controls that question. (BACB licensure guidance)

The BACB maintains a table of US states that have enacted laws to license or otherwise regulate behavior analysts — 40 states plus the District of Columbia on 15 September 2026 — with the licensing board and professional association for each. Start there, then use that board's own licence lookup for the individual record. The BACB notes that some states with recently enacted laws may not have an application system running yet, so a missing licence in a brand-new licensing state may reflect the state's timeline rather than the practitioner's.

That table changes. Use it to find the board, then confirm the individual requirement and record with the board itself.

Whether they're eligible for your payer or your setting

The registry is the first check, not the whole file. A BACB record does not establish that a particular payer, school district, or employer has accepted someone for its setting. Before you assume a screenshot will satisfy them, ask the receiving organisation which form of proof it accepts.

Which verification route do you need?

Which verification route do you need?
RoutePublished charge or accessTimingWhat it gives youWho it's for
Certificant RegistryFree public search; users must be at least 17Public lookup; updated dailyName, location, country, certification, status, disciplinary flag, expandable detail, and a Date Accessed stamp; credential-specific supervision informationConsumers, employers, and licensing authorities checking a public record
BACB verification letter$25 per verification; requester needs a BACB portal account to payEmailed within 3–5 business days after the BACB receives paymentName and certification number, current status, the reason for an inactive status, initial certification date, expiration date. Not issued for expired certificationsLicensure applications, payer credentialing, and any time the reason behind an inactive status has to be documented
Print Verification Report (in the BACB portal)Certificant's portal account; the verification page lists no separate report feeOn demandOn-demand verification of your own certification. Available only while your certification is activeCertificants proving their own status
Licensure-board verification listFreeNo turnaround stated on the verification pageA list of BACB certificants — no individual lettersDesignated representatives of licensure boards only

The BACB's verification page sets out the report, letter, and regulator options. Pay the $25 when a board or payer specifically requires a requested letter from the BACB, or when you need the reason behind an inactive status in writing. Check the recipient's requirements first; neither a registry result nor a self-printed report guarantees acceptance.

Looking up your own certification

If you're the certificant, start inside your BACB portal account rather than the public registry.

  • Your certification number and BACB ID both live in your portal account, and they're different numbers. For RBTs, the certification number is also in the certificate letter the BACB emails after you pass. (RBT Handbook, p. 15; BACB ID explanation)
  • Written proof of your own status: log in, open the My Certification tab, and select Print Verification Report. It only works while your certification is active, so don't count on it after an expiration date. (BACB verification instructions)
  • If you just passed the RBT exam and the registry says inactive, that's expected. Your status starts inactive. It changes when your qualified RBT Supervisor or Requirements Coordinator who provides ongoing supervision adds you as a supervisee in their own BACB portal account. Until they do, the BACB says you may not practise or represent the certification as active. (RBT Handbook, p. 15)
  • Name mismatch? Your BACB account name has to match your government ID exactly. Name changes go through a Name Change Request in your portal account under My Account → Profile Settings → Name Updates, and the BACB asks you to allow about two weeks for processing. (BACB name-change instructions)
  • RBTs don't get a physical certificate. The BACB sends an email confirmation instead. For current proof of status, use the verification options above. BCaBA and BCBA certificates are mailed, and the BACB's contact guidance also covers BCBA-D certificate delivery; use its current instructions for a missing printed certificate. (RBT Handbook, p. 15; BCaBA Handbook, p. 37)

If you're preparing for one of these exams rather than verifying a credential, start with the BACB's examination information.

One rule on using the registry

The BACB describes the registry as a free resource for consumers, licensing authorities, and employers to verify certification status, and says it may not be used for commercial purposes — including selling products, sending surveys, soliciting employment, or promoting educational and professional programmes. The Terms of Use, section 4 set out the detail and require registry users to be at least 17 years old.

That matters most for recruiters. Verifying a candidate you're already talking to is a verification use. Mining the registry for names to contact is not.

Common questions

Can I look up a BCBA in another country? Yes. Search using the person's country of record. Existing BCBAs may maintain certification while living outside countries accepting new applications. The BACB stopped accepting new UK applications on 1 January 2026 and Ontario BCBA/BCBA-D applications on 1 July 2026; the equivalent Australian change is scheduled for 1 January 2027, not already in effect on this page's verification date. A country with no new applicants can still have existing certificants on the registry.

Do not apply that maintenance rule to every credential without checking: Ontario RBTs and BCaBAs were placed on voluntary inactive status under the separate 1 July 2024 Ontario change.

Someone says their certification is "pending." Is that a status? Not on the registry. Its status options are Active, Inactive, and Expired; All is a search filter. A pending application does not establish the certification being claimed. Someone applying for a higher-level credential may already hold a different BACB certification, so check the credential actually claimed. (Registry; BACB status guidance)

Sources and verification date

Last verified: 15 September 2026. The public registry controls, verification routes, cited status guidance, and date-labelled counts were checked against the BACB sources above. We did not search for any individual's record, sign in to a BACB account, or submit a form. Individual records and service details can change; confirm the current record and the receiving organisation's requirements when you make your check.

This page was developed and source-checked with AI assistance, in line with our editorial standards. Source checking is not a credentialed professional review.

Written by the Castleport Test Prep Editorial Team.

Castleport Test Prep is an independent publisher of exam preparation materials. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or approved by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB), Pearson VUE, any licensing board, or any employer. Exam, certification, and credential names are used to identify the subjects discussed, and those trademarks belong to their respective owners. This page explains publicly available verification tools. It is not legal, licensing, or credentialing advice, and it cannot resolve a dispute about an individual's record — that goes to the BACB and, where relevant, the applicable licensing board.