How to start an ABA practice in Hawaii
Hawaii requires a Licensed Behavior Analyst (LBA) from Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs — Professional and Vocational Licensing Division (Behavior Analyst Program; regulated by the DCCA Director, no board) to operate an ABA practice. Fee: Initial: $260 if applying in a period ending December 31 of an even-numbered year ($50 application + $50 license + $100 compliance resolution fund + $60 half renewal). $150 if in a period ending December 31 of an odd-numbered year ($50 + $50 + $50 CRF).
- License required
- YesLicensed Behavior Analyst (LBA)
- Application fee
- See details
- Processing time
- —
- One-on-one ABA therapy by a technician
- $17.66per 15 min · $70.64/hr
- Organizations in the state
- 121NPPES, Sep 13, 2026
On this page
Hawaii aba provider license
Hawaii requires a Licensed Behavior Analyst (LBA) from Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs — Professional and Vocational Licensing Division (Behavior Analyst Program; regulated by the DCCA Director, no board) to operate an ABA practice. Fee: Initial: $260 if applying in a period ending December 31 of an even-numbered year ($50 application + $50 license + $100 compliance resolution fund + $60 half renewal). $150 if in a period ending December 31 of an odd-numbered year ($50 + $50 + $50 CRF).
- License required
- Yes
- License
- Licensed Behavior Analyst (LBA)
- Fee
- Initial: $260 if applying in a period ending December 31 of an even-numbered year ($50 application + $50 license + $100 compliance resolution fund + $60 half renewal). $150 if in a period ending December 31 of an odd-numbered year ($50 + $50 + $50 CRF).
- Renewal
- Every 2 years · Renew by December 31 of every odd-numbered year: $220 active, $12 inactive. Restoration within one year after expiration: $320 active, $112 inactive.
- Professional license
- board: DCCA Director (Professional and Vocational Licensing Division); statute: HRS Chapter 465D (Behavior Analysts), as amended by Act 167, SLH 2023; behavior analyst: License requires passing the BCBA exam and active BACB status as BCBA or BCBA-D.; assistant behavior analyst: Hawaii issues no assistant license. The law lets assistant behavior analysts work under a licensed behavior analyst's supervision.; technician: No state license. HRS 465D-7 exempts Registered Behavior Technicians who carry out ABA under the direction of an LBA, or a licensed psychologist after Act 167 (2023). BACB supervision rules still apply. People implementing ABA for 1915(c) I/DD Waiver participants are permanently exempt; people designing ABA for the Waiver must be LBAs, supervised assistants, or psychologists.; medicaid enrollment: Med-QUEST (DHS) pays for ABA through QUEST Integration. Detailed enrollment criteria were not found on a public page. For the DOH-DDD I/DD Waiver, ABA design must be done by licensed practitioners as of Act 167.
- Regulation
- HRS Chapter 465D; Act 167, SLH 2023
Steps to get licensed in Hawaii
In order, as the licensing agency describes the process.
- Pass the BCBA exam and keep active BACB certification (BCBA or BCBA-D)
- Request BACB verification of certification
- Submit the DCCA behavior analyst license application with fees
- Renew by December 31 of each odd-numbered year
What you need to submit
3 documents listed by the licensing agency.
Enrolling as a Hawaii Medicaid provider
- Program
- Hawaii Medicaid — Med-QUEST Division (QUEST Integration)
- Enrollment portal
- HOKU provider enrollment system
- Fiscal agent
- Med-QUEST's 2010 general-information manual names Affiliated Computer Services (ACS), a Xerox company, as fiscal agent; we found no newer Med-QUEST statement
- Application fee
- Med-QUEST's HOKU FAQ describes an application fee ($500 at the time it was written) charged at initial enrollment and at revalidation, temporarily waived during the COVID-19 emergency. The provider-type list shows which types need a site visit and/or fee (e.g., home health agencies need both). 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
- Med-QUEST runs fingerprint-based criminal history record checks (state repository and FBI), combined with Adult Protective Services and Child Abuse and Neglect registry checks, for certain provider requirements. 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
- Med-QUEST's provider-type requirements list says which provider types get a site visit (for example, home health agencies). 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
- Med-QUEST began revalidating all providers in 2017 and requires revalidation every five years. Federal rule (42 CFR 455.414): every enrolled provider must be revalidated at least once every 5 years.
