Wyoming BCaBA Requirements: Hours, Exams & Step-by-Step Guide

Wyoming’s regulation of assistant behavior analysts is built around your national BCaBA certification rather than a separate, state‑specific set of experience hours. The Wyoming State Board of Psychology licenses you as an “assistant behavior analyst,” but it relies almost entirely on the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) to define the education and experience standards behind that credential.

Below is a structured overview of what Wyoming actually requires, and where (if at all) specific hour counts appear.

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1. How Wyoming classifies BCaBAs

Wyoming law uses the term “licensed assistant behavior analyst” for what most people know as a BCaBA. The practice of behavior analysis is regulated under the Psychology and Behavior Analysts Practice Act, administered by the Wyoming State Board of Psychology. (law.justia.com)

The Board’s forms page makes clear that it licenses:

“Behavior Analysts and Behavior Analyst Assistants”

and that no person may practice as a Behavior Analyst or Assistant Behavior Analyst without first obtaining a license from the Board. (psychology.wyo.gov)

Medicaid regulations use the same concept, referring to a “Licensed Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst (BCaBA), as defined by the [BACB] and the Wyoming Board of Psychology (W.S. 33‑27‑124 and 33‑27‑125).” (law.cornell.edu)

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2. Core statutory requirement for Wyoming BCaBA licensure

The central licensure provision is Wyoming Statutes § 33‑27‑124, “Requirements for licensure; behavior analysis.” For assistant behavior analysts it states:

• The Board “shall issue a license as … an assistant behavior analyst” to an applicant who:
  • files the application in the manner prescribed by the Board,
  • pays the required fee, and
  • “for licensure as an assistant behavior analyst, … holds a current certification as a board certified assistant behavior analyst” verified with the certifying entity (i.e., BACB). (law.justia.com)

There is no additional Wyoming‑specific list of coursework, practicum, or numeric experience hours in this statute. The state simply requires:

Current BCaBA certification + a completed state application + fee (and standard licensing checks such as fingerprints/background).

So, in answer to the kind of example you gave (“1,500 hours of direct experience and 1,500 hours of supervised experience”):
Wyoming does not set any such separate hour totals in its own law for BCaBA licensure. It adopts the BACB’s certification requirements by reference.

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3. Where Wyoming puts the “hours” requirement: deferring to the BACB

Wyoming’s Practice Act introduces the concept of a “certifying entity”, defined as the BACB or another credentialing body accredited by a national standards organization and that ensures certificants have the necessary “qualifications, education and experience.” (law.justia.com)

The key experience language appears in the exemptions section, addressing people who are still accruing fieldwork before licensure:

• An “unlicensed person who is pursuing experience in applied behavior analysis” is exempt from needing a license as long as:
  • their experience is consistent with the experience requirements of the certifying entity, and
  • the experience is **supervised in accordance with the requirements of the certifying entity and Board rules. (law.justia.com)

In other words:

• Wyoming does not specify its own number or type of pre‑licensure hours (e.g., “X direct, Y supervised”).
• Instead, the state tells you that, while you are gaining hours, you must follow BACB experience/fieldwork rules—whatever those are at the time—because those are what it will rely on when it verifies your BCaBA certification for licensure.

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4. Types of hours you must have for BCaBA certification (BACB level, not Wyoming‑specific)

Because Wyoming’s only real substantive requirement is “you must already be a BCaBA,” the practical hour requirements you face are those imposed by the BACB for BCaBA eligibility.

