Psychologist Licensure in Montana: Degree, Supervised Hours and the EPPP
Montana licenses psychologists through the Montana Board of Psychologists in the Department of Labor & Industry.
The psychologist licence takes a doctoral degree on an APA-anchored route, a minimum of 3,200 hours of supervised experience with a minimum of 1,600 postdoctoral, the EPPP and Montana's online jurisdictional course.
A provisional licence covers applicants who have finished the education but not the postdoctoral year.
There is no master's-level psychology licence; an experience-based Psychologist Licensed by Experience (Senior) route waives the EPPP; and Montana has been an effective PSYPACT member since October 1, 2025.
Verify before you rely on this
At a glance
Psychologist and Psychologist Licensed by Experience (Senior), with a provisional licence available during the postdoctoral supervised practice (MCA 37-17-302(5)).
A doctoral degree under any of three APA-anchored routes: clinical psychology from an APA-approved program; a psychology doctorate plus an APA-approved retraining program; or a psychology doctorate meeting board-rule minimums, evaluated by the National Register against ARM 24.189.604.
Up to one year of the supervised experience may be predoctoral: occurring after the master's degree, obtained during an internship in an approved training program for the doctoral degree in psychology (board checklist).
Required.
The statute asks for a minimum of 2 years of supervised experience, and the postdoctoral year may not include more than 6 months of supervised research, teaching, or a combination of both; the checklist sets a minimum of 1,600 postdoctoral hours.
A passing score on the EPPP (the passing score was not stated in the pages read) and the online Montana jurisdictional course.
No EPPP Part 2 requirement was found; the integrated EPPP replaces both parts for first-time takers from fall 2027.
None.
The board's licence list shows only Psychologist and Psychologist Licensed by Experience, plus the behavior analyst and assistant behavior analyst licences the board also administers.
Member, in effect: MT H.B.
241, enacted April 16, 2025, effective October 1, 2025, per the PSYPACT Commission map as of September 2026.
None.
Montana psychologists do not prescribe.
Renewal runs Nov 1 - Dec 31, with late online renewal open 45 more days until February 14; 40 hours of continuing education reported every 2 years (board page).
The Montana credential ladder
- Provisional licensee (psychology)Pre-licensure
A licence for an applicant who has completed the education requirements but not the postdoctoral supervised psychology practice; it is applied for under MCA 37-1-144 with an approved supervision plan prescribed by board rule (MCA 37-17-302(5)).
- PsychologistIndependent
The doctoral licence the statute grants to an applicant who meets the degree routes, has completed the supervised experience (the checklist sets a minimum of 3,200 hours, at least 1,600 postdoctoral), passes the EPPP and passes the Montana jurisdictional course (MCA 37-17-302; board checklist).
- Psychologist Licensed by Experience (Senior)Independent
An experience-based route to the psychology licence: a doctoral degree, licensure to practise psychology in a United States or Canadian jurisdiction for 20 years or longer, at least 10 years of clinical experience in the last 15 years, no disciplinary action during the entire period of licensure, and the Montana jurisdictional course instead of the EPPP (board licence page; board checklist).
Two licences, and a provisional stage inside the postdoc year
Montana's psychology board issues the psychologist licence and an experience-based alternative, the Psychologist Licensed by Experience (Senior).
Between degree and full licence sits a provisional licence: an applicant who has finished the education but not the postdoctoral supervised practice may apply for one under MCA 37-1-144 with an approved supervision plan prescribed by board rule.
It is the doctoral pipeline's own stage, not a lower licence — the board's list shows no psychology licence below the doctorate, and no master's rung exists on this ladder.
For how master’s-level psychology licences work where they exist, see the master’s-level psychology practitioner.
“An individual who has completed the education requirements under this section but who has not completed the postdoctoral supervised psychology practice may apply for a provisional license to practice psychology pursuant to 37-1-144 and an approved supervision plan prescribed by board rule.”
Three doctoral routes, all anchored to the APA
Option 1 is a doctoral degree in clinical psychology from an accredited college or university having an appropriate graduate program approved by the American Psychological Association.
Option 2 is a psychology doctorate from a program the APA does not approve, paired with a formal graduate retraining program in clinical psychology approved by the APA.
Option 3 is a psychology doctorate whose course of studies meets minimum standards in board rule; for that route the board sends applicants to the National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology for an evaluation against ARM 24.189.604, at the applicant's expense.
For how the PhD and PsyD routes to this degree differ, see PhD vs. PsyD.
