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Montana licenses Mental Health Counselors/Therapists as Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC). Applicants generally complete a qualifying graduate degree, accrue post-degree supervised clinical experience, and pass a national examination. Verify current education, supervised-experience, examination, renewal, and continuing education requirements directly with the Montana Board of Behavioral Health.
A master's or doctoral degree primarily counseling in nature — either at least 60 semester credits from a CACREP-accredited program, or at least 60 semester (90 quarter) credits from an accredited program covering the CACREP core competencies (credits earned more than 6 years before graduation do not count) — per ARM 24.219.605 and MCA 37-23-202. Verify current requirements with the Montana Board of Behavioral Health.
One of the NBCC examinations — the National Counselor Examination (NCE) or the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE); no separate state jurisprudence exam is indicated on the Board's checklist. Verify current requirements with the Montana Board of Behavioral Health.
3,000 hours of supervised work experience (up to 1,500 may be pre-degree within the graduate program), with post-degree hours including at least 1,000 hours of direct client contact under face-to-face supervision (no more than 250 in group/co-facilitative therapy), and at least one hour of face-to-face supervision per 20 hours of counseling (ARM 24.219.604). Verify current requirements with the Montana Board of Behavioral Health.
Montana participates in the Counseling Compact. It was enacted via SB 50 (2023) but is not yet operational — the Board states it is still completing implementation (fees, background checks, IT systems, application process) with no estimated date. License portability is also available by endorsement. Verify current requirements with the Montana Board of Behavioral Health.
Telehealth practice is governed by state law and board rules. Verify current telehealth requirements with the Montana Board of Behavioral Health.
Other licensed behavioral-health professions in Montana. Each links to its own full state guide — always verify current requirements with the relevant official board.
This guide is for general informational purposes only and should not be treated as legal, licensing, or employment advice. Counselor licensing laws, board rules, education and supervised-experience requirements, examinations, and renewal requirements vary by state and may change. Always verify current requirements directly with the official state counseling licensing board or applicable regulatory agency.