Addiction Counselor Requirements in Montana
To become a Licensed Addiction Counselor (LAC) in Montana, you’ll need a qualifying degree, 285 hours of addiction coursework, 1,000 hours of supervised experience as a registered LAC Candidate, and a passing score on a board-approved national exam. Expect about 2-3 years if you already hold a degree, or 3-6 years if you’re starting your education now.
Montana’s geography shapes addiction treatment here like few other places. From tribal lands and isolated rural towns to the treatment centers of Billings, Missoula, and Bozeman, addiction counselors carry much of the state’s recovery work. Whether you want to serve Indigenous communities, support recovery in a small-town clinic, or work in a busy urban program, the path to licensure is demanding and deeply rewarding.
While requirements vary by state, everything on this page is specific to Montana. Addiction counselors here are licensed by the Board of Behavioral Health, which is part of the Montana Department of Labor and Industry. The board issues two addiction credentials: the LAC Candidate registration for people earning supervised hours, and the full Licensed Addiction Counselor (LAC) license.
LAC License Overview
The Licensed Addiction Counselor (LAC) license is Montana’s professional credential for substance use disorder treatment. With it, you can assess clients, build treatment plans, and provide addiction counseling to people working toward recovery.
Getting there takes four pieces: qualifying education, addiction-specific coursework, supervised work experience, and a passing score on an approved exam. Montana doesn’t use extra clinical tiers like some states do, so once you hold the LAC, you hold the state’s full addiction counseling license. Understanding the broader certification and licensure process can help you plan each step.
Education Requirements
Montana law gives you three ways to meet the education requirement. Your degree or certificate must come from an accredited institution or program.
Pathway 1: Associate Degree or Higher in Addiction Studies
You can earn an associate’s degree in addiction counseling, or a higher degree, in alcohol and drug studies, addiction, or substance abuse. Because the coursework is built for this career, it’s often the most direct route.
Pathway 2: Associate Degree Plus an Addiction Certificate
If your associate degree is in another field, you can pair it with a certificate in alcohol and drug studies or addiction from an accredited program. A certificate on its own no longer qualifies. Montana’s grace period for certificate-only students ended June 30, 2025.
Pathway 3: Bachelor’s Degree or Higher in Any Field
A bachelor’s degree or master’s degree in any subject can qualify, as long as it includes these behavioral science credits:
- 6 semester credits in human behavior, sociology, or psychology
- 3 semester credits in psychopathology
- 3 semester credits in group counseling
- 3 semester credits in counseling theory
Whichever pathway you choose, you’ll still need the addiction coursework below.
Required Addiction Coursework: 285 Hours
Every applicant must complete at least 285 hours of addiction-specific coursework. Montana lowered this requirement from 330 hours in February 2024, so if you see 330 in an older guide or board document, it’s out of date. The hours can be part of your degree or earned separately.
Here’s how the 285 hours break down:
| Course Area | Required Hours | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Addiction Assessment | 60 hours | Chemical dependency assessment, biopsychosocial testing, diagnosis, referrals, and patient placement |
| Addiction Counseling | 90 hours | Counseling theory and techniques for addiction treatment |
| Pharmacology | 15 hours | How drugs and medications affect the body and interact |
| Ethics for Counselors | 15 hours | Professional standards, boundaries, and confidentiality |
| Alcohol and Drug Studies | 30 hours | Foundations of substance use, addiction, and recovery |
| Addiction Treatment Planning and Documentation | 30 hours | Treatment plans, progress notes, and clinical records |
| Multicultural Competency | 15 hours | Serving clients from diverse cultures and communities |
| Co-Occurring Disorders | 15 hours | Substance use alongside mental health conditions |
| Gambling/Gaming Disorder Assessment and Counseling | 15 hours | Assessing and treating gambling and gaming disorders |
You’ll document these hours on the board’s Addiction Courses Completed form. Checking your courses against it before you enroll can save you from taking extra classes later.
Supervised Work Experience: 1,000 Hours
After your education, you’ll complete at least 1,000 hours of supervised addiction counseling work over at least 7 months. The hours must come after your degree, in a qualified treatment program, and from no more than two programs. At least 500 of those hours must be in core skill areas, including:
- Screening, assessment, and placement
- Treatment planning and referral
- Case management
- Individual and group counseling
- Client education and documentation
- Ethics and multicultural care
Register as an LAC Candidate First
This step isn’t optional. Montana law requires you to register as a Licensed Addiction Counselor Candidate before you can count supervised hours. Registration runs one year at a time and can be renewed up to three times unless the board approves an extension. You’ll find the candidate requirements in the board’s Licensure Checklist.
