Licensure compacts and multi-state practice
Compacts are changing which states a clinician can realistically work in. Here is where they stand across the markets we recruit.
Licensure · Last reviewed August 2026 · Take a Seat People editorial team
What a compact actually gives you
A compact lets an eligible clinician practice across participating states without a full separate license in each one. It does not override state scope of practice, it does not cover every credential, and enacted is not the same as issuing privileges yet.
BCBA certification is national through the BACB, so for behavior analysts the state step is a license or registration rather than a compact. BCBA certification with BACB, plus state licensure where required
Compact status across priority states
| State | PSYPACT | Counseling Compact | Behavior analyst licensure |
|---|---|---|---|
| California (CA) | not a member | not enacted | California does not license behavior analysts separately; BCBA certification plus payer credentialing is the working standard. |
| Texas (TX) | member | enacted | Texas licenses behavior analysts (LBA) through TDLR, in addition to BCBA certification. |
| Florida (FL) | member | enacted | Florida requires certification as a behavior analyst through the state alongside BCBA credentials for Medicaid-funded work. |
| New York (NY) | not a member | enacted | New York licenses behavior analysts (LBA) through the Office of the Professions; BCBA certification alone is not sufficient. |
| Arizona (AZ) | member | enacted | Arizona licenses behavior analysts through the Board of Psychologist Examiners. |
| North Carolina (NC) | member | enacted | North Carolina licenses behavior analysts (LBA) through the NC Behavior Analyst Licensure Board. |
| Georgia (GA) | member | enacted | Georgia licenses behavior analysts through the Secretary of State's professional licensing division. |
| Illinois (IL) | member | enacted | Illinois licenses behavior analysts (LBA) through IDFPR. |
| Pennsylvania (PA) | member | enacted | Pennsylvania licenses behavior specialists (BSL) and behavior analysts through the State Board of Medicine. |
| Ohio (OH) | member | enacted | Ohio licenses behavior analysts (COBA) through the Ohio Board of Psychology. |
| New Jersey (NJ) | member | enacted | New Jersey licenses applied behavior analysts through the Board of Psychological Examiners. |
| Washington (WA) | member | enacted | Washington licenses behavior analysts (LBA) through the Department of Health. |
| Colorado (CO) | member | enacted | Colorado does not require separate behavior analyst licensure for most services; BCBA certification and payer credentialing apply. |
| Massachusetts (MA) | not a member | enacted | Massachusetts licenses applied behavior analysts through the Board of Allied Mental Health. |
Compact participation changes frequently. Confirm with the state board before you relocate or accept a multi-state caseload.
Coverage right now
- PSYPACT: 27 of the 27 states we cover in detail are members.
- Counseling Compact: enacted in 27 of them.
- Social Work Licensure Compact: enacted in 1 of them.
- Telehealth roles are written against the client's location, not the clinician's, which is why a remote posting still lists required license states.
Questions people ask
- Do I need a license in every state where my clients live?
- Generally yes: behavioral health services are regulated where the client is located. A compact privilege can replace a second full license for participating states and eligible credentials, but it is credential-specific and does not cover behavior analysts.
- How long does it take to get licensed in a new state?
- For BCBAs, the state license or registration usually takes two to eight weeks once the board has your BACB certificate. Counseling and social work licenses move more slowly, though the relevant compacts are shortening that for participating states.
Related
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- How to hire BCBAs in a shortage marketSupervision capacity, not referral volume, is what limits most ABA providers. Here is how the roles that fill are written.
- RBT retention: what actually stops the churnMost RBT attrition is structural, not attitudinal. These are the parts of the job that decide whether a technician is still there in twelve months.
- Remote behavioral health work: what genuinely worksTelehealth changed some behavioral health jobs completely and barely touched others. The split is not about seniority.
Pay figures last reviewed August 2026