The BACB does not phrase these as “direct vs supervised hours” the way some state boards do. Instead, the BCaBA system centers on supervised fieldwork with:

• Restricted activities – direct delivery of behavior‑analytic services to clients (e.g., implementing programs).
• Unrestricted activities – activities like assessments, data analysis, program design, caregiver training, etc., that mirror the broader responsibilities of a BCaBA. (bacb.com)

Key features of BACB supervised fieldwork for BCaBA candidates include (high level, as defined in the BCaBA Handbook and official FAQs): (bacb.com)

• You must complete a specified total number of supervised fieldwork hours (the exact total is set in the current BCaBA Handbook and can change over time).
• Fieldwork can be done as:
  • Supervised fieldwork, or
  • Concentrated supervised fieldwork (which requires a higher supervision percentage).
• For each supervisory period (usually a month), BACB policy specifies that:
  • A minimum percentage of your fieldwork hours must be supervised (for example, 5% for standard supervised fieldwork and 10% for concentrated supervised fieldwork, per current BACB FAQ tables). (bacb.com)
  • Supervision must include a minimum number of real‑time, face‑to‑face contacts, with at least half of supervised hours delivered individually (not just in group meetings). (bacb.com)
  • No more than a set proportion of fieldwork hours may be “restricted”; BCaBA rules currently limit restricted activities to no more than 60% of total fieldwork hours so that you get enough experience in higher‑level tasks. (bacb.com)

Because the BACB updated the BCaBA Handbook as recently as August 25, 2025, and states like Wyoming incorporate those standards by reference, the safest approach is:

• Treat all specific hour counts (total hours, monthly maximums, etc.) as BACB‑controlled,
• and check the current BCaBA Handbook directly for the exact numerical requirements that will apply at the time you apply for certification.

From Wyoming’s perspective, fulfilling these BACB fieldwork hours and supervision requirements is what makes you “qualified” for BCaBA certification, which in turn is the prerequisite for state licensure.

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5. Post‑licensure supervision hours defined by Wyoming

Unlike pre‑licensure experience hours, Wyoming does spell out numeric supervision requirements for already‑licensed BCaBAs. These appear in the Wyoming Administrative Code, Chapter 14, Section 14‑5, titled “Supervision – BCaBA.” (regulations.justia.com)

The rules state that:

1. Who may supervise a licensed BCaBA

   A BCaBA’s supervisor must be either:

   • A licensed BCBA in Wyoming, certified by the BACB and without current disciplinary sanctions, or
   • A licensed psychologist in Wyoming who is certified by the American Board of Professional Psychology in Behavioral and Cognitive Psychology and who was tested in applied behavior analysis. (regulations.justia.com)

2. Amount of supervision – the only explicit “hours” Wyoming requires for BCaBAs

   Wyoming requires ongoing supervision to be:

   “at least two percent (2%) of the total behavior‑analytic service hours provided per month.” (regulations.justia.com)

   Practically, that means:

   • If you provide 160 hours of behavior‑analytic services in a month, your Wyoming‑required supervision time must total at least 3.2 hours for that month.
   • The 2% formula is applied to your actual, monthly service hours, not to a fixed lifetime total.

3. Frequency of meetings

   The rule further requires that:

   the BCaBA and supervisor must meet “at least once during each month” in which the BCaBA provides behavior‑analytic services. (regulations.justia.com)

4. Format of supervision

   Wyoming allows supervision to be flexible in format:

   • It “may include a combination of group and individual supervision, multiple supervisors, and multiple observation methods.” (regulations.justia.com)

These are the only explicit, numeric “hour” or percentage requirements for BCaBAs written into Wyoming’s own rules, and they apply after you’re licensed, not while you’re accruing BACB fieldwork.

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6. Step‑by‑step path to becoming a licensed BCaBA in Wyoming

Putting the statutory and regulatory pieces together, the process looks like this:

Step 1 – Complete BCaBA‑eligible education (BACB requirement)

• Earn a bachelor’s degree in behavior analysis, psychology, education, or another field accepted by the BACB.
• Complete BACB‑approved behavior‑analytic coursework that meets all current BCaBA eligibility standards. Specific course content and hour requirements are detailed in the BCaBA Handbook and university guidance, not in Wyoming law. (bacb.com)

Step 2 – Complete required supervised fieldwork (BACB requirement)

