Montana Counselor License Requirements
What types of counseling licenses does Montana offer?
Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC)
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT)
What are the requirements to become a counselor in Montana?
Clinical Professional Counselors must complete a 60 semester or 90 quarter hour counseling related graduate degree. A candidate may apply when they have completed a 45 semester or 67.5 quarter hour counseling related degree if the individual goes back to school to complete the education requirement. You must also complete 3,000 supervised practice hours, a minimum of 1,500 hours must be post degree. After the board has reviewed and approved the application, the applicant must then pass the National Counselor Exam and the National Clinical Mental Health Counselor exam.
Licensed Clinical Social Workers must have a master’s degree or doctorate in social work, complete 3,000 hours of supervised post-degree psychotherapy.
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists must have a master’s or doctoral degree in marriage and family therapy or a graduate degree in an allied field that the board determines to be the equivalent. LMFTs must complete 3,000 hours of supervised (1,000 hours face to face) client contact.
How do I get a license to practice counseling in Montana?
Submit the correct Application for Licensure to the Montana Board of Social Work Examiners and Professional Counselors (MBSWEPC). Be sure to include any documents listed on the application such as exam verification, transcripts, reference letters and fees.
Send your documents to:
Montana Board of Social Work Examiners and Professional Counselors
PO Box 200513
301 S Park, 4th floor
Helena, Montana 59620-0513
Phone: (406) 841-2203
Fax: (406) 841-2305
How much does the counselor license cost?
LCPC fees:
$50.00 application fee;
$50.00 original license fee;
$120.00 exam fee
LCSW fees:
$50.00 application fee;
$50.00 original license fee;
$260.00 exam fee
LMFT fees:
$100.00 application and license fee;
$350.00 exam fee
The annual renewal fee for all three licenses is $175.00.
Are there any continuing education requirements for social workers and counselors in Montana?
Montana counselors must complete twenty hours of continuing education per year.
Does a Montana Counselor need to be a certain type of business entity?
In addition to becoming a Montana licensed counselor, you may want to start your own counseling practice. Registering your Montana business entity with the Secretary of State offers many benefits and protections for counselors. Montana allows counselors to choose the entity that best suits their needs. Counselors may form standard partnerships, corporations, limited liability companies, etc. Counselors may also create professional corporations (PC) and professional limited liability companies (PLLC). These professional entities allow licensed individuals to form a corporation or LLC for the purpose of practicing their profession. Shareholders must also be licensed to render the service as must half of the officers and directors. Montana does not require entities to include a description of the service (such as the word “counselor” or “counseling”) in the business name. If you choose to form a PC in Montana, you are required to file the Articles of Incorporation with the licensing authority, in this case, the Montana Board of Social Work Examiners and Professional Counselors.
Once you have chosen the type of entity you want to form, we can file the appropriate documents with the Montana Secretary of State for you or provide all the information you need to do it yourself. We provide business formation services and ongoing business compliance services and act as your registered agent for just under $300.00. You get your Montana Counselor License and we will properly form your Montana business. And for just $49 per year, we will provide ongoing business compliance services by acting as your Montana Registered Agent.
MBSWEPC forms:
http://bsd.dli.mt.gov
Montana SOS forms:
http://sos.mt.gov