How many sections does the 2022 BACB Ethics Code have?

Six sections with numbered standards from 1.01 through 6.11: (1) Responsibility as a Professional, (2) Responsibility in Practice, (3) Responsibility to Clients and Stakeholders, (4) Responsibility to Supervisees and Trainees, (5) Responsibility in Public Statements, and (6) Responsibility in Research.

What ethics code applies to RBTs?

Registered Behavior Technicians follow the separate RBT Ethics Code (2.0), also published by the BACB. RBTs must work under the supervision of a BCBA or BCaBA, who carries supervisory obligations under Section 4 of the Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts.

Are dual relationships prohibited in ABA?

The 2022 Code addresses multiple relationships in Standard 1.11. Behavior analysts avoid entering multiple relationships when they could reasonably impair objectivity or effectiveness or risk exploitation, and they disclose and resolve unavoidable ones. Not every dual relationship is an automatic violation — the standard turns on risk of harm and impaired judgment.

Can a BCBA accept gifts from clients?

Standard 1.12 prohibits behavior analysts from giving or accepting gifts worth more than $10 in value, because gift exchange can create multiple relationships. Explaining this policy to clients at service onset is considered best practice.

How do I report an ethics violation to the BACB?

The BACB accepts Notices of Alleged Violation through its online ethics reporting process. Before reporting, the Code generally expects an attempt to resolve the issue informally when doing so is safe and appropriate (Standard 1.05 and the Code's enforcement documents describe the process).

What replaced the BACB Professional and Ethical Compliance Code?

The 2014 Professional and Ethical Compliance Code was replaced by the Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts on January 1, 2022. The BACB publishes a crosswalk mapping old standards to the current ones.

Ethics Guides › ABA / BACB

What Is the BACB Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts?

By the Ask Ethyl team · Reviewed against the official BACB Ethics Code · Updated July 2026

The Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts is the enforceable ethics code published by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB), effective January 1, 2022. It binds all BCBAs and BCaBAs and organizes 84 numbered standards into six sections, from professional responsibility (1.01) through research (6.11).

The Code contains 6 sections and 84 numbered standards (1.01–6.11), plus core principles and a glossary.
It applies to every BCBA and BCaBA; RBTs follow the separate RBT Ethics Code (2.0).
It replaced the 2014 Professional and Ethical Compliance Code on January 1, 2022.

What are the six sections of the 2022 Code?

Section	Covers	Frequently referenced standards
1. Responsibility as a Professional	Integrity, competence, bias, multiple relationships, gifts	1.05 competence · 1.11 multiple relationships · 1.12 gifts
2. Responsibility in Practice	Effective treatment, consent, documentation, confidentiality	2.01 effective treatment · 2.08 confidentiality · 2.11 consent
3. Responsibility to Clients & Stakeholders	Client rights, service agreements, transitions, abandonment	3.01 client responsibility · 3.14–3.16 transitions
4. Responsibility to Supervisees & Trainees	Supervision competence, volume, feedback, evaluation	4.01 supervisory competence · 4.06 feedback
5. Responsibility in Public Statements	Advertising, testimonials, social media, media appearances	5.02 misleading statements · 5.10 social media
6. Responsibility in Research	Consent, IRB review, plagiarism, data integrity	6.02 research review · 6.04 informed consent

Who enforces the BACB Ethics Code?

The BACB's Ethics Department reviews Notices of Alleged Violation against certificants. Outcomes range from educational requirements and practice restrictions to suspension or revocation of certification, and disciplinary actions are published in the BACB's registry. State licensure boards for behavior analysis add a separate legal layer in states that license the profession.

How does the 2022 Code differ from the 2014 Compliance Code?

The 2022 Code reorganized standards around professional roles, added explicit core principles (benefit others; treat others with compassion, dignity, and respect; behave with integrity; ensure competence), expanded telehealth and social media coverage, and clarified requirements around cultural responsiveness and bias. The BACB publishes an official crosswalk mapping old standards to new ones.

Beyond the BACB: other ABA standards worth knowing

The CASP ABA Practice Guidelines define professional-consensus treatment standards used by payers, the BHCOE accreditation standards benchmark organizational quality, and the QABA Ethical Guidelines bind QBA, QASP-S, and ABAT credential holders. Practicing consistently with these supports — but does not replace — your BACB obligations.

Common questions

What is the BACB Ethics Code?: The Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts is the enforceable ethics code published by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB), effective January 1, 2022. It applies to all BCBAs and BCaBAs and contains six sections covering responsibility as a professional, practice, clients, supervisees, public statements, and research.
How many sections does the 2022 BACB Ethics Code have?: Six sections with numbered standards from 1.01 through 6.11: (1) Responsibility as a Professional, (2) Responsibility in Practice, (3) Responsibility to Clients and Stakeholders, (4) Responsibility to Supervisees and Trainees, (5) Responsibility in Public Statements, and (6) Responsibility in Research.
What ethics code applies to RBTs?: Registered Behavior Technicians follow the separate RBT Ethics Code (2.0), also published by the BACB. RBTs must work under the supervision of a BCBA or BCaBA, who carries supervisory obligations under Section 4 of the Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts.
Are dual relationships prohibited in ABA?: The 2022 Code addresses multiple relationships in Standard 1.11. Behavior analysts avoid entering multiple relationships when they could reasonably impair objectivity or effectiveness or risk exploitation, and they disclose and resolve unavoidable ones. Not every dual relationship is an automatic violation — the standard turns on risk of harm and impaired judgment.
Can a BCBA accept gifts from clients?: Standard 1.12 prohibits behavior analysts from giving or accepting gifts worth more than $10 in value, because gift exchange can create multiple relationships. Explaining this policy to clients at service onset is considered best practice.
How do I report an ethics violation to the BACB?: The BACB accepts Notices of Alleged Violation through its online ethics reporting process. Before reporting, the Code generally expects an attempt to resolve the issue informally when doing so is safe and appropriate (Standard 1.05 and the Code's enforcement documents describe the process).
What replaced the BACB Professional and Ethical Compliance Code?: The 2014 Professional and Ethical Compliance Code was replaced by the Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts on January 1, 2022. The BACB publishes a crosswalk mapping old standards to the current ones.

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