“To determine whether a course of non-APA accredited study meets the minimum standards in Board rule ARM 24.189.604, applicants shall have their educational credentials evaluated by the National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology (NR)”
3,200 hours, and the postdoctoral half is mandatory
The statute requires a minimum of 2 years of supervised experience in the practice of psychology at the time of application, and the postdoctoral year may not include more than 6 months of supervised research, teaching, or a combination of both.
The board's checklist converts that into hours: a minimum of 3,200 hours, with a minimum of 1,600 postdoctoral.
The predoctoral year, if used, must occur after the master's degree, during an internship in an approved training program for the doctoral degree in psychology.
The hour figures come from the checklist citing ARM 24.189.607(2); the rule text itself was not read for this page, so confirm the current rule with the board before counting hours.
For the whole path from degree to licence, see how to become a clinical psychologist.
“has completed at the time of application a minimum of 2 years of supervised experience in the practice of psychology. One year of this experience must be postdoctoral but may not include more than 6 months of supervised research, teaching, or a combination of both.”
The EPPP, Montana's jurisdictional course, and the 2027 exam switch
The checklist requires a passing score on the computerized national Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology, with scores reported to Montana directly from ASPPB; the passing score itself was not stated in the pages read.
Applicants also take and pass the online Montana Board of Psychologists jurisdictional course, and become eligible for it once a complete application is in.
No EPPP Part 2 (Skills) requirement was found in the statute, board page or checklist read (ARM 24.189 itself was not read).
That question is time-limited: ASPPB's integrated EPPP replaces both parts for first-time takers from fall 2027 and is the only version from April 1, 2028, so check which version you will sit.
“Take and pass the online Montana Board of Psychologists jurisdictional course. An applicant will be made eligible to take the course once a complete application is received.”
A Montana postdoc needs board approval, and a log
Postdoctoral supervision obtained in Montana must be approved by the Board, and postdoctoral supervisees in Montana must keep a supervision log per ARM 24.189.607; applicants who did the postdoctoral year in Montana file copies of those logs with the application.
There is a $25 postdoctoral supervision proposal approval fee, which the board page lists as a Postdoctoral Supervision Application Fee.
For a new graduate planning the postdoc inside Montana, the approval step comes before the hours.
Separately, the provisional licence under MCA 37-17-302(5) requires an approved supervision plan prescribed by board rule.
“Postdoctoral supervision obtained in Montana must be approved by the Board. Montana postdoctoral supervises must keep a supervision log per ARM 24.189.607.”
PSYPACT: in effect since October 1, 2025
Per the PSYPACT Commission map as read in September 2026, Montana is a member in effect: H.B.
241, enacted April 16, 2025, effective October 1, 2025.
The board's site links a PSYPACT page, but the enacting act was not read for this page — the dates here are the Commission map's.
PSYPACT is doctoral-only, and Montana issues no master's-level psychology licence, so every psychology licence the state grants sits at the doctoral level.
A Montana psychologist uses the compact to practise telepsychology, or to take temporary in-person assignments, in participating states.
For how PSYPACT’s telepsychology and temporary-practice authorizations work, see PSYPACT explained.
“Aggregate (PSYPACT Commission map, retrieved 2026-09-24): member, effective — MT H.B. 241, enacted 2025-04-16, effective 2025-10-01.”
A Nov 1 - Dec 31 renewal window and 40 hours every 2 years
The board renews licences between November 1 and December 31, with late online renewal open 45 more days, until February 14.
The active renewal fee is $600, and the board page states that a late renewal costs an additional $600 for a total of $1,200 — marked 'No exceptions!'.
Continuing education is 40 hours reported every 2 years.
The pages read do not break the 40 hours into required topics, so check the board's renewal information for any topic rules before your window opens.
2025 changes: a statute amendment, a new fee, PSYPACT going live
MCA 37-17-302 was amended by Sec. 17, Ch. 279, L.
2025, but the content of that amendment was not isolated in the sources read, so nothing on this page turns on it.
HB 227 (2025) added a $5 litigation-fund fee from July 1, 2025, per the board's home page.
The biggest practical change is PSYPACT: H.B.
241 made Montana an effective member from October 1, 2025, newly opening compact-based telepsychology and temporary in-person practice for Montana psychologists.
The Senior route: 20 years licensed, no EPPP
Psychologist Licensed by Experience (Senior) waives the national exam for a long career elsewhere.
