Tennessee licenses behavior analysts and assistant behavior analysts under the applied-behavior-analysis part of the psychology chapter, administered by the Applied Behavior Analyst Licensing Committee, a five-member committee within the Board of Examiners in Psychology with authority to issue licenses and promulgate rules (T.C.A. Title 63, Chapter 11, Part 3, §§ 63-11-301 et seq.; rules at Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1180-05). The license is built on BACB certification, requires character references, renews biennially, and carries a cultural-diversity continuing-education requirement. Licensure lets you practice; credentialing with Medicaid and commercial plans is a separate step before you can bill.
The nine licensing criteria at a glance
- Is ABA licensed in Tennessee, and under which body
- The credential tiers: analyst, assistant, and technician
- The BACB foundation
- What it takes to get licensed
- Title protection and scope of practice
- Supervision rules
- Renewal and the cultural-diversity requirement
- Getting credentialed with payors
- Tennessee-specific wrinkles
- How licensing connects to the rest of your compliance stack
- Becoming licensed and credentialed in Tennessee: the sequence
- Tennessee licensing variables at a glance
- Frequently asked questions
- Where professional advice is essential
Is ABA licensed in Tennessee, and under which body
Yes. Tennessee licenses behavior analysts and assistant behavior analysts under the applied-behavior-analysis part of the psychology chapter, in the Professions of the Healing Arts title (T.C.A. Title 63, Chapter 11, Part 3). The regulator is the Applied Behavior Analyst Licensing Committee, a five-member committee created within the Board of Examiners in Psychology and authorized to issue licenses and promulgate rules, including setting fees and disciplinary actions (T.C.A. § 63-11-303). The committee is made up of behavior analysts, an assistant behavior analyst, and a consumer member, and it receives administrative support from the Department of Health. Unlike an advisory-only model, this committee has its own licensing authority alongside the Board.
The credential tiers: analyst, assistant, and technician
Tennessee licenses two tiers plus the supervised technician layer.
| Tier | Who holds it | Underlying credential | Scope and supervision |
|---|---|---|---|
| Licensed behavior analyst (LBA) (T.C.A. § 63-11-302) | Master's-level or doctoral analysts | BACB Board Certified Behavior Analyst or Behavior Analyst-Doctoral | Licensed to practice as an independent practitioner and to supervise. |
| Licensed assistant behavior analyst (LaBA) (T.C.A. § 63-11-302) | Bachelor's-level analysts | BACB Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst | Practices under the extended authority and supervision of a licensed behavior analyst. |
| Behavior technician | Front-line interventionists | Typically the BACB Registered Behavior Technician credential | Delivers direct services under supervision; not separately licensed by the committee. |
The statute defines the LBA as an independent practitioner certified as a BCBA or BCBA-D and the LaBA as a BCaBA practicing under an LBA's extended authority and supervision, so the two tiers map directly onto the BACB credentials.
The BACB foundation
Tennessee's license rests on the national credential. The committee and the Board license no one as a behavior analyst or assistant behavior analyst unless the applicant holds the corresponding BACB certification, with proof submitted directly from the certifying entity confirming good standing (T.C.A. § 63-11-304; § 63-11-307; Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1180-05-.05). Tennessee does not impose a separate state examination; the BACB credential carries the substantive qualification, and Tennessee verifies it and adds its own application requirements. Maintaining the BACB credential and the Tennessee license are parallel obligations.
What it takes to get licensed
An LBA applicant holds current BCBA or BCBA-D certification in good standing, with verification sent directly from the certifying entity, and submits evidence of good moral character consisting of two recent original letters from applied-behavior-analyst professionals or professionals in a related field, on letterhead and dated within the preceding twelve months (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1180-05-.05). A LaBA applicant provides BCaBA certification verification plus proof of ongoing supervision by a licensed behavior analyst who is currently BCBA or BCBA-D certified and Tennessee-licensed (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1180-05-.05). A reciprocity pathway exists for analysts licensed elsewhere, for which the two reference letters are not required.
Title protection and scope of practice
Licensure is required to practice as a behavior analyst or assistant behavior analyst in Tennessee, and the part sits within the Professions of the Healing Arts title, alongside the psychology chapter (T.C.A. Title 63, Chapter 11, Part 3). The committee enforces standards of practice through its rules and may take disciplinary action (T.C.A. § 63-11-303; Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1180-05). The healing-arts placement matters beyond licensing, because Tennessee treats behavior analysis as a regulated healing-arts profession, which connects to the entity and ownership analysis covered elsewhere in this guide.
Tennessee's structure resembles a committee-under-the-psychology-board model, but with teeth: the Applied Behavior Analyst Licensing Committee issues licenses and makes rules in its own right, rather than merely advising.
Supervision rules
A licensed assistant behavior analyst practices under the extended authority and supervision of a licensed behavior analyst, and a LaBA applicant must show proof of ongoing supervision by an LBA who is currently BCBA or BCBA-D certified and Tennessee-licensed (T.C.A. § 63-11-302; Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1180-05-.05). The supervising analyst takes responsibility for direct supervision of the assistant's services during the tenure of the license, in accordance with the committee's standards of supervision. Build the supervisory structure so each assistant has a Tennessee-licensed, currently certified supervising analyst on record.
