RBT PDUs in 2026: The 12-PDU Rule, Plus 2 Free PDUs
Guest post. Outside the Box Trainings is an ABAshifts partner and offers ABAshifts members two free PDUs. The views are the author's.
Get 2 free PDUs. ABAshifts members get two complimentary RBT professional development courses from Outside the Box Trainings, a BACB ACE provider (OP-25-11974), plus half off the first year of its PDU membership. Create your free profile to claim them ↓
Beginning in 2026, RBTs who become certified or recertify must earn 12 PDUs during their two-year certification cycle. Professional development should help you build skills you can use in real sessions. That's why, through our partnership with ABAshifts, Outside the Box Trainings is giving members two complimentary RBT professional development courses, built on relatable scenarios and practical ABA applications.
Here is what the new rule asks of you, what counts, and how to plan your 12 PDUs so the deadline never sneaks up on you. This post summarizes the BACB's published requirements as of October 2026, with links to the source documents at the end. The RBT Handbook and your BACB portal are the authority, so check them before you rely on anything here; the BACB has said some of its materials are still being updated.
What changed in 2026
- The cycle is now two years. The BACB's list of upcoming changes sets the RBT maintenance revisions at January 1, 2026, and notes that recertification cycles change from one year to two.
- 12 PDUs per cycle. You must earn 12 hours of professional development units during each two-year recertification cycle. PDUs have to fall inside the cycle they count toward. You cannot make up missed PDUs after your recertification date.
- One last competency assessment. RBTs who recertify in 2026 complete the Recertification Competency Assessment as usual before their first two-year cycle begins. The BACB's recertification timeline says the assessment is no longer required after 2027, except for RBTs returning from voluntary inactive status.
- An example from the BACB. An RBT who recertifies in March 2026 has a next recertification date of March 1, 2028, and must record 12 PDUs before submitting that application.
- New applicants. Anyone applying for RBT certification on or after January 1, 2026 meets the updated eligibility rules, including the updated 40-hour training and the RBT Initial Competency Assessment, which has to be completed after the training.
What counts as a PDU
The BACB accepts any combination of three sources.
- In-service training from your employer. A training run by your company qualifies when the organization documents it on the BACB's In-Service Event form. You upload that documentation to your BACB portal.
- ACE provider events offered as professional development. Authorized Continuing Education (ACE) providers can run PD events for RBTs. Each event has to include at least 25 minutes of instruction, for which 0.5 PDUs are awarded, so a one-hour event is typically worth one PDU. The BACB's page on in-service and ACE events has the details.
- University coursework. A behavior-analytic course at an accredited university counts when you earn a grade of C or better.
What does not count
- Your ongoing RBT supervision
- Training that is specific to one client or case
- Supervised fieldwork toward BCaBA or BCBA certification
- Continuing education (CE) events designed for BCBAs and BCaBAs, unless the ACE provider runs the event as a PD event for RBTs. Ask the provider which it is before you register.
- Reading articles or listening to podcasts on your own
PDU or CEU
RBTs earn PDUs. BCBAs and BCaBAs earn CEUs, which are continuing education units with their own rules. If you are an RBT working toward your BCBA, the RBT to BCBA pathway guide covers the supervised fieldwork side, which is separate from PDUs and does not count toward them.
How to record PDUs
Enter each PDU into your BACB portal account as soon as you have the supporting documentation, and keep the documents. Do not wait until your recertification date to upload two years of certificates. Reconstructing an in-service form from memory in month 23 is the failure mode to avoid.
Where to get PDUs free or at low cost
- Start with your two free PDUs. ABAshifts members get two complimentary courses from Outside the Box Trainings. Create your free profile to claim them.
- Get a full year of PDU courses at half price. ABAshifts members also get 50% off the first year of the Outside the Box Trainings PDU membership: $50 instead of $100 for its 12 core PDU courses, plus new trainings released every month. Buying the membership is optional; the two free PDUs are yours either way. Unlock the member price at the bottom of this post.
- Ask your employer. Most ABA companies already run team trainings. The change in 2026 is paperwork, not content: the company documents the event on the BACB form and you upload it. If your clinical director has not set this up yet, ask.
- ACE provider PD events. The BACB maintains a directory of ACE providers, and some offer free webinars. Before you register, confirm that the event is offered as a PD event for RBTs, and how many PDUs it awards.
- University coursework. Usually the most expensive route, and the one that also moves you toward a graduate program if that is your plan.
A simple 12-PDU plan
| When | Target | Where it usually comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Months 1 to 12 | 6 PDUs | Your 2 free PDUs, quarterly in-service trainings, plus ACE courses such as the half-price membership |
| Months 13 to 21 | 6 PDUs | The same mix, finished three months before your date |
| Months 22 to 24 | 0 new PDUs | Check the portal, fix any missing documentation, submit |
Finishing three months early leaves room for a cancelled training or a lost certificate.
A note from ABAshifts: companies on ABAshifts see your self-reported certification status while you browse jobs anonymously, and ABAshifts reminds you before your certification expires, so keep your profile's certification details current around your recertification date. ABAshifts is always free for therapists. See how ABAshifts works for RBTs.
Does your agency run its own training? Share RBT Turnover Is Real. Your Training Plan Still Has to Work. with your clinical director.
Sources
For ABAshifts members
Your 2 free PDUs are waiting
Outside the Box Trainings, a BACB ACE provider (OP-25-11974), is offering RBTs and BTs with an ABAshifts profile two complimentary PDUs and half off the first year of its PDU course membership. Create a free ABAshifts profile, or log in, to claim them.
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Nikeda Stanback, MEd, BCBA
Founder of Outside the Box Trainings, a BACB ACE provider (OP-25-11974) offering RBT professional development built around pop culture, humor and real ABA situations. outsidetheboxtrainings.com