The board page requires a doctoral degree, licensure to practise psychology in a United States or Canadian jurisdiction for 20 years or longer, at least 10 years of clinical experience in the last 15 years prior to filing, and no disciplinary action during the entire period of licensure.
The checklist adds that an experience-only applicant must show active practice under a licence or certification for 5 of the 7 years immediately preceding application, with no pending charges and no discipline for unprofessional conduct or impairment in any jurisdiction within those 7 years.
The two documents phrase the experience test differently — confirm the current terms with the board before filing.
“Licensed to practice psychology in a United States or Canadian jurisdiction for 20 years or longer; at least 10 years of clinical experience in the last 15 years prior to filing the application.”
What This Page Does — and Doesn’t — Cover
This page summarizes the Montana statute, rules, board pages and other documents cited above, as read for this state-by-state psychologist licensure series, current as of September 2026.
It does not list application forms, fees beyond those cited above, or processing times, and it is not a substitute for the instructions the Montana Board of Psychologists (Montana Department of Labor & Industry) publishes.
Hour totals, exams and supervision rules change by statute and by board rule; for how the two doctoral routes differ, see PhD vs. PsyD.
Confirm every requirement with the Montana Board of Psychologists (Montana Department of Labor & Industry) before you count hours, register for an exam or apply — and before you take one of the clinical psychologist jobs in Montana that asks for it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Montana require a postdoctoral year for psychologist licensure?
Yes.
MCA 37-17-302(4) requires a minimum of 2 years of supervised experience in the practice of psychology, and the postdoctoral year may not include more than 6 months of supervised research, teaching, or a combination of both.
The board's checklist sets a minimum of 1,600 postdoctoral hours out of 3,200.
Nothing in the statute or checklist read provides an internship-or-practicum substitute for that postdoctoral half; applicants who have finished the education but not the postdoc use the provisional licence under MCA 37-17-302(5).
How many supervised hours does Montana require?
The board's application checklist, citing ARM 24.189.607(2), sets a minimum of 3,200 hours of supervised experience, of which one year may be predoctoral and a minimum of 1,600 hours must be postdoctoral.
The predoctoral year must occur after the master's degree, during an internship in an approved training program for the doctoral degree in psychology.
The statute frames the same requirement as a minimum of 2 years.
ARM 24.189 itself was not read for this page, so confirm the current rule text with the board before you rely on any count.
Is there a master's-level psychologist licence in Montana?
No. The board's licence list shows Psychologist and Psychologist Licensed by Experience (Senior), plus the behavior analyst and assistant behavior analyst licences the board also administers.
The statute licenses a psychologist only on a doctoral degree, and the Senior route also requires a doctoral degree.
A Montana applicant whose highest degree is a master's in psychology has no psychology-board licence to pursue in the state; the board's behavior analyst licences are a separate profession with their own requirements.
Can I use PSYPACT as a Montana psychologist?
Yes.
The PSYPACT Commission map, as read in September 2026, lists Montana as a member in effect: H.B.
241, enacted April 16, 2025, effective October 1, 2025.
A Montana psychologist can use the compact's authorizations to practise telepsychology, or to work temporarily in person, in participating states.
The enacting act itself was not read for this page, so check the board's PSYPACT page for the application steps and any conditions before you rely on a compact authorization.
What is the Psychologist Licensed by Experience (Senior) licence?
An experience-based route that waives the EPPP.
The board page requires a doctoral degree, licensure to practise psychology in a United States or Canadian jurisdiction for 20 years or longer, at least 10 years of clinical experience in the last 15 years prior to filing, and no disciplinary action during the entire period of licensure.
The checklist adds active practice under a licence or certification for 5 of the 7 years immediately preceding application, plus clean-discipline conditions.
Senior applicants take the Montana jurisdictional course but not the EPPP; confirm the current terms with the board.
More Montana & Clinical Psychologist Resources
Sources
- Montana Code Annotated 37-17-302, Qualifications (2025 code) (retrieved 2026-09-24)
- Montana Board of Psychologists, Psychologist and Psychologist by Experience (licence information page) (retrieved 2026-09-24)
- Montana Board of Psychologists, Licensing Requirements and Application Checklist — Psychologist (updated 6/20/2022) (retrieved 2026-09-24)
- PSYPACT Commission, PSYPACT Map (retrieved 2026-09-24)
Sourced from the statute, rules, board pages and other documents cited above.
Verified September 2026.
This is career information, not legal or clinical advice — confirm current rules with the Montana Board of Psychologists (Montana Department of Labor & Industry).