Renewal and the cultural-diversity requirement
Tennessee LBA and LaBA licenses are valid for two years, and the committee sends a renewal form before expiration. Renewal requires a clean criminal record and an ethical practice history, with assistants additionally showing proof of ongoing supervision, and all renewal applicants completing at least three continuing-education hours on cultural diversity (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1180-05). Renewal also requires showing that BACB certification is current. Confirm the exact continuing-education totals and deadlines with the committee, and track the BACB recertification cycle alongside the biennial Tennessee renewal.
Getting credentialed with payors
Licensure lets you practice; credentialing lets you bill, and they are separate. After licensure, a provider or practice enrolls with Tennessee Medicaid, known as TennCare, and credentials with commercial health plans, most of which draw provider data from CAQH. Credentialing verifies the license and history and is followed by periodic revalidation. The billing entity and its ownership are disclosed during enrollment, which is where licensing meets the entity and ownership questions covered elsewhere in this guide. What each payor covers and pays for ABA is a separate topic on the Medicaid and insurance page.
Tennessee-specific wrinkles
Three Tennessee points stand out. The Applied Behavior Analyst Licensing Committee is a dedicated committee within the Board of Examiners in Psychology that holds real licensing authority, not merely an advisory role, so it is the body that issues, renews, and disciplines licenses. Initial licensure requires two recent character-reference letters, a step waived only for reciprocity applicants. And renewal carries a cultural-diversity continuing-education requirement that is specific to Tennessee, which is easy to overlook because it is separate from the general BACB recertification continuing education.
How licensing connects to the rest of your compliance stack
Licensing is the credential the rest of the structure is built around:
- Entity and ownership. Tennessee enforces a strong corporate-practice posture and channels licensed practices into licensee-owned professional entities, so who holds these licenses determines who can own. See the Tennessee entity page and the Tennessee ownership page.
- Medicaid and insurance. Licensure and credentialing are prerequisites to coverage; what is covered and paid is separate. See Medicaid and insurance mandates.
- Facility and records. Supervision documentation and renewal records carry into facility and HIPAA compliance. See facility licensure and HIPAA.
Becoming licensed and credentialed in Tennessee: the sequence
- Obtain BACB certification. BCBA or BCBA-D for the LBA, BCaBA for the LaBA.
- Gather your application materials. Direct certification verification and two recent character-reference letters (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1180-05-.05).
- Apply to the Applied Behavior Analyst Licensing Committee. Submit the application; reciprocity applicants are not required to provide the reference letters.
- Document supervision for a LaBA. Proof of ongoing supervision by a Tennessee-licensed, BCBA or BCBA-D certified analyst (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1180-05-.05).
- Credential with payors. Enroll with TennCare and credential with commercial plans, typically via CAQH, then plan for revalidation.
- Renew biennially. Complete the cultural-diversity continuing education, show current BACB certification, and track both credentials.
Tennessee licensing variables at a glance
| Variable | Tennessee value |
|---|---|
| Is ABA a licensed profession? | Yes (T.C.A. Title 63, Chapter 11, Part 3) |
| Licensing authority | Applied Behavior Analyst Licensing Committee of the Board of Examiners in Psychology |
| Committee role | Issues licenses and promulgates rules in its own right (T.C.A. § 63-11-303) |
| Licensed tiers | Licensed behavior analyst and licensed assistant behavior analyst |
| Underlying certification | BACB (BCBA or BCBA-D; BCaBA for the assistant) |
| Character references | Two recent letters at initial licensure; waived for reciprocity (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1180-05-.05) |
| Supervision | LaBA under a Tennessee-licensed, currently certified LBA (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1180-05-.05) |
| Renewal | Biennial; clean record, ethical history, cultural-diversity continuing education, current BACB |
| Statutory placement | Professions of the Healing Arts title, psychology chapter |
| Payor credentialing | TennCare enrollment and commercial credentialing, typically via CAQH |
| Key authorities | T.C.A. §§ 63-11-301 et seq. (incl. § 63-11-303, § 63-11-304, § 63-11-307); Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1180-05 |
Frequently asked questions
Which body licenses behavior analysts in Tennessee?
Does Tennessee license assistant behavior analysts?
What does the application require beyond BACB certification?
Is there a cultural-diversity continuing-education requirement?
How often do I renew?
Where professional advice is essential, not optional
Tennessee's licensure is clear, but the committee's real authority, the character-reference requirement, the supervision documentation for assistants, and the cultural-diversity continuing education are the places to get specifics right. Confirm your application, supervision arrangement, and credentialing with the committee and a credentialing specialist, and bring in counsel where licensure meets the ownership of the practice, since Tennessee enforces a strong corporate-practice posture.
The governing authorities to know are the applied-behavior-analysis part of the psychology chapter (T.C.A. Title 63, Chapter 11, Part 3, including the committee at § 63-11-303 and licensure at § 63-11-304 and § 63-11-307) and the committee rules (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1180-05, including procedures for licensure at 1180-05-.05).
This page describes general patterns in a regulatory environment that changes. The Tennessee Applied Behavior Analyst Licensing Committee, the BACB, TennCare, and each payor provide current requirements. Neither this page nor any secondary source should be relied on in place of direct verification with the relevant authorities.