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Montana CPA Requirements (Rules on Exam and Licensing)

Montana cpa requirementsMontana was one of few two-tier states that granted a CPA certificate. As of July 1, 2015, Montana state board only gives out CPA license. Here is the latest news on the new rule.

After the change, there is little reason why international candidates would register through MT state board.

Montana CPA Requirements

1. Education Requirements to Sit for the CPA Exam in Montana

  • Accounting course: 24 credit hours of upper-division (i.e. 3rd or 4th year level) / graduate courses including at least one course in each of financial accounting; auditing; taxation; management accounting
  • 24 credit hours of general business subjects

Update for international candidates: Montana State Board now accepts NIES instead of FACS as the foreign credential evaluation agency. It is more expensive but faster.

2. Additional Montana CPA Requirements for Licensing

Montana is a 2-tier state, i.e. the State Board issues a certificate and a permit to practice. For the different between CPA certificate vs license please click here.

Note: All certificate-only licenses were terminated on December 31, 2017.

For CPA permit to practice (License)

Education:

  • 4-year bachelor’s degree or equivalent with 150 credit hours
  • Passing of the CPA exam
  • Passing of the CPA ethics exam administered by the AICPA

Working experience:

  • 1 year or 2,000 hours of “adequate” experience.
  • Adequate means there is sufficient evidence of “having performed accounting and auditing functions ordinarily required in the practice of public accounting”
  • The experience has to be “attested” (i.e. verified) by an active US CPA licensee *
  • The experience should “take place in 3 years prior to the date of this [licensing] application

*Launched in Apr 2016* The NASBA Experience Verification service is now available to those who do not have access to an active U.S. CPA for verification.

Note to Indian BCOM + CA holders

The Montana State Board is kind enough to clarify the situation on CA upon my email inquiry:

“[The Montana Board] will not be accepting credit earned through Chartered Accountants, Cost and Works Accountants, ICMAP, and similar organizations.”

More information can be found here for Indian candidates.

3. Montana CPA Requirements on Residency & Age

  • US citizenship not required
  • Montana residency not required
  • Minimum age: none

4. Fees

  • Education Evaluation Application Fee: $140.00
  • Exam Section Application Fee: $344.80

5. Continuing Education

You can refer to this page on Montana CPA CPE requirements, which is mandatory after you obtain the license.

6. Other Useful Information

7. Contact

Montana Board of Public Accountants
301 S Park
PO Box 200513
Helena, MT 59620-0513

  • Email: cpaes-mt@nasba.org, dlibsdpac@mt.gov
  • Phone: (866) 350-0017 (NASBA hotline)
  • Fax: 406-841-2305

Can You Help me in the State Board Selection Process?

Check out these pages to learn about the educational and experience requirements, with my recommendation at the end of the posts:

If you have questions, feel free to drop a note in the comment section, or visit my Facebook page.

* Photographs courtesy of meantux

About the Author Stephanie Ng

I am the author of How to Pass The CPA Exam (published by Wiley), and I also passed all 4 sections of the CPA Exam on my first try. Additionally, I have led webinars, such as for the Institute of Management Accountants, authored featured articles on websites like Going Concern and AccountingWeb, and I'm also the CFO for the charity New Sight. Finally, I have created other accounting certification websites to help mentor non-CPA candidates. I have already mentored thousands of CPA, CMA, CIA, EA, and CFA candidates, and I can help you too!

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