BT vs RBT: what a behavior technician needs in Oregon

We could not verify this yet - check with the state Medicaid agency and the payer you bill.

As of 2026-10-21, Oregon's technician credential is state registration as a Behavior Analysis Interventionist (BI) through the Health Licensing Office, not the BACB RBT. ORS 676.815 criteria: age 18+, high school diploma/modified diploma/GED or post-secondary degree, fingerprint-based state and nationwide criminal records check, at least 40 hours of professional ABA training approved by the office, and ongoing training and supervision by a licensed behavior analyst, licensed assistant behavior analyst or other licensed health care professional. The statute expressly includes modified diplomas; the education list in OAR 824-030-0040 names a high school diploma, GED and post-secondary institution education but does not expressly name modified diplomas. The statute requires the office to issue a provisional registration within 5 business days of receiving a completed application if the applicant meets the criteria and a full registration has not yet been issued; provisional registration expires when the registration is issued or denied. The official OAR includes provisional-registration provisions effective March 28, 2024, which define a completed application to include required documentation, fingerprints and fees and start the 5-business-day count on the following business day. The reviewed registration requirements do not specify the BACB RBT credential as a requirement or as a substitute for state registration, and no unrestricted RBT exemption across payers or settings was established. ORS 676.820 says only licensed/registered individuals may use the titles and contains an affirmative practice authorization, but these provisions alone do not resolve every circumstance of unregistered practice; whether unregistered individuals may deliver ABA in Oregon was not established from the pages read.

• Fingerprint-based state and nationwide criminal records check (ORS 676.815; OAR 824-030-0040)
• 40 hours of professional ABA training covering professional and ethical issues, behavioral change principles, assessment, implementation of intervention plans, and data collection and documentation (OAR 824-030-0040)
• Proof of age 18+ and diploma/GED/degree (OAR 824-030-0040); the statute expressly includes modified diplomas, while the rule's education list does not expressly name them
• HLO registration fees of $75 application + $100 registration per HLO page ($175 total)

Under OAR 410-172-0760 (current SOS text; minor correction DMAP 25-2025, effective 01/09/2025), providers eligible for direct Medicaid payment are: (a) a behavior analyst licensed under OAR 824-030-0010 (BACB BCBA documentation required; OAR 824-030-0010, BARB 1-2023 effective 02/01/2023); (b) a licensed health care professional as defined in 2015 Oregon Laws Chapter 674, section 1, who is registered with the Oregon Behavior Analyst Certification Board as described in ORS 676.802(2)(a)–(h) (boards: OT, counselors and therapists, medical, nursing, physical therapy, speech-language pathology and audiology, social work, psychology); or (c) a declarant who filed a Declaration of Active Practice under Oregon Laws 2013, chapter 771, section 4 (OAR 824-010-0005(10)). Not eligible for direct payment, but named as ABA service providers: assistant behavior analysts licensed under OAR 824-030-0020 (BACB BCaBA required and must be supervised by a Board-licensed behavior analyst) and behavior analysis interventionists registered under OAR 824-030-0040. ORS 676.820(1) (2025 edition) states an individual licensed under ORS 676.810 or registered under ORS 676.815 may practice applied behavior analysis. ASD treatment must be recommended by a physician, psychologist, nurse practitioner specializing in developmental medicine, or physician’s associate specializing in developmental medicine who is experienced in diagnosis and treatment of ASD (OAR 410-172-0760(1)). Stereotyped movement disorder with self-injurious behavior due to neurodevelopmental disorder must be recommended by a licensed practitioner practicing within scope who has experience or training in that diagnosis (OAR 410-172-0760(2)).

No.

BACB Registered Behavior Technician certification is not named in ORS 676.815, OAR 824-030-0040, or OAR 410-172-0760. The technician credential is Health Licensing Office registration as a Behavior Analysis Interventionist. OAR 824-030-0040 (BARB 2-2024, effective 03/28/2024) and ORS 676.815 require age 18 or older; a high school diploma, GED (or approved equivalency), or post-secondary degree; a fingerprint-based state and nationwide criminal records check; and at least 40 hours of professional ABA training, verified by a person listed in ORS 676.802(2)(a)–(h) or a Board-licensed behavior analyst or assistant behavior analyst, in (i) professional and ethical issues, (ii) foundational knowledge of behavior-change principles, (iii) assessment, (iv) implementation of prescribed intervention plans, and (v) data collection and documentation. If a complete application meets those criteria and the Office has not issued the registration within five business days, it must issue a provisional registration that expires when the registration is issued or denied (OAR 824-030-0040(2)–(4); ORS 676.815(3)). The HLO license page lists a $75 application fee and a $100 registration fee. Interventionists are not eligible for direct OHP payment (OAR 410-172-0760(4)(b)).