Who Can Supervise You
Your supervisor can be an LAC with at least three years of licensed experience in a qualified setting. Montana also accepts other licensed behavioral health professionals whose addiction training matches the 285-hour coursework requirement and who’ve completed supervision training. Supervision can happen in person or through real-time video.
Rule Changes Effective August 22, 2026
New board rules took effect on August 22, 2026. Under them, new supervisors need both three years of licensure and 20 hours of board-approved supervision training, while current Montana supervisors keep their status. Your supervised hours must also have been earned within the five years before you apply. If you started your hours under the old rules, check with the board about how the changes affect you.
Documenting Your Hours
When you’ve finished, you and your supervisor complete the board’s Supervision Report and email it to [email protected].
Rural Montana Considerations
Distance doesn’t have to stop you. Because Montana allows real-time video supervision, you can work with a qualified supervisor who isn’t in your town. Community mental health centers, tribal health programs, and other qualified treatment programs are good places to ask. The board doesn’t publish a list of supervisors, so ask employers directly whether they have one on staff.
Examination Requirements
You must pass one of these board-approved exams:
- NCC AP Level 1 or Level 2 (formerly NCAC I and NCAC II), offered through NAADAC’s National Certification Commission for Addiction Professionals. See NAADAC’s testing information.
- IC&RC Alcohol & Drug Counselor (ADC) or Advanced Alcohol & Drug Counselor (AADC), offered through the International Certification & Reciprocity Consortium. See IC&RC’s exam information.
- Northwest Certification II or III
- Southwest Certification II
Montana needs a passing exam score, not a national certification. Passing the exam and earning the national credential are separate things, and the credential has its own application. For the NCC AP exam, get Montana’s approval before you register. NAADAC lists a base exam cost of $150, and some states add their own fees.
No exam or national certification transfers a counseling license from one state to another. Each state reviews its own applicants.
Out-of-State Addiction Counselors
If you’re licensed in another state, Montana has two routes:
- Substantially equivalent license: If your state’s standards are substantially equivalent to Montana’s and your license is active and in good standing, you can apply on that basis.
- Board review: If your license doesn’t meet that standard, the board reviews your education and experience against Montana’s rules. Under the 2026 rules, applicants whose education doesn’t match may qualify with 10,000 hours of post-degree experience.
Either way, every state where you’ve ever held a license must send verification directly to the board. Military training and education can count toward Montana’s requirements, and military spouses may receive a 60-day provisional license while their verifications are processed.
Application Process
Once your education, coursework, supervised hours, and exam are done, you’re ready to apply for the LAC.
Step 1: Online Application
Apply through the Department of Labor and Industry’s online licensing portal. You’ll create an account if you don’t already have one.
Step 2: Fingerprint Background Check
Montana requires an FBI fingerprint background check processed through the Montana Department of Justice. The DOJ processing fee is $30, plus any fee your local fingerprinting site charges. Follow the board’s fingerprint instructions. Results take about 3-5 business days when fingerprints are processed through the DOJ in Helena, or 4-8 weeks through local law enforcement.
Step 3: Submit Supporting Documents
The board will need:
- Official transcripts sent directly from each school
- Your exam score report
- Your completed Addiction Courses Completed form showing 285 hours
- Your signed Supervision Report
- License verifications from any other state where you’ve been licensed
Step 4: Pay the Application Fee
The LAC application fee is $250, and it’s non-refundable, so double-check that you meet every requirement before you submit.
Processing Time
The board doesn’t publish a standard review time. Apply as soon as your paperwork is complete, and check your status through the licensing portal.
Keeping Your License Active
LACs complete 20 continuing education hours each year and renew between May 2 and June 30. Under the 2026 rules, two of those hours must cover suicide risk assessment and safety planning every odd-numbered year.
Timeline and Costs
How long licensure takes depends mostly on where your education stands today.
Typical Timeline to Licensure
| Education Level | Education Time | Supervision Time | Total Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Associate Degree | 2 years | 7-18 months | 3-4 years |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 7-18 months | 5-6 years |
| Master’s Degree | 6-7 years (includes bachelor’s) | Can overlap with degree | 6-8 years |
| Already Have Degree | 285 hours of coursework (6-12 months) | 7-18 months | 2-3 years |
Supervision can’t take less than seven months, and part-time schedules stretch it out. If you already hold a qualifying degree, adding the 285 hours of coursework is the fastest route to licensure.
Licensing Costs
These are the fees you’ll pay to the board and testing organizations:
- LAC application: $250 (non-refundable)
- Fingerprint background check: $30 DOJ processing fee, plus any local fingerprinting fee
- NCC AP exam: $150 base cost, before any state fees
Tuition varies widely by school and pathway, so compare current costs directly with each program you’re considering.
Montana Addiction Counselor Salaries
Montana’s substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors earned a median salary of $59,000 in May 2025, with a mean of $60,590. Pay varies by city, with Bozeman posting the highest median among Montana metro areas.
| Area | 10th Percentile | 25th Percentile | Median | 75th Percentile | 90th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montana | $36,840 | $46,170 | $59,000 | $74,010 | $83,640 |
| Billings | $38,470 | $46,570 | $58,350 | $74,990 | $98,820 |
| Bozeman | $37,990 | $48,290 | $64,990 | $83,640 | $102,010 |
| Great Falls | $36,490 | $45,200 | $57,850 | $72,400 | $76,060 |
| Helena | $35,260 | $45,190 | $63,060 | $78,460 | $83,290 |
| Missoula | $35,050 | $44,650 | $59,480 | $75,020 | $81,430 |
| United States | $38,940 | $47,100 | $59,350 | $76,530 | $97,590 |
Montana’s median sits close to the national median of $59,350. Employment for these counselors in Montana is projected to grow 15.2% from 2024 to 2034, with about 230 openings a year, compared with 16.8% growth nationally.
Montana Education Programs
These Montana programs focus specifically on addiction counseling. Program details change, so confirm current coursework with each school and compare it against the board’s Addiction Courses Completed form.
Community and Tribal Colleges
- Flathead Valley Community College offers an AA in Substance Abuse Counseling. The college states that the program meets the academic requirements for Montana’s LAC.
- Great Falls College Montana State University offers Substance Abuse and Addictions Counseling as an associate degree and a certificate. The college states that the program provides the courses required for licensure. Remember that a certificate also needs an associate degree to qualify.
- Salish Kootenai College offers an AA in Chemical Dependency Counseling.
Online Options
Montana accepts degrees from accredited institutions and doesn’t exclude online study. Many students complete their education through online addiction counseling programs while working, which helps if you live far from a campus.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to become a Licensed Addiction Counselor in Montana?
Can I work as an addiction counselor while completing my supervision hours?
Do I need to live in Montana to get licensed?
Can I transfer my license from another state?
What’s the difference between LAC and LCAC in Montana?
Where can I complete supervision hours in rural Montana?
Are there online programs that meet Montana’s requirements?
How much do addiction counselors make in Montana?
Key Takeaways
- Montana’s Board of Behavioral Health licenses addiction counselors, and the requirements on this page apply only to Montana.
- You’ll need a qualifying degree, 285 hours of addiction coursework, 1,000 hours of supervised work experience, and a passing score on a board-approved exam.
- You must register as an LAC Candidate before your supervised hours count.
- Rules effective August 22, 2026, add supervision training for new supervisors and a five-year window for supervised hours.
- Licensure usually takes 2-3 years if you already hold a degree, or 3-6 years if you’re starting your education now.
- Montana’s median salary for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors was $59,000 in May 2025, and employment is projected to grow 15.2% from 2024 to 2034.
- Online programs from accredited schools are accepted, which helps if you live far from a campus.
- Out-of-state licenses don’t transfer automatically, but a substantially equivalent license gives you a direct route.
Ready to Start Your Montana Addiction Counseling Career?
Take the first step toward making a difference in Montana communities affected by addiction. Explore accredited programs and start your path to becoming a Licensed Addiction Counselor.
Salary figures for Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors, Social and Human Services Assistants (Peer Recovery Specialists), and Psychiatric Technicians and Aides (Substance Use Disorder Technicians) come from May 2025 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics city, state, and national data. 2024-34 job growth projections come from ProjectionsCentral state and national data. These figures are not school-specific, and conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed September 2026.