How many hours do I need for an LCPC in Montana?

3,000 hours of supervised clinical professional counseling practice; up to 1,500 may be obtained pre-degree

Is there a time limit for completing the hours in Montana?

supervised work experience must be obtained in the 5 years before application; candidate registers annually, up to 5 times unless approved

Which exams are required for an LCPC in Montana?

NCE or NCMHCE (candidate may be approved to register for the exam any time during candidacy)

Can I be supervised by video in Montana?

Mostly, with some limits. LCPC: 1 hour of face-to-face supervision per 20 hours of counseling (ARM 24.219.604(3)); face-to-face includes real-time audio-visual (ARM 24.219.301(13))

Montana requirements

LCPC requirements in Montana

What it takes to become a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in Montana: 3,000 supervised hours, plus supervision, time limits, exams and whether you can be supervised by video. Every figure is sourced to the state board and dated.

Sourced to Montana Board of Behavioral Health (Department of Labor and Industry)Checked September 25, 2026Not individually reviewed by a clinicianAbout this site

Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (professional counselor) · Montana · regulated by Montana Board of Behavioral Health (Department of Labor and Industry) · high confidence

Pre-license credential	LCPC Candidate (PCLC)
Supervised experience	3,000 hours of supervised clinical professional counseling practice; up to 1,500 may be obtained pre-degree
Direct client contact	post-degree hours must include 1,000 hours direct client contact under face-to-face supervision in a clinical setting; ≤250 in group/co-facilitative therapy
Time limit	supervised work experience must be obtained in the 5 years before application; candidate registers annually, up to 5 times unless approved
Exams	NCE or NCMHCE (candidate may be approved to register for the exam any time during candidacy)

Supervision

How often: at least one hour of face-to-face supervision and consultation for every 20 hours of professional counseling
Who may supervise: LCSW, LCPC, LMFT, licensed psychologist, or licensed board-certified psychiatrist. New supervisors (from 8/22/2026): active license, licensed ≥3 yrs excluding candidacy, AND 1 semester credit or 20 hrs board-approved supervision training (post-degree, post-candidacy); earlier supervisors grandfathered

When hours count and what to keep

Before your degree: up to 1,500 of the 3,000 hours may be pre-degree if approved by the graduate program
Paperwork: Training and supervision plan; Supervision Attestation form (supervision changes within 20 business days); Supervised Work Experience Evaluation / supervised experience attestation signed by candidate and each supervisor

Can you be supervised remotely in Montana?

Mostly, with some limits. What shapes this: prior board approval.

Video supervision: LCPC: 1 hour of face-to-face supervision per 20 hours of counseling (ARM 24.219.604(3)); face-to-face includes real-time audio-visual (ARM 24.219.301(13))
Phone only: not allowed (face-to-face electronic supervision must provide both audio and visual interaction)
Supervisor licensed in Montana? other: active license in good standing "in the jurisdiction in which the supervision is occurring" (new supervisors from 8/22/2026); whether a remote out-of-state supervisor needs a Montana license is not stated
Supervisor credential: No supervisor registration/license; new supervisors (from 8/22/2026) need ≥3 yrs licensure excluding candidacy + 1 grad semester credit or 20 hrs board-approved supervision training (not during grad school/candidacy); pre-8/22/2026 supervisors exempt from the training
Board approval first: Candidate license required before post-degree hours count; candidate submits a training and supervision plan with at least one qualified supervisor of record; later plan updates/supervisor changes need no further approval unless non-conforming (report within 20 business days)
If you live outside Montana: Board treats practice as occurring in Montana when the client is physically in Montana, regardless of the candidate's location; candidate should check the other state's laws

The client’s location decides which state’s rules apply. This is not legal advice; confirm with the board before building a program. Compare every state on the remote-supervision map.

Recent and pending changes

2023 HB 137 (Ch. 713) moved licensing to Title 37 ch. 39; ARM subchapter rewritten 2024. MAR 2026-512 (eff. Aug 22, 2026) changed supervisor qualifications, exam timing, 5-year window, candidate registrations.

Where the rules are unclear

Montana’s own documents disagree or are silent on these points. Ask the board if they affect you:

For video supervision across state lines, is supervision "occurring" in Montana (so the supervisor needs a Montana license) or where the supervisor sits? ARM 24.219.421(2)(a) wording is ambiguous.
Does a private (group) counseling practice qualify as a "clinical setting" (public and/or private agency) for the 1,000 post-degree direct hours under ARM 24.219.604(2)?

In the board’s own words

“completed 3,000 hours of supervised clinical professional counseling practice” — MCA 37-39-309(2)(b) — official ARM viewer, active version✓ matched in the source

“supervisors must provide at least one hour of face-to-face supervision and consultation for every 20 hours of professional counseling” — ARM 24.219.604(3) — official ARM viewer, active version✓ checked by hand

“Up to 1500 of the 3000 hours ... may be obtained pre-degree under the academic requirements of the degree program.” — ARM 24.219.604(1) — official ARM viewer, active version✓ checked by hand

“Supervised work experience must have been obtained in the five years prior to application for licensure.” — ARM 24.219.301(27) — official ARM viewer, active version✓ checked by hand

“National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) National Counselor examination (NCE); or ... NBCC National Clinical Mental Health Counseling examination (NCMHCE)” — ARM 24.219.403(1)(d) — official ARM viewer, eff. 8/22/2026✓ checked by hand

“A candidate, CBHPSS, or CFPSS cannot practice without a supervisor as described in this chapter.” — ARM 24.219.422(9) — official ARM viewer✓ checked by hand

“"Face-to-face" means supervision of a candidate by the supervisor which is either: (a) in-person; or (b) electronically.” — ARM 24.219.301(6),(9),(10),(13) DEFINITIONS (active version eff. 8/22/2026)✓ checked by hand

“(iv) be simultaneous; and (v) provide for both audio and visual interaction.” — ARM 24.219.301(6),(9),(10),(13) DEFINITIONS (active version eff. 8/22/2026)✓ matched in the source

“Does the board allow both telepractice and telesupervision? Yes.” — BBH Candidate and Peer Support Supervision FAQ (updated 9/9/26), p.1-4✓ matched in the source

“You are considered to be practicing in Montana if your client is physically located in Montana regardless of your physical location.” — BBH Candidate and Peer Support Supervision FAQ (updated 9/9/26), p.1-4✓ matched in the source

“"Direct client contact" means physical presence, telephonic presence, or interactive video link presence of the client” — ARM 24.219.301(6),(9),(10),(13) DEFINITIONS (active version eff. 8/22/2026)✓ checked by hand

“have an active license in good standing in the jurisdiction in which the supervision is occurring” — ARM 24.219.421(2)-(4) SUPERVISOR QUALIFICATIONS (active version eff. 8/22/2026)✓ matched in the source

10 more quotes are in the state explorer.

Other licenses in Montana

Sources

Checked against Montana Board of Behavioral Health (Department of Labor and Industry)’s rules, statutes and publications on September 25, 2026. The board decides; if your situation is unusual, confirm with them.

Track your hours as you earn them

Practice Harbor is free while you are pre-licensed. It counts your clinical hours from the sessions you mark as attended, and you can add outside hours by hand.

Start free with Practice Harbor All requirements

General information, not legal advice. Requirements are summarized from each state’s licensing board, statutes and regulations on the date shown; the board decides, and rules change. Becoming Licensed is not affiliated with any licensing board.