Updated for 2026

Montana Psychologist Continuing Education Requirements

Montana psychologists must complete 40 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew their Psychologist license, including 2 hours of ethics and 1 hour of suicide prevention.

40hours every 2 years
Topic minimums, counted within the 40
2ethics
1suicide prevention

Next deadline: December 31, 2027The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is due by December 31 of odd years.

What the board saysMontana board rule
(3) Each reporting period, psychologists must obtain 40 CE hours1, of which two are in ethics2 and one in suicide prevention3. The two-year reporting period ends on the renewal date set by ARM 24.101.413 in odd-numbered years4. … (4) Psychologists can obtain a maximum of: (a) 30 hours5 from: (i) completion of an advanced credential; (ii) study groups; (iii) formally organized classes at regionally accredited higher education institutions; (iv) initial presentation of a meeting paper; (v) publication of a review paper … (b) 15 hours of personal growth activities6 in individual psychotherapy, group therapy, and specific supervision; and (c) ten hours in practice management7.
What it means
  1. 40 hours every two years
  2. 2 hours of ethics
  3. 1 hour of suicide prevention
  4. The two-year period ends December 31 of odd years
  5. No more than 30 hours from credentials, classes, presentations, and publications
  6. No more than 15 hours of personal growth activities
  7. No more than 10 hours of practice management
ARM 24.189.2110Last verified October 2026Ruleset 2026.3How we verify
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Requirements

Montana Psychologist requirements

Total

40 hoursYou need 40 hours every 2 years. The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is due by December 31 of odd years.

Topic minimums, counted within the 40

The remaining 37 hours are not tied to a topic minimum.
Ethics
2
You need 2 hours each cycle.
Suicide Prevention
1
You need 1 hour each cycle.

Limits on how the hours are earned

Advanced credential and academic activities
max 30 hrs
Personal growth activities
max 15 hrs
Practice management
max 10 hrs

Cycle and record rules

Renewal
The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is due by December 31 of odd years.
Renewal fee
The board renewal fee is $280 every 2 years, and a late (delinquent) renewal adds a $280 fee.
New licensees
The first renewal is different. New licensees have adjusted first-cycle requirements, such as prorated hours or first-cycle-only rules, and we apply them automatically.
Recordkeeping
Keep CE documentation for 3 years after the end of each cycle.
Board audit
The board may audit licensees to verify CE compliance.
Late renewal
The board allows a 45-day grace period after expiration. A late renewal adds a $280 late fee.

To keep your proof in order, see what to keep for a CE audit, which covers every state’s retention period and what the audit notice asks for.

Your hours

Check where you stand

Enter the hours you have completed this cycle to see what is left before December 31, 2027.

Your result appears here as you enter hours.

Open the full Psychologist CE hours calculator

Also hold a Montana LPC license? Each board runs its own CE cycle. See the Montana LPC requirements.

Full board policy details
  • No carryover permitted. ARM 24.189.2110(9): CE hours cannot be carried over from one two-year cycle to another.
  • ACTIVITY MAXIMUMS (ARM 24.189.2110(4)). (a) Maximum 30 hours combined from any of: completion of an advanced credential; study groups; formally organized classes at regionally accredited higher-education institutions; initial presentation of a meeting paper; publication of a review paper; research project reported in publishable form; and formal case presentation in a group setting. (b) Maximum 15 hours of personal-growth activities in individual psychotherapy, group therapy, and specific supervision. (c) Maximum 10 hours in practice management. Remaining hours up to the 40-hour total earned through ordinary CE participation credited one hour per hour (ARM 24.189.2110(7)).
  • FORMAT CONSTRAINTS: ARM 24.189.2110 imposes no self-study/home-study cap, no live/in-person minimum, no live-vs-self-study distinction for live-interactive online, and no per-day or per-credit caps. Credit is 1:1, one hour granted for each hour of participation (ARM 24.189.2110(7)).
  • PROVIDER MODEL: No pre-approval. ARM 24.189.2110(1), the Board will not preapprove continuing education programs or sponsors; the licensee must select qualified providers whose activities contribute to professional knowledge and competence. No approved-provider list, no minimum percentage, no lettered provider tiers. An APA-sponsor claim from a CE aggregator is guidance, not part of the codified rule.
  • ACCEPTABILITY STANDARDS: Activities must be from qualified providers and contribute to the licensee's professional knowledge and competence (ARM 24.189.2110(1)). During postdoctoral supervised experience a psychologist is not required to obtain CE (ARM 24.189.2110(3)(b)).
  • BOARD MEMBER CREDIT: ARM 24.189.2110(11) allows board members up to eight hours of CE per calendar year for board-meeting attendance. This applies only to sitting board members and is not part of the ordinary licensee CE pathways.
  • COURSE REPEAT RESTRICTIONS: None. ARM 24.189.2110 does not restrict repeat teaching or repeat attendance and does not assign a reduced value to a repeated presentation.
  • LICENSE STATUS RULES: Montana's psychology rules do not establish an inactive or retired license status, so there is no inactive/retired CE exemption and no separate reactivation CE figure. A license not renewed by December 31 becomes lapsed (practice allowed 45 days), then expired (renewable with penalty, no practice), then terminated after two years (must re-apply, 37-1-141 MCA). A returning licensee is expected to satisfy the current CE reporting requirement in ARM 24.189.2110. No CE hardship, illness, military, or disability waiver or extension exists; the only consequence of noncompliance is possible administrative suspension (ARM 24.189.2110(10)).

Montana Psychologist CE: frequently asked questions

How many CE hours do Montana Psychologist licensees need?

Montana requires 40 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew a Psychologist license. The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is due by December 31 of odd years.

How many ethics hours are required for Montana Psychologist licensees?

Of the total, 2 hours must be in ethics.

How often do Montana Psychologist licensees renew?

The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is due by December 31 of odd years.

How much does Montana Psychologist license renewal cost?

The board's renewal fee is $280 every 2 years, per the Montana board fee schedule. Renewing late adds a $280 delinquency fee on top. CE course costs are separate and set by course providers.

Are there subject-specific CE requirements for Montana Psychologist licensees?

Yes. In addition to ethics, Montana requires 1 hour of suicide prevention.

Is the first renewal different for new Montana Psychologist licensees?

The first renewal is different. New licensees have adjusted first-cycle requirements, such as prorated hours or first-cycle-only rules, and we apply them automatically.

Sources and verification

State source
Montana board rule
Last verified
October 2026
Ruleset version
2026.3

We reviewed this page against the Montana board source, and we refresh it from the compiled ruleset above. Methodology and disclaimer. Compliance data is for guidance only, not legal or board advice. Always confirm requirements with your licensing board before renewing. See something wrong? Report it

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Montana guides & data

What to keep for a CE audit →Learn what boards ask for in a CE audit, how long each state says to keep certificates, and what the notice looks like, then use the printable checklist.Montana mental health workforce data →5,566 active providers, or 486.2 per 100,000 residents, ranked 20 of 51. The page includes a county density map and free CSV downloads.

Other Montana CE requirement pages

Montana LPCMontana LMFTMontana LCSWMontana Addiction CounselorMontana PMHNP

Psychologist CE requirements in other states