NCLEX in Montana: a $100 fee, DOJ fingerprints and a $50 retake form
The Montana Board of Nursing’s RN by examination checklist, updated in March 2025, sets out three requirements: an application at its online portal with a $100 fee, a fingerprint-based background check from the Montana Department of Justice, and registration with Pearson VUE. All applicants must pass the NCLEX before licensure.
Last checked October 2026. Based on the Board’s RN by examination checklist and instructions, with the retake fee from a third-party summary. Confirm current fees at nurse.mt.gov.
The path for a new graduate
Apply at the Board's online portal and pay the $100 fee. The Board's instructions say fees must be paid before it can review your application, and that you must not withhold information from any application question.
Submit fingerprints to the Montana Department of Justice. The application includes an Applicant Rights and Consent to Fingerprint Notice, and the checklist asks for the DOJ background check report.
Register on the NCSBN portal and pay $200. The checklist lists this as a required document.
Once the Board has your information, your registration and supporting documents, it notifies Pearson VUE and your ATT is emailed.
The Board issues your license when it receives your test results from Pearson VUE.
Things to know
- A temporary permit. The Board’s instructions describe one for an additional fee, with its own requirements. Check them before you apply.
- One-year rule on retakes. A guide says that if more than a year has passed since your original application, you complete the full examination application again and pay the full fee.
- Compact residency. The Board’s instructions say that if your primary state of residence is another compact state and you hold a multistate license, you cannot apply in Montana.
Common questions
What if I fail?
A summary reports a form to retake the NCLEX with a $50 fee, with Pearson VUE’s $200 fee payable again. Check the Board’s page for the current form.
Is a background check always required?
A summary says fingerprint background checks have been required for all new license applications since October 2015, but not at renewal.