Montana CPA requirements
Montana no longer ties licensure to a fixed 150-hour credit total. You can become a fully licensed CPA with just a bachelor’s degree (about 120 hours) plus 2 years (4,000 hours) of supervised experience, or take the traditional route with a graduate degree and a shorter 1 year (2,000 hours) of experience instead.
Education
Montana no longer ties licensure to a fixed credit-hour total. You need a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 120 semester hours) with the required accounting and business coursework to sit for the exam, and that same degree qualifies you for full licensure once you’ve completed the matching experience requirement below — no extra 30 hours required.
| Requirement | Montana | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Total semester hours to sit | 120 | Bachelor’s degree with required coursework |
| Upper-level accounting | 24 semester hours above introductory level, required under all pathways | |
| Upper-level business | 24 semester hours of general business coursework, required under all pathways | |
| Degree level | Bachelor’s minimum | Regionally accredited institution |
Community college credits generally count toward the total but not toward the upper-level accounting requirement. Get a transcript evaluation from the board before you pay for extra coursework.
Foreign-educated candidates
Foreign-educated candidates need their credentials evaluated by NASBA International Evaluation Services, or may qualify through a mutual recognition agreement if licensed elsewhere.
Sitting versus licensing
Montana is one of a small but growing group of states that has eliminated the flat 150-hour licensure rule entirely. There are now two ways to get fully licensed: a bachelor’s degree plus 2 years (4,000 hours) of supervised experience, or a graduate degree plus a shorter 1 year (2,000 hours) of experience. Neither route requires you to rack up 30 “extra” credit hours that don’t count toward a degree.
Plan the extra hours into your degree rather than bolting them on afterwards. A fifth-year master's or an integrated program is almost always cheaper than taking individual courses later, and it keeps you eligible for student course pricing.
Experience
2 years (4,000 hours) of supervised experience with just a bachelor’s degree, or 1 year (2,000 hours) with 150 total hours or a graduate degree, earned within 3 years of applying. Qualifying settings include private industry, government, academia, or public accounting.
The experience can typically be earned before, during, or after you pass the exam sections. Your supervisor submits the verification directly to the board, so keep the relationship intact — chasing a signature from a former manager years later is the most common avoidable delay at this stage.
Ethics
You need to pass the AICPA’s comprehensive ethics course before licensure. Ongoing CPE also requires 2 hours of ethics every 3-year period.
How to apply, step by step
The order matters less than it looks — experience and exam sections can overlap — but this is the sequence that avoids the most common delays.
At least 120 semester hours, including the required upper-level coursework, to sit.
Have your school send official transcripts directly to Montana Board of Public Accountants. Unofficial or self-submitted transcripts are not accepted.
Filed with Montana Board of Public Accountants along with the application fee. This is the board's first review of your eligibility.
Once the board approves your application, it notifies NASBA, which issues your Authorization to Test (ATT).
NASBA issues one NTS per section you've paid for. Schedule promptly — an expired NTS means paying the exam fee again.
Schedule at a Prometric test center. All four sections must be passed within a rolling 30-month window that starts when you pass your first section.
2 years (4,000 hours) of supervised experience with just a bachelor's degree, or 1 year (2,000 hours) with 150 total hours or a graduate degree, earned within 3 years of applying. Qualifying settings include private industry, government, academia, or public accounting. This can run before, during, or after your exam sections.
You need to pass the AICPA's comprehensive ethics course before licensure. Ongoing CPE also requires 2 hours of ethics every 3-year period.
With your experience verification and ethics requirement on file, submit the final application and initial license fee.
Fees
| Fee | Amount | When |
|---|---|---|
| Application | $125 | Before anything else |
| Exam fee, per section | $268.59 | Paid to NASBA (national rate) |
| Initial license | Included in the $125 application fee | On approval |
| Renewal | $125 annually | Ongoing |
After you’re licensed: staying current
Getting licensed is not the end of the paperwork. Montana requires ongoing continuing professional education to keep your license active, and it is easy to lose track of once you’re working full time.
120 hours of CPE over a rolling 3-year period, with at least half in technical subjects and 2 hours of ethics.
What changed recently
Montana replaced its flat 150-hour rule with three pathways — a graduate degree plus 1 year of experience, a bachelor’s plus 30 extra hours plus 1 year, or a bachelor’s degree alone plus 2 years — with the implementing rules effective September 13, 2025. The same reform extended the exam credit window from 18 to 30 months.
Most states have also aligned their credit window with the national thirty-month rule, which gives candidates six more months than the old eighteen-month window to finish all four sections. If you were planning around the old rule, replan.
Common questions
Can I sit in Montana if I studied out of state?
Usually yes — most states, including Montana, don’t require residency to sit for the exam. Your transcripts still have to satisfy the upper-level accounting and business hours, which is where out-of-state applicants most often fall short.
Do online courses count toward the credit hours?
They typically do, provided the institution is accredited and the course is genuinely upper-level. Get it confirmed in writing by the board before enrolling — this is one of the most expensive assumptions candidates make.
Do I need to be a US citizen or a resident of Montana?
No Montana residency or Social Security Number requirement to sit for the exam or be licensed.
What happens right after I pass all four sections?
Passing the exam doesn’t license you on its own. You still need your experience requirement on file and the ethics requirement satisfied before you can submit a license application. You may be able to complete the experience requirement in parallel with the exam, so there’s often little or no extra wait.
Should I license in a state with easier rules instead?
Rarely worth it. Mobility means a license from another state generally lets you practice in Montana, but if you live and work here you will eventually want a local license anyway, and transferring adds cost and paperwork.
Is there anything unusual about Montana's process?
Montana requires no residency and no Social Security Number, making it notably accessible for candidates without one. Its experience-verification rules explicitly accommodate military applicants who can’t get a standard CPA attestation.
Next step
Montana Board of Public Accountants — 301 South Park Avenue, 4th Floor, Helena, MT 59620 — (406) 444-6880.
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