Licensure guide · Montana

How to get a Montana physical therapy license

Physical 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 be at least 18 years old and have graduated from an accredited physical therapy school approved by the board. [2]
National exam: Applicants must pass the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) with a scaled score of 600 or higher. [3]
Background check: Applicants must submit a full set of fingerprints for a fingerprint-based criminal record background check by the Montana Department of Justice and the FBI. [4]
Fees: The fee for a physical therapist original application and provisional license is $100. [5]
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 is a PT Compact member and is issuing compact privileges: physical therapists and physical therapist assistants licensed in another member state can obtain a privilege to practice in Montana without applying for a new state license.

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. [6]
Interstate compact: Montana is a member of the Physical Therapy Compact; physical therapists licensed in another compact state can purchase a Montana compact privilege after passing Montana's PT Compact jurisprudence exam. [9]

Before your full license

New graduates and clinical fellows

Temporary or provisional license: Physical therapist applicants may be issued a provisional license naming a licensed physical therapist who provides direct supervision; it is valid until the applicant passes the exam, and only one is issued per applicant. [3]

After you are licensed

Keeping the license active

Renewal: Physical therapist licenses must be renewed annually by April 1; the renewal period opens 60 days before the renewal date. [7]
Continuing education: Physical therapists must complete 8 hours of continuing education annually; the requirement does not apply until after the licensee's first renewal. [8]

Working in Montana

Pay and openings

Physical therapists in Montana earn a mean of $93,440 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

Physical therapy licenses in other states

State-by-state license guides →

Getting licensed in Montana for a move?

Tell us the setting and the city you want. We will tell you which employers are hiring and how long they will wait for a license.

Start a confidential conversation