The RBT Ethics Code 2.0, Explained

What the code is, and who it applies to

The Behavior Analyst Certification Board publishes the RBT Ethics Code as the professional standard every RBT applicant and certificant must follow. The code applies to all of your behavior-technician activities across settings and modalities: home, clinic, community, phone, email, text, video conference, or in person. It does not govern your personal life unless that personal behavior clearly poses a risk to the health and safety of clients, stakeholders, and coworkers.

Two enforcement realities are worth knowing up front. First, the BACB enforces the code through its Code-Enforcement Procedures, and complaints are processed under those procedures. Second, RBTs work under the direction and close supervision of a qualified supervisor (an RBT Supervisor or RBT Requirements Coordinator), who is responsible for all the work you perform. That is why so many standards say the same thing in different words: when in doubt, go to your supervisor first, document everything, and put the client's interest ahead of everything else.

The four core principles

The code is built on four foundational principles that every standard traces back to:

1. Benefit others. Your work should improve the lives of your clients and the people around them, never harm them.
2. Treat others with compassion, dignity, and respect. Cultural responsiveness, equity, and non-discrimination live here.
3. Behave with integrity. Honesty in what you say, accuracy in what you document, and accountability for what you do.
4. Ensure competence. Only practice what you have demonstrated you can do, under supervision, and stay current.

These principles are aspirational, the standards below are enforceable. But the principles matter on the exam because they are the lens the BACB wants you to use when a scenario does not fit neatly into one standard. Try the explorer below to see how each principle plays out in practice.

The section map: 3 sections, 29 standards

The code is organized into three numbered sections. Each section has its own theme, and the numbering tells you where you are: 1.xx for general conduct, 2.xx for service delivery, 3.xx for obligations to the BACB and your supervisor.

Key standards explained in plain language

The exam loves specific standards, especially these.

1.06: Prove competence before you practice

Standard 1.06 says you provide behavior-technician services only after your supervisor confirms you have demonstrated competence in them. This is the "do not wing it" rule. New client population, new intervention, new procedure: your supervisor watches, verifies you can do it, and signs off before you do it alone. The related standard 2.04 reinforces it for unfamiliar interventions and client populations.

1.10: Avoid multiple relationships

Standard 1.10 requires you to avoid multiple relationships with clients, coworkers, and supervisors. A multiple relationship is the mixing of two or more roles, for example friend plus therapist, or family member plus employee, that creates a conflict of interest and a risk of harm to the client. If one develops anyway, you must immediately inform your supervisor, work to resolve it, and document everything. If the multiple relationship is with your supervisor, you report it to their manager or another appropriate entity instead. This is the standard behind the "dual relationships" questions, and it is one of the most tested areas in the code.

1.11: The gift rule

Because gift exchange can create conflicts of interest and multiple relationships, standard 1.11 says you do not give or accept gifts with clients, stakeholders, or supervisors worth more than $10 (or equivalent purchasing power). Small occasional expressions of gratitude are acceptable, but ongoing or cumulative gifts that become a regular source of income or value to the recipient cross the line. If your employer has a stricter policy, you follow the employer's.

1.12: Romantic and sexual relationships

Standard 1.12 bans romantic or sexual relationships with current clients, stakeholders, and supervisors, period. For former clients and stakeholders, the ban lasts at least two years after the professional relationship ends. For former supervisors, you may not enter a romantic relationship until the professional relationship is documented as ended, and you may not receive supervision from someone you were romantically involved with until at least six months after the relationship ended.

2.08 and 2.09: Confidentiality, including social media

Standard 2.08 requires you to protect client confidentiality and privacy following BACB, employer, and legal requirements. Standard 2.09 is blunt and exam-favorite: you do not share identifying information about clients, photos, videos, or written information, on social media or websites. Standard 2.10 adds that you only discuss confidential client information under your supervisor's direction unless the law allows it for a valid reason, like protecting someone from harm.

3.04 and 3.05: Self-reporting and BACB intellectual property

Standard 3.04 requires you to know which events you must self-report to the BACB and other required entities. Standard 3.05 prohibits misusing BACB intellectual property, such as certification titles and exam content. Sharing real exam questions is a violation, which is why legitimate prep materials are always written in original words.

What is new in 2.0 versus the 2018 code

The 2.0 code replaced the RBT Ethics Code (2018) and took effect on January 1, 2022. The spirit is the same, but the document is clearer and more enforceable in several ways:

• Three explicit sections. The 2.0 code organizes everything into general responsibilities, responsibilities in providing services, and responsibilities to the BACB and supervisor, so each standard sits in a logical home.
• The four core principles, stated up front. The foundation is no longer implied; it is spelled out as benefit others, treat others with compassion, dignity, and respect, behave with integrity, and ensure competence.
• Sharper lines on relationships and gifts. Standards 1.10, 1.11, and 1.12 give precise rules: avoid multiple relationships, a $10 gift threshold, and explicit timeframes for romantic relationships with former clients, stakeholders, and supervisors.
• Modern confidentiality language. Standard 2.09 explicitly bans client-identifying information on social media and websites, reflecting how people actually communicate now.
• Clearer BACB obligations. Standards 3.04 through 3.07 spell out self-reporting, intellectual property, cooperation with enforcement, and keeping your BACB account current, including regularly checking your contact information.

If you studied under the 2018 code, the update is worth a fresh read. The exam is written against the current code, and the scenario traps changed with it. Our RBT ethics scenario guide walks through the judgment-call traps people fail most often.

How the code is enforced

Enforcement runs through the BACB's Code-Enforcement Procedures. Complaints are received and processed under those procedures, and an RBT named in a Notice of Alleged Violation must cooperate and complete any required actions. You also have a duty to inform the BACB of potential ethics violations by other BACB certificants. The code's own process for a suspected violation is simple: first bring it to your supervisor, document all actions you take (dates, people involved, outcomes), and keep the documentation. If it cannot be resolved directly, report it to the appropriate authority, such as your employer, licensure board, or law enforcement. If it involves a violation of the RBT Ethics Code or the Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts and is not resolved with your supervisor's support, report it to the BACB. Remember that the code also applies to how you treat colleagues, which our professionalism and scope guide covers in more detail.