Does Hawaii require a certificate of need?
- CON program
- Yes
- Program
- Certificate of Need
- Services covered
- hospitals
- extended care and rehabilitation centers
- nursing homes / skilled nursing facilities
- intermediate care facilities
- hospices requiring state licensure or certification
- kidney disease treatment centers / freestanding hemodialysis
- outpatient clinics and organized ambulatory health care facilities
- emergency care facilities
- home health agencies
- health maintenance organizations
Hawaii wage floor
- State minimum wage
- $16.00 an hour
- Effective
- 2026-01-01
- Scheduled increases
- Rises to $18.00 on 2028-01-01.
- 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.
Hawaii market size
Counts from federal public files: NPPES (active organization NPIs), CMS Care Compare and CMS Medicaid enrollment.
- Applied behavior analysis organizations — active organization NPIs (NPPES)
- 121 (as of Sep 13, 2026)
- Total Medicaid and CHIP enrollment (latest reported month)
- 391,710 (as of Jun 1, 2026)
What Hawaii Medicaid pays
Applied behavior analysis (ABA): published Hawaii fee-for-service rates, each linked to its source.
| Service | Code | Hawaii rate | Per hour | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| One-on-one ABA therapy by a technicianBehavior technician | 97153 | $17.66per 15 min | $70.64 | 16 of 42 |
| ABA therapy with plan changes by an analystBehavior analyst | 97155 | $35.94per 15 min | $143.76 | 9 of 41 |
| ABA assessment by a behavior analystBehavior analyst | 97151 | $28.52per 15 min | $114.08 | 23 of 41 |
| ABA assessment support by a technicianBehavior technician | 97152 | $20.24per 15 min | $80.96 | 13 of 29 |
| ABA parent and caregiver trainingBehavior analyst | 97156 | $46.20per 15 min | $184.80 | 2 of 43 |
Hawaii HCBS waivers
Medicaid home and community-based services programs that may pay for this service.
- HCB Services for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) Waiver (1915(c))
- QUEST Integration — long-term services and supports under Hawaii's Section 1115 demonstration (1115)
Frequently asked questions
Do you need a license to start an ABA practice in Hawaii?
Hawaii requires a Licensed Behavior Analyst (LBA) from Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs — Professional and Vocational Licensing Division (Behavior Analyst Program; regulated by the DCCA Director, no board) to operate an ABA practice. Fee: Initial: $260 if applying in a period ending December 31 of an even-numbered year ($50 application + $50 license + $100 compliance resolution fund + $60 half renewal). $150 if in a period ending December 31 of an odd-numbered year ($50 + $50 + $50 CRF).
How much does an ABA practice license cost in Hawaii?
Initial: $260 if applying in a period ending December 31 of an even-numbered year ($50 application + $50 license + $100 compliance resolution fund + $60 half renewal). $150 if in a period ending December 31 of an odd-numbered year ($50 + $50 + $50 CRF). Renewal: Every 2 years · Renew by December 31 of every odd-numbered year: $220 active, $12 inactive. Restoration within one year after expiration: $320 active, $112 inactive..
Does Hawaii require a certificate of need for an ABA practice?
Hawaii has a certificate of need program covering: hospitals, extended care and rehabilitation centers, nursing homes / skilled nursing facilities, intermediate care facilities, hospices requiring state licensure or certification, kidney disease treatment centers / freestanding hemodialysis, outpatient clinics and organized ambulatory health care facilities, emergency care facilities, home health agencies, health maintenance organizations. Check whether your service is on that list.
How do you become a Medicaid provider in Hawaii?
Enroll through HOKU provider enrollment system (https://hoku.hawaii.gov/UserRegistration), run by Med-QUEST's 2010 general-information manual names Affiliated Computer Services (ACS), a Xerox company, as fiscal agent; we found no newer Med-QUEST statement.
What does Hawaii Medicaid pay a ABA practice?
Hawaii Medicaid pays $17.66 per 15 min for one-on-one aba therapy by a technician, effective Jan 1, 2025, ranking 16 of 42 states.