Updated for 2026

Montana LPC Continuing Education Requirements

Montana counselors must complete 20 continuing education hours per year to renew their LPC license.

total hours / year

Annual · renewal date depends on the licensee's issue date.

Montana LPC requirements

Requirement	Notes
Total continuing education	20 hours per year.
Renewal	Annual cycle: counted from your license anniversary.
New licensees	First renewal is different: new licensees have adjusted first-cycle requirements (proration and/or first-cycle-only rules), which we apply automatically.
Board audit	The board may audit licensees to verify CE compliance.
Other mandates	Two hours of suicide prevention/assessment training every 24 months. Because the renewal cycle is annual (12 months), this obligation spans two cycles: a course completed in the prior renewal year still satisfies it.

Full board policy details

Montana does not distinguish between live, in-person, online, or self-study formats. All 20 hours may be completed in any format or delivery mode, provided the content is relevant to practice and contributes to professional competence.
Up to 10 hours may come from first-time preparation of a new course, workshop, or seminar, OR from authoring a paper published for the first time in a professional journal or presented at a statewide/national conference. Credit is only awarded the first time the material is created or delivered.
Course repeat restrictions: Instructors may only claim CE credit the FIRST time a course is prepared/delivered; re-teaching the same material in subsequent cycles does not earn additional credit. Likewise, authoring credit applies only to first publication or first presentation of a given work. The rule is silent on participants repeating the same course.
License status rules: Licensees on inactive status are exempt from CE while inactive. To reactivate, the licensee must show evidence of completing 20 hours of CE (one full cycle's worth) prior to reactivation. Retired licensees who return to active practice are treated similarly.
Hardship exemptions: A licensee may request an exemption from CE requirements due to hardship (e.g. illness, military deployment, family emergency). Requests are considered case-by-case by the Department; no fixed maximum duration is specified.
Provider approval: Montana does not pre-approve CE providers or courses. Licensees may obtain CE from any qualified source (professional associations, accredited institutions, recognized CE vendors) so long as the content is relevant to counseling practice and at a professional level.
Documentation: Licensees should obtain and retain a certificate of completion for each CE activity in case of audit. The certificate (or equivalent proof) should show the activity or course title, the date completed, the sponsor or provider, and the number of contact hours earned. The Department does not collect this documentation at renewal, but a licensee selected for audit must produce it.
Multi-license credit reuse: A licensee holding more than one license under the Board of Behavioral Health (e.g. LPC + LMFT) must demonstrate completion of 20 hours of CE for EACH license separately. The rule does not explicitly authorize double-counting one course toward two licenses.
No conditional renewal is available. CE must be completed (or formally excused via hardship exemption) BEFORE renewal. There is no grace period to make up CE after renewing.

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Montana LPC CE: frequently asked questions

How many CE hours do Montana LPC licensees need?

Montana requires 20 continuing education hours per year to renew a LPC license. Annual cycle: counted from your license anniversary.

How often do Montana LPC licensees renew?

Annual cycle: counted from your license anniversary.

Is the first renewal different for new Montana LPC licensees?

First renewal is different: new licensees have adjusted first-cycle requirements (proration and/or first-cycle-only rules), which we apply automatically.

Sources & verification

State source: Montana board rule
Profession source: NBCC continuing education guidance
Last verified: May 2026
Ruleset version: 2026.1

Reviewed against the Montana board source and refreshed from the compiled ruleset above. Methodology and disclaimer. Compliance data is informational only and not legal or board advice. Always verify requirements with your licensing board before you renew. See something wrong? Report it →

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Other Montana CE requirement pages

Montana LCSW