When an RBT comes into your home or works with your child at school, you want to know who that person is. Florida has no single background check rule for every ABA worker. Instead, screening comes from three places: the national certification board, Florida laws that apply in certain settings, and each provider's own hiring policy. This guide explains each layer, what "Level 2" means, what changed in 2026, and the questions you can ask any provider.
What does the BACB require of RBTs?
Registered Behavior Technicians are certified by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB); Florida does not license behavior analysts or technicians. Under the RBT Handbook (updated June 2026), an applicant must:
- be at least 18 and have at least a high school education;
- pass a criminal background check and an abuse registry check within 180 days before applying;
- complete 40 hours of training that meets the 2026 requirements, then an initial competency assessment;
- pass the RBT exam.
An Attesting Certificant confirms the requirements, and that person may not be related to, subordinate to, or employed by the applicant. After certification, an RBT must be supervised for at least 5% of their service hours each calendar month, with at least two real-time contacts. You can look up any RBT or BCBA on the BACB's free registry; see how to verify a BCBA or RBT.
What is Level 2 screening in Florida?
Level 2 is Florida's fingerprint-based standard, set out in chapter 435. Section 435.04(1)(a) says it includes:
fingerprinting for statewide criminal history records checks through the Department of Law Enforcement, national criminal history records checks through the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and local criminal records checks through local law enforcement agencies. A security background investigation under this section also includes a search of the sexual predator and sexual offender registries of any state in which the current or prospective employee resided during the immediate preceding 5 years.
Fingerprints "must be submitted electronically to the Department of Law Enforcement." The screening looks for arrests awaiting final disposition, findings of guilt, and pleas of guilty or no contest to a long list of offenses. Examples relevant to children include:
- s. 39.205, failure to report child abuse, abandonment or neglect;
- s. 393.135, sexual misconduct with certain developmentally disabled clients;
- s. 787.025, luring or enticing a child, and s. 787.06, human trafficking;
- s. 794.011, sexual battery;
- s. 827.03, child abuse, aggravated child abuse or neglect of a child.
Section 435.04(3) also screens for any offense that constitutes domestic violence. A person who is disqualified may apply for an exemption under s. 435.07, which the screening agency decides.
When does Florida law require Level 2 screening for ABA staff?
| Setting | Statute | Who must be screened |
|---|---|---|
| APD (Agency for Persons with Disabilities) services | s. 393.0655 | Direct service providers unrelated to their clients, support coordinators, all employees of APD-licensed residential facilities and adult day training programs, and others with access to a client's living areas, funds or property |
| Public schools | s. 1012.32, s. 1012.465 | Contracted personnel with direct contact with students, including private BCBAs and RBTs serving a student at school under s. 1003.572 |
| Licensed child care | s. 402.305 | Child care personnel |
APD settings and the 2026 change
Section 393.0655(1) requires "level 2 employment screening pursuant to chapter 435 for direct service providers who are unrelated to their clients, including support coordinators, and all employees of residential facilities or adult day training programs licensed under this chapter." The words "all employees" come from chapter 2026-129, Laws of Florida (CS/CS/HB 565), approved June 11, 2026 and effective July 1, 2026. That change mainly affects residential and adult day programs rather than outpatient ABA clinics.
The APD statute has limited exceptions: volunteers under 10 hours a month who are always in sight of a screened person; DOH-licensed professionals working within their scope; and "a person selected by the family or the individual with developmental disabilities and paid by the family or the individual." Household members 12 and older who live where a provider serves clients in their own home are screened too (ages 12 to 18 for delinquency records only). Section 393.0655(3) says the costs "shall be borne by the employer or by the employee or individual who is being screened."
Public schools
When parents bring a private BCBA or RBT into a public school, s. 1003.572(3)(b) requires the provider to meet s. 1012.32 or s. 1012.321. Section 1012.32(2)(a) says personnel "hired or contracted to fill positions that require direct contact with students" must "undergo background screening as required under s. 1012.465 or s. 1012.56." Section 1012.465(2) says the cost "may be borne by the district school board, the contractor, or the person fingerprinted." Under s. 1012.321, a person who already completed Level 2 screening under s. 393.0655 or s. 402.305 within the last 5 years, is rescreened every 5 years and has fingerprints retained by FDLE does not need to be screened again. See private ABA in public school under s. 1003.572.
What about a private clinic paid by insurance?
Which Florida screening statutes apply to a private ABA practice depends on how and where services are funded and delivered, for example APD funding, a school contract or a child care setting. Florida does not have one statute requiring every ABA employee everywhere to be Level 2 screened. Many providers screen staff anyway as a hiring policy. Because the rules vary, ask each provider what it does.
How does the Clearinghouse work?
Florida's Care Provider Background Screening Clearinghouse, run by the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) with FDLE under s. 435.12, lets screening results be shared among specified state agencies. Beginning January 1, 2026, or a later date AHCA sets, qualified entities can participate as well. Fingerprints in the Clearinghouse are retained, so new Florida arrests are reported back. For qualified entities, a person with a break in service of more than 90 days must submit to a new national screening when they return.
Questions to ask any ABA provider
- Does every staff member who works with my child have a current BACB certification, and who supervises them?
- What background screening does your organization require for RBTs and BCBAs: BACB checks only, Level 2 fingerprinting, or both?
- Are fingerprints retained, and how often are staff rescreened?
- For school sessions: will the staff member meet the district's s. 1012.32 screening, or the s. 1012.321 exception?
- Can I meet the staff member before sessions start?
- How often will a supervisor observe sessions, and can I observe too?
Background checks only find what has been reported. Supervision, open communication and your own presence matter too. If you ever suspect abuse, every person in Florida must report it to the Florida Abuse Hotline; see child abuse reporting in Florida.
Asking Hope Center
Ask us the same questions. At Hope Center, programs are written by BCBAs and delivered by RBTs, BCBAs supervise RBTs weekly, and our clinical director reviews every plan before it goes to insurance. Families can ask to meet assigned staff before services begin. Parents cannot stay to watch center sessions, because other children are there and only background-checked staff are allowed in client areas. In-home sessions need a parent, guardian, aide or another responsible adult 18 or older present. Our staff work in homes, schools, daycares and the community, and can join IEP meetings where the school allows. To talk with us, contact us or call 561-337-8865.
This page explains Florida law in general terms. Screening rules for a specific employer or setting are a question for that agency or a Florida attorney.