Montana licenses registered nurses through the Montana Board of Nursing, in the Department of Labor and Industry's Business Standards Division. Everything below comes from the board's RN by Examination checklist (updated March 3, 2025) and its continuing education page, checked October 18, 2026. Fees change, so confirm in the application before you pay.
| Board | Montana Board of Nursing (Department of Labor and Industry) |
|---|---|
| Exam | NCLEX-RN, registered with Pearson VUE: $200 to Pearson VUE ($350 for registrations completed on or after February 1, 2027) |
| Board fee | $100 application fee, by credit card or eCheck online |
| Background check | Fingerprint-based background check through the Montana Department of Justice (37-8-434, MCA) |
| Nurse Licensure Compact | Compact state: multistate license if you live here |
| Renewal | Renew online through the state licensing portal; check the board for your renewal date |
| Continuing education | None: the board no longer requires CE contact hours for renewal |
| Authorization to Test | Not stated; check with the board |
Sources: Montana Board of Nursing RN by Examination checklist (PDF, updated March 3, 2025), continuing education and board home page. Checked October 18, 2026.
Montana is a Nurse Licensure Compact state. If Montana is your primary state of residence and you meet the compact's uniform licensure requirements (they include a fingerprint-based state and federal background check), the board issues a multistate license that also lets you practice in every other compact state. If you live in another state, or do not meet those requirements, you get a single-state license good in Montana only. Move your primary residence to another compact state and you must apply there for a new multistate license within 60 days.
Compact status from NCSBN, nursecompact.com, checked October 18, 2026.
An associate degree, bachelor's degree, diploma or entry-level master's program approved by a board of nursing, with an NCLEX program code. Your school confirms you graduated.
The license comes from the state board, not the exam. Apply, pay the board fee and do the background check the board asks for.
The NCLEX-RN registration fee is $200 to Pearson VUE ($350 for registrations completed on or after February 1, 2027), non-refundable. Your registration stays open 365 days while the board decides your eligibility.
When the board makes you eligible, Pearson emails your Authorization to Test (ATT). Test within its dates: they cannot be extended. The NCLEX-RN runs 85 to 150 questions in up to five hours, and it stops when the computer is 95% sure you are above or below the passing standard.
The full national walk-through and every state: How to get your RN license. NCLEX facts from NCSBN, NCLEX fees and registration.
Practice for the NCLEX freeThe NCLEX shut-off simulator: real practice questions under the exam's published stopping rules, 85 to 150 questions. No sign-up.