• Arrange supervised fieldwork in applied behavior analysis under a qualified supervisor (BCBA or psychologist who meets BACB supervisor criteria). (bacb.com)
• Accrue the required total fieldwork hours and supervision percentages according to the current BCaBA Handbook (e.g., supervised vs concentrated supervised fieldwork, restricted vs unrestricted activities).
• Ensure your hours:
  • Meet the BACB’s percentage of supervised hours per month,
  • Include sufficient unrestricted activities, and
  • Are documented according to BACB standards. (bacb.com)

Wyoming law recognizes that while you are doing this, you may legally practice under supervision without a state license as long as your experience and supervision match BACB requirements and stay within the scope of the exemption for trainees. (law.justia.com)

Step 3 – Obtain national BCaBA certification

• Apply to the BACB for BCaBA certification once you have the required degree, coursework, and supervised fieldwork. (bacb.com)
• Pass the BCaBA examination administered by Pearson VUE (175 multiple‑choice questions, 4‑hour time limit, per current BACB exam information). (bacb.com)
• Maintain an active, good‑standing BCaBA certification and comply with BACB ethics and ongoing supervision requirements.

Step 4 – Apply for Wyoming assistant behavior analyst licensure

With your BCaBA credential in hand, you then complete the state licensure process:

1. Obtain the “BCBA and BCaBA Application for Licensure” from the Wyoming Board of Psychology forms page. (psychology.wyo.gov)
2. Submit fingerprints following the Board’s “Fingerprint Card Instructions” for state and national criminal history checks (required for all applicants). (psychology.wyo.gov)
3. Provide:
   • The completed application,
   • Any supporting documents (e.g., proof of lawful presence, as summarized by secondary sources), (onlineabaprograms.org)
   • The licensing fee, and
   • Arrange for the BACB to send direct verification of your BCaBA certification to the Board. (onlineabaprograms.org)
4. Wait for Board review and issuance of your Wyoming assistant behavior analyst license under § 33‑27‑124. (law.justia.com)

Step 5 – Practice under required supervision in Wyoming

Once licensed:

• You may engage in the “practice of behavior analysis” only under the supervision of a licensed behavior analyst or licensed psychologist, as required by § 33‑27‑124(c). (law.justia.com)
• Your ongoing supervision must equal at least 2% of your monthly behavior‑analytic service hours, and you must meet with your supervisor at least once in every month you provide services, as detailed in Wyoming Administrative Code Chapter 14, Section 14‑5. (regulations.justia.com)
• You must also continue meeting BACB ongoing supervision rules for BCaBAs, as outlined in the BCaBA Handbook (e.g., minimum ongoing supervision percentages, documentation, and supervisor qualifications). (bacb.com)

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7. Direct answer on “type of hours” in Wyoming’s own rules

Summarizing strictly from the standpoint of Wyoming State Board of Psychology requirements:

• Pre‑licensure (to qualify for BCaBA certification):

  • Wyoming does not specify a set number of “direct” vs “supervised” hours.
  • Instead, the state explicitly defers to the “experience requirements of the certifying entity” (BACB) and requires that experience be supervised according to BACB rules. (law.justia.com)

• Licensure itself:

  • For an assistant behavior analyst license, Wyoming requires only that you “hold a current certification as a board certified assistant behavior analyst” (BCaBA), plus the usual application, fee, and verification. No numerical hour totals are written into the licensing statute. (law.justia.com)

• Post‑licensure practice in Wyoming:

  • The only explicit, numeric hour/percentage requirement in Wyoming’s own rules for BCaBAs is:
    • “Ongoing supervision must comprise at least two percent (2%) of the total behavior‑analytic service hours provided per month,”
    • plus at least one BCaBA–supervisor meeting per month, with supervision allowed to be a mix of group/individual and different observation methods. (regulations.justia.com)

So, unlike some states that might list something like “1,500 hours of direct experience and 1,500 hours of supervised experience,” Wyoming does not break down BCaBA experience hours that way in statute or rule.
Your numeric fieldwork hours come from the BACB, and Wyoming’s own contribution is the 2% ongoing monthly supervision requirement and the mandate that you hold and maintain valid BCaBA certification.