How to get a social work license in Montana

Montana licenses social workers at three levels: Licensed Baccalaureate Social Worker (LBSW), Licensed Master's Social Worker (LMSW) and Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW). Each has its own candidate license (SWLB, SWLM, SWLC) for the supervised hours before the full license. Everything below comes from the board's own pages and rules, checked October 18, 2026. Fees and rules change, so confirm on the linked pages before you pay.

Check with your board. Social Work Ticket is a study aid. Not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB), the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) or any state social work board; ASWB is their mark, used here only to name the exam. Laws on confidentiality, reporting and licensing differ by state; follow your state's law, your agency and your supervisor.

Montana at a glance

LicenseASWB examWhat it takes
LBSW (Licensed Baccalaureate Social Worker)BachelorsA CSWE-accredited BSW, then 500 supervised hours over at least 18 months as an SWLB candidate.
LMSW (Licensed Master's Social Worker)MastersA CSWE-accredited MSW, then 1,500 supervised hours over at least 18 months as an SWLM candidate.
LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker)ClinicalAn MSW, then 3,000 supervised hours as an SWLC candidate with 100 hours of supervision.

Montana, step by step

Montana Board of Behavioral Health (Department of Labor and Industry)

  1. Register as a candidate: apply online at bbh.mt.gov for the candidate license that matches your goal (SWLB, SWLM or SWLC) with a qualified Montana supervisor. Candidates renew their registration every year.
  2. LBSW hours (ARM 24.219.504): at least 500 hours of post-degree supervised work over at least 18 months, with at least 50 hours of individual or group supervision. Then the ASWB Bachelors exam.
  3. LMSW hours: at least 1,500 hours over at least 18 months, with at least 75 hours of supervision. Then the ASWB Masters exam.
  4. LCSW hours: at least 3,000 hours of post-degree supervised work with at least 100 hours of supervision, 50 of them individual and face-to-face with an LCSW (10 of those with direct observation). For applicants licensed after August 22, 2026, the rule also requires at least 24 months and 1,500 hours of direct client contact. Then the ASWB Clinical exam.
  5. Supervision pace: at least two hours of supervision for every 160 hours of social work, at every level.
  6. Fees (ARM 24.219.401): application $200 for the license and $200 for a candidate license; candidate annual registration $85; active renewal $149.

Sources: Montana Board of Behavioral Health, Licensure Checklist (PDF), ARM 24.219.504: supervised work experience, ARM 24.219.401: fee schedule. Checked October 18, 2026.

Practice for the Bachelors exam, freeThe Bachelors level: generalist practice, benefits programs and task-centered work, on the 2026 Bachelors outline. Practice for the Masters exam, freeVignette questions on the 2026 Masters outline, every answer sourced. Practice for the Clinical exam, freeDSM-5-TR diagnosis, psychotherapy models, clinical ethics and supervision, on the 2026 Clinical outline.

The national steps, briefly

The steps that hold nearly everywhere: a CSWE-accredited degree, your board's approval (or ASWB's, in a few states), the ASWB exam at the level your license needs, then the license. Every ASWB level has 122 questions (110 scored) in 4 hours; Bachelors and Masters cost $230, Advanced Generalist and Clinical $260, and you wait at least 90 days to retake (ASWB Examination Guidebook, August 2026). A passing score counts in every state for the same exam level. The full walk-through: How to get your social work license.

Official pages