The unit, the three ways to earn it, the two categories with their own rules, and the four things that don't count.
A BACB CEU is 50 minutes of learning. The BCBA Handbook (Updated 06/2026) puts it in one line: 25 minutes of learning = 0.5 CEU, so 50 minutes = 1 CEU. Everything else on this page hangs off that definition.
All facts on this page are from the BCBA Handbook, Updated 06/2026, "Certification Maintenance Requirements" section. Scope is BCBAs only. BCaBA and RBT continuing education requirements differ and aren't covered on this page.
Handbook example: if your cycle is September 30, 2025 to September 29, 2027, your next cycle starts September 30, 2027, and CEUs for the next cycle can't start accruing until then - even if you submit your application on September 1, 2027.
The handbook states there are no restrictions or limitations on the number of non-repeating CEUs you can earn through each activity type.
Ethics continuing education is (a) events related to the BACB's ethics requirements and/or (b) events related to cultural/contextual responsiveness. Content must relate to behavior-analytic practice or applied research and be directly linked to the behavior-analytic literature and/or established practice. Most of the event must focus on ethics or cultural/contextual responsiveness; events that reference the BACB's ethics requirements only incidentally don't qualify.
BCBAs who supervised the ongoing practice of RBTs or BCaBAs on record, or trainees pursuing BCBA or BCaBA certification, at any point during the cycle must obtain and enter 3 supervision CEUs to recertify. Supervision CEUs must be behavior-analytic in nature and cover effective supervision practices described in the BACB Supervisor Training Curriculum Outline (2.0).
Enter CEUs into your BACB portal account as soon as you have supporting documentation, exactly as shown on the documentation. Entries used for a category must clearly show the number of CEUs for that category (general, supervision, ethics). Complaints about an ACE event go first, in writing, to the provider's ACE Coordinator.
How many minutes is one BACB CEU?
50 minutes of learning. The BCBA Handbook (Updated 06/2026) defines 25 minutes of learning as 0.5 CEU, i.e., 50 minutes of learning = 1 CEU. The same 25-minute unit applies to teaching a Learning CE event.
How many CEUs does a BCBA need?
32 CEUs within each 2-year recertification cycle, including 4 in ethics and 3 in supervision for BCBAs who supervised during the cycle, per the BCBA Handbook.
Can I carry extra CEUs into my next cycle?
No. The handbook says CEUs exceeding the required amount can't be applied to the next cycle, and missed CEUs can't be made up after the recertification date.
Does watching the same CE event twice count?
No. Repeating CE activities of any CEU type doesn't meet BACB certification requirements.
What makes a CEU an ethics CEU?
The event must be related to the BACB's ethics requirements and/or to cultural/contextual responsiveness, tied to behavior-analytic practice or research, with most of the event focused on that content. Incidental references to ethics don't qualify.
Facts on this page were read directly from the BCBA Handbook (Updated 06/2026) on September 2, 2026. The BACB revises its handbooks. If the handbook and this page ever disagree, the handbook wins - and tell us, so we fix the page.
General educational information - not legal advice and not a substitute for reading the BACB's own handbook. Your recertification cycle and what you have already earned are on your BACB account; nothing on this page can tell you your date or your balance.
This page describes the BACB's rules. It doesn't say how many CEUs any Special Learning course carries for you; the certificate you receive states the CEU count and type, and the BACB portal is where you enter it.
Special Learning is a BACB Authorized Continuing Education (ACE) Provider (OP-14-2437). Video CE Library 1: $199, 32.5 CE hours including 4 ethics and 3.5 supervision. All Access Annual: $299 for 12 months, one payment.
See Video CE Library 1Special Learning is a BACB ACE Provider (OP-14-2437); ACE Provider authorization first issued January 31, 2014. Special Learning is listed as a CE provider by the QABA Credentialing Board and by the International Behavior Analysis Organization. Authorization as an ACE Provider does not imply endorsement or approval of the ACE event content by the BACB.
AI Disclosure: This content was designed with AI assistance and reviewed by Special Learning for accuracy. It is intended for general educational information only and does not constitute clinical advice or a substitute for assessment and treatment by a licensed BCBA or qualified professional. Consult a licensed provider for guidance specific to your child's needs.