Continuing-education / CPD renewal requirements for behavioral and mental health licenses in Montana — hours or CPD model per cycle, mandated topics, live/interactive rules, and home-study limits. Pick a license for the full breakdown.
VerifiedMontana
LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker)
20hours / 1-year renewal cycle
No live / interactive hours required — all hours may be self-study
Mandated topics
- Suicide prevention — 2 hMinimum 2 hours required at the licensee's first renewal and every two years thereafter (ARM 24.219.435(4)).
Home study: No cap. Home study/online/self-paced CE is neither mandated nor limited by ARM 24.219.435; format is unrestricted. Up to 10 hours may be earned for first-time development/presentation of courses or first-time authorship of published/presented papers.
Board notes: Governed by the unified Montana Board of Behavioral Health rule ARM 24.219.435 (same rule for social workers, counselors, MFTs, and addiction counselors). 20 hours CE annually, completed before each annual renewal; CE does not apply until after the first renewal. No mandated ethics hours. Up to 20 excess hours may carry forward one year (max 20). Licensees holding more than one license type must complete 20 hours per license. Department may audit up to 50% of renewals; retain documentation.
View full LCSW requirements → VerifiedMontana
LCPC (Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor)
20hours / 1-year renewal cycle
No live / interactive hours required — all hours may be self-study
Mandated topics
- Suicide prevention — 2 hMinimum 2 hours required at the licensee's first renewal and every two years thereafter (ARM 24.219.435(4)).
Home study: No cap. Home study/online/self-paced CE is neither mandated nor limited by ARM 24.219.435. Up to 10 hours may be earned for first-time development/presentation of courses or first-time authorship of published/presented papers.
Board notes: Governed by the unified Montana Board of Behavioral Health rule ARM 24.219.435. 20 hours CE annually before each annual renewal; not required until after first renewal. No mandated ethics hours. Up to 20 excess hours may carry forward one year. Multiple license types require 20 hours each. Department may audit up to 50% of renewals.
View full LCPC requirements → VerifiedMontana
Licensed Psychologist (doctoral)
40hours / 2-year renewal cycle
No live / interactive hours required — all hours may be self-study
Mandated topics
- Ethics — 2 h
- Suicide prevention — 1 h
Home study: No explicit cap on online/home-study hours; one hour is granted per hour of participation. Category caps apply: max 30 hrs combined for advanced credentials/study groups/formal classes/presentations/publications/research/case presentations; max 15 hrs personal-growth activities (individual/group therapy, supervision); max 10 hrs practice management.
Board notes: Board of Psychologists rule ARM 24.189.2110: 40 hours per 2-year reporting period ending at the odd-year renewal, including 2 hrs ethics and 1 hr suicide prevention. Hours cannot be carried over. New licensees licensed less than 2 full calendar years at first reporting date need only 20 hrs (incl. 1 ethics + 1 suicide); those licensed less than 1 full year need none for the first period. Board does not preapprove providers. Retain records 3 years.
View full Licensed Psychologist requirements → VerifiedMontana
LMFT (Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist)
20hours / 1-year renewal cycle
No live / interactive hours required — all hours may be self-study
Mandated topics
- Suicide prevention — 2 hMinimum 2 hours required at the licensee's first renewal and every two years thereafter (ARM 24.219.435(4)).
Home study: No cap. Home study/online/self-paced CE is neither mandated nor limited by ARM 24.219.435. Up to 10 hours may be earned for first-time development/presentation of courses or first-time authorship of published/presented papers.
Board notes: MFTs are regulated by the Montana Board of Behavioral Health under the SAME unified CE rule as social workers and counselors, ARM 24.219.435: 20 hours CE annually (not 20 per 2 years), completed before each annual renewal; not required until after first renewal. There is NO separate 3-hour ethics requirement under the current unified rule. Up to 20 excess hours carry forward one year. Department may audit up to 50% of renewals.
View full LMFT requirements → VerifiedMontana
Licensed Behavior Analyst (Montana Board of Psychologists) / BCBA
20hours / 1-year renewal cycle
No live / interactive hours required — all hours may be self-study
Mandated topics
- Ethics — 1 hState rule requires a minimum of 1 hour of ethics per consecutive calendar year.
Home study: No state cap. Recorded/online BACB ACE CEUs are broadly accepted; Montana does not restrict format or impose a home-study cap.
Board notes: Montana SEPARATELY licenses Behavior Analysts (and Assistant Behavior Analysts) through the Board of Psychologists. State CE rule requires 20 continuing education credits during each consecutive calendar year (annual, renewal Nov 1-Dec 31), of which at least 1 hour must be ethics; the state rule does NOT mandate suicide-prevention or supervision CE. Separately, a licensee who also maintains national BCBA certification must meet the BACB standard of 32 CEUs per 2-year cycle including 4 ethics CEUs and 3 supervision CEUs (for those who supervise); the state license and the national certification are distinct requirements.
View full Licensed Behavior Analyst requirements → How many CE hours do behavioral health licenses require in Montana?
In Montana, hour-based licenses require 20 to 40 continuing-education hours per renewal cycle depending on the license type; some credentials follow a CPD model instead. See the table above for each credential.
Do CE requirements differ by license type in Montana?
Yes. Social work, counseling, psychology, marriage & family therapy, and behavior-analysis credentials each have their own requirements, mandated topics, and renewal cycles in Montana. This page lists each one separately.
Does Montana require ethics CE?
Montana requires dedicated ethics continuing education for: Licensed Behavior Analyst, Licensed Psychologist. Exact hour counts are on each license's page.
Updated July 2026 from official licensing-board, regulatory-college, and government sources. CE / CPD requirements change often — always confirm current rules directly with your licensing board or regulator before you renew. Informational only, not legal advice.