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.

40

total hours / 2 years

2

ethics hours

1

suicide prevention hours

Biennial renewal · calculating the next statewide deadline

Montana Psychologist requirements

RequirementNotes
Total continuing education40 hours every 2 years.
RenewalBiennial cycle: CE due by December 31 of even years.
Renewal fee$280 board renewal fee every 2 years; a late (delinquent) renewal adds a $280 fee.
Ethics2 hours required each cycle.
Suicide Prevention1 hour required each cycle.
New licenseesFirst renewal is different: new licensees have adjusted first-cycle requirements (proration and/or first-cycle-only rules), which we apply automatically.
RecordkeepingKeep CE documentation for 3 years after the end of each cycle.
Board auditThe board may audit licensees to verify CE compliance.
Late renewalA late renewal allows a 45-day grace period after expiration and a $280 late fee.

Limits on how the hours are earned

Board caps and floors on where the 40 hours can come from.

  • advanced credential and academic activitiesmax 30 hrs
  • personal growth activitiesmax 15 hrs
  • practice managementmax 10 hrs

Keeping the proof in order: what to keep for a CE audit, with every state’s retention period and what the audit notice asks for.

Total hours
40 hours every 2 years.
Renewal
Biennial cycle: CE due by December 31 of even years.
Renewal fee
$280 board renewal fee every 2 years; a late (delinquent) renewal adds a $280 fee.
Ethics
2 hours required each cycle.
Suicide Prevention
1 hour required each cycle.
New licensees
First renewal is different: new licensees have adjusted first-cycle requirements (proration and/or first-cycle-only rules), which we apply 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
A late renewal allows a 45-day grace period after expiration and a $280 late fee.
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)).

We turn every category, format limit, and one-time rule on this page into a live checklist on your Montana Psychologist record, and reapply board changes automatically as they happen.

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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. Biennial cycle: CE due by December 31 of even 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?

Biennial cycle: CE due by December 31 of even 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?

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
Last verified
August 2026
Ruleset version
2026.1

Reviewed against the Montana board source and refreshed 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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Montanaguides & data

What to keep for a CE audit

What boards ask for in a CE audit, how long each state says to keep certificates, what the notice looks like, and a printable checklist.

Montana mental health workforce data

5,566 active providers, or 486.2 per 100,000 residents, ranked 20 of 51. County density map and free CSV downloads.

Other Montana CE requirement pages

Montana LPCMontana LMFTMontana LCSW

Psychologist CE requirements in other states

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