How to start an ABA practice in Arizona

Arizona requires a Licensed Behavior Analyst from Arizona Board of Psychologist Examiners to operate an ABA practice. Fee: $350.

License required

Yes

License

Licensed Behavior Analyst

Issuing agency

Arizona Board of Psychologist Examiners

Fee

$350

Fee details

Application for an active (new) behavior analysis license: $350 (board fee schedule). Initial license issuance fee is prorated to the renewal date (A.R.S. 32-2091.07).

Renewal

Every 2 years · Active license renewal $500 and inactive renewal $85 per the board fee schedule; renewal is due by the last day of the licensee's birth month every other year.

Professional license

board: Arizona Board of Psychologist Examiners; statute: A.R.S. 32-2091 to 32-2091.16; A.A.C. Title 4, Ch. 26; behavior analyst: License required to practice; applicant must be 21 or older, pay fees, meet board requirements, and (since 2022) apply for a fingerprint clearance card.; assistant behavior analyst: Arizona issues no separate assistant license. Statute defines 'supervisee' as someone working under a behavior analyst's extended authority. AHCCCS treats BCaBAs as 'behavior analysis trainees' who need ongoing supervision.; technician: No state technician license. Under AHCCCS AMPM 320-S, a behavior technician must hold a credential from a national behavior analyst certification board, or meet the Title 9 behavioral health technician definition with clinical oversight.; agency or clinic license: No ABA-specific facility license was found. For AHCCCS, an ABA organization enrolls as provider type AB (ABA Org): high risk level, with a site visit, fingerprint background check, enrollment fee, NPI, and proof of at least one Arizona LBA.; medicaid enrollment: AHCCCS covers ABA under AMPM Policy 320-S. Provider type AB (ABA Org) enrollment requires a signed profile form, owner attestation, and a licensed behavior analyst attestation.

Regulation

A.R.S. 32-2091 et seq.; AHCCCS AMPM 320-S

1. Apply to the Board of Psychologist Examiners with the required fee
2. Apply for a DPS fingerprint clearance card
3. Meet the board's education, experience and exam requirements
4. Renew every two years by the end of your birth month

Staffing

• AHCCCS 'AB' organizations must have at least one Arizona-licensed behavior analyst providing services and attesting on the provider profile form

Program

Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS)

Enrollment portal

AHCCCS Provider Enrollment Portal (APEP)

Fiscal agent

None — AHCCCS runs provider enrollment and its own claims system in-house

Application fee

AHCCCS charges the enrollment fee to non-individual provider types at enrollment and can charge it again at revalidation; AHCCCS lists $750 for calendar year 2026, matching Medicare's fee. Federal rule (42 CFR 455.460): the state must collect the CMS application fee from institutional providers that are newly enrolling or re-enrolling; individual physicians and non-physician practitioners are exempt, as are providers already enrolled in (or that already paid the fee to) Medicare or another state's Medicaid/CHIP. CMS set the fee at $750 for calendar year 2026.

Fingerprinting

AHCCCS requires the fingerprint-based criminal background check (FCBC) only for high-risk provider types. Federal rule (42 CFR 455.434, 455.450(c)): providers the state places in the 'high' categorical risk level, and anyone owning 5% or more of such a provider, must submit fingerprints for a criminal background check.

Site visit

AHCCCS applies site visits to moderate- and high-risk provider types, at enrollment and at revalidation. Federal rule (42 CFR 455.432, 455.450(b)-(c)): the state must do site visits before and after enrollment for providers in the 'moderate' or 'high' risk levels, and any enrolled provider must allow unannounced on-site inspections.

Revalidation

AHCCCS requires revalidation every four years (stricter than the federal five) and may call for off-cycle revalidation; providers get 90 days from notice or their enrollment is terminated. Federal rule (42 CFR 455.414): every enrolled provider must be revalidated at least once every 5 years.

Full Arizona Medicaid enrollment guide →

CON program

No

Agency

Arizona Department of Health Services (ambulance certificates of necessity only)

Arizona certificate of need details →

State minimum wage

$15.15 an hour

Effective

2026-01-01

Scheduled increases

Rises to $15.65 on 2027-01-01 (annual CPI adjustment announced by the Industrial Commission).

HCBS 80/20 rule

Federal baseline: 42 CFR 441.302(k) requires the state to show that each provider spends at least 80% of Medicaid payments for homemaker, home health aide and personal care services under 1915(c) waivers on direct care worker pay and benefits. Compliance starts 2030-07-09 (for managed care, the first rating period starting on or after that date); annual payment-adequacy reporting under 441.311(e) starts 2028-07-09. A state may set a lower share for state-defined small providers and exempt providers facing hardship, each only through a public notice-and-comment process. The eCFR text has not changed since 2024-07-09. No state-published 80/20 implementation step (small-provider criteria, hardship exemption or reporting guidance) was found for this state in the official sources reviewed.

Applied behavior analysis organizations — active organization NPIs (NPPES)

375 (as of Sep 13, 2026)

Total Medicaid and CHIP enrollment (latest reported month)

1,611,827 (as of Jun 1, 2026)

All Arizona ABA Medicaid rates, ranked →

• Arizona Long Term Care System (ALTCS) — AHCCCS Section 1115 demonstration (1115)

Arizona waivers and waiting lists →