Montana Social Worker License Guide - 2024

Social Worker License

by Social Worker License Staff

Updated: February 16th, 2024

Social Worker Licensing Guide for the state of Montana

If you have a desire to help others or the community as a whole, you might be exploring a career as a licensed social worker. The Montana Board of Behavioral Health is in charge of issuing social work licