Licensure guide · Montana

How to get a Montana occupational therapy license

Occupational therapists in Montana are licensed by the Montana Board of Physical, Rehabilitative, and Developmental Health Care Professionals. Below is what the board requires, from education to renewal, with every requirement linked to the board page it comes from. Checked October 22, 2026.

Step by step

Getting licensed

Education: Applicants must complete the academic requirements of a board-recognized occupational therapy program and at least 6 months of supervised fieldwork. [2]
National exam: Applicants must pass the NBCOT examination under NBCOT's pass/fail criteria and must ensure NBCOT forwards their scores to the board. [3]
Fees: The original application fee for an occupational therapist is $190. [4]
Where to apply: Applications are submitted online through the Montana Department of Labor & Industry licensing portal linked from the board's website. [1] Open the application →

Moving to the state

Already licensed somewhere else?

Montana has enacted the OT Compact but is not yet issuing compact privileges, so occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants licensed elsewhere still need a Montana license for now.

Licensed in another state: Applicants licensed in a state on the board's substantial equivalency list are treated as routine applications as to education, examination, and experience requirements, though applications may be nonroutine on other grounds. [5]
Interstate compact: Montana is a member of the Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact, but compact privileges are not yet available for occupational therapy because the FBI has not authorized Montana to run fingerprint background checks for this license type. [9]

Before your full license

New graduates and clinical fellows

Temporary or provisional license: Occupational therapy graduates waiting to sit for the national exam may obtain a provisional license, valid until they fail the first exam they are eligible for or pass and are licensed; applicants who previously failed the exam are not eligible. [6]

After you are licensed

Keeping the license active

Renewal: Occupational therapist licenses must be renewed annually by June 15; the renewal period opens 60 days before the renewal date. [7]
Continuing education: Occupational therapists must complete 10 hours of continuing education annually; the board recognizes maintaining current NBCOT certification as fulfilling this requirement. [8]

Working in Montana

Pay and openings

Occupational therapists in Montana earn a mean of $92,310 a year (BLS). Most of our Montana searches are confidential and never posted; tell us what you want and we will match you quietly.

Sources

Every requirement above was checked against the official page listed here on October 22, 2026. Boards change fees and rules, so confirm with the Montana board before you apply. This page is a guide, not legal advice.

Other Montana licenses

Occupational therapy licenses in other states

State-by-state license guides →

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