Transfer Your Teaching License to Montana: Reciprocity & Endorsement (2026)
Montana does not simply exchange your teaching license. The Montana Office of Public Instruction (OPI) — Educator Licensure reviews your credential and tells you what is missing; some states issue a provisional certificate while you complete requirements — check with the board. Application fee: $80–$95 (First-time Montana license: $80 for a Class 2 Standard Teaching license and $95 for a Class 1 Professional Teaching license (each includes a $10 non-refundable processing fee); subsequent licenses are $70/$85. Fees are non-refundable and paid electronically in TeachMT. Fingerprint background-check costs are additional.).
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Our verified data for Montana does not name the first credential it gives an out-of-state teacher. The Montana Office of Public Instruction (OPI) — Educator Licensure reviews your credential and tells you what is missing; some states issue a provisional certificate while you complete requirements — check with the board before you accept a start date.
Montana is the clearest case of 'reciprocity' being a misnomer: OPI states outright that 'Montana does not have reciprocity with any state for teacher licensure' — every out-of-state teacher files a full application. The license itself is not transferred; your out-of-state license is one document among transcripts, a university program recommendation, and a fingerprint check, and it functions (with two years of experience) as one of four ways to satisfy Montana's assessment requirement instead of the PRAXIS. Montana also imposes a requirement no other state does: completion of 'An Introduction to Indian Education for All in Montana' for both the Class 2 Standard and Class 1 Professional teaching licenses.
Montana requirements at a glance
| Exam | Montana accepts a current out-of-state educator license plus two years of teaching experience as one of four ways to satisfy the assessment requirement, in place of a minimum qualifying score on the Montana-required PRAXIS subject assessment. Applicants without that license-plus-experience combination must post a qualifying PRAXIS score, pass a student-teaching portfolio, or show a 3.0 or higher GPA in the relevant coursework. |
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| Additional requirements |
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| Fees | $80–$95 (First-time Montana license: $80 for a Class 2 Standard Teaching license and $95 for a Class 1 Professional Teaching license (each includes a $10 non-refundable processing fee); subsequent licenses are $70/$85. Fees are non-refundable and paid electronically in TeachMT. Fingerprint background-check costs are additional.) |
| Processing time | OPI publishes no processing-time range for new licenses. It warns only that summer is the busiest period and that applications left incomplete are purged after 90 days. Not estimated here |
Step by step
- Confirm Montana's current requirements on the Montana Office of Public Instruction (OPI) — Educator Licensure website — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Montana Office of Public Instruction (OPI) — Educator Licensure (application linked on this page).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Apply electronically through the TeachMT licensing system — OPI accepts no paper applications.
- Submit official transcripts and a copy of your current out-of-state educator license.
- Submit a university recommendation verifying completion of a teacher preparation program, student teaching, and the endorsements you qualify for.
- Complete a fingerprint background check.
- Complete the course 'An Introduction to Indian Education for All in Montana'.
- Have foreign degrees evaluated course-by-course by a NACES member agency.
- Pay the fees ($80–$95 (First-time Montana license: $80 for a Class 2 Standard Teaching license and $95 for a Class 1 Professional Teaching license (each includes a $10 non-refundable processing fee); subsequent licenses are $70/$85. Fees are non-refundable and paid electronically in TeachMT. Fingerprint background-check costs are additional.)). Processing time: OPI publishes no processing-time range for new licenses. It warns only that summer is the busiest period and that applications left incomplete are purged after 90 days. Not estimated here.
Official links
Coming from a specific state?
Direction matters — these guides cover the exact move into Montana:
Nearby states
Teaching license transfer into the states bordering Montana:
Montana for other professions
- Nursing in Montana
- Cosmetology / Barber in Montana
- Real Estate in Montana
- Contractor in Montana
- CPA / Accounting in Montana
- Electrician in Montana
- Plumber in Montana
- Engineering in Montana
- Pharmacy in Montana
- Physical Therapy in Montana
- Psychology in Montana
- Counseling in Montana
- Social Work in Montana
- Occupational Therapy in Montana
Frequently asked questions
Does my teaching license transfer to Montana?
Montana does not simply exchange your teaching license. The Montana Office of Public Instruction (OPI) — Educator Licensure reviews your credential and tells you what is missing; some states issue a provisional certificate while you complete requirements — check with the board. Application fee: $80–$95 (First-time Montana license: $80 for a Class 2 Standard Teaching license and $95 for a Class 1 Professional Teaching license (each includes a $10 non-refundable processing fee); subsequent licenses are $70/$85. Fees are non-refundable and paid electronically in TeachMT. Fingerprint background-check costs are additional.).
Is teaching reciprocity automatic in Montana?
No. The Montana Office of Public Instruction (OPI) — Educator Licensure reviews your credential and tells you what is missing; some states issue a provisional certificate while you complete requirements — check with the board.
What tests or requirements does Montana add?
Montana accepts a current out-of-state educator license plus two years of teaching experience as one of four ways to satisfy the assessment requirement, in place of a minimum qualifying score on the Montana-required PRAXIS subject assessment. Applicants without that license-plus-experience combination must post a qualifying PRAXIS score, pass a student-teaching portfolio, or show a 3.0 or higher GPA in the relevant coursework.
What does a Montana out-of-state teaching certificate cost and how long does it take?
$80–$95 (First-time Montana license: $80 for a Class 2 Standard Teaching license and $95 for a Class 1 Professional Teaching license (each includes a $10 non-refundable processing fee); subsequent licenses are $70/$85. Fees are non-refundable and paid electronically in TeachMT. Fingerprint background-check costs are additional.) Processing time: OPI publishes no processing-time range for new licenses. It warns only that summer is the busiest period and that applications left incomplete are purged after 90 days. Not estimated here.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- Montana OPI — Educator Licensure (out-of-state applicants; 'Montana does not have reciprocity with any state for teacher licensure') ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Montana OPI — Educator Licenses (Class 1 and Class 2 requirements) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Montana OPI — Educator Licensure Fees, effective July 27, 2026 ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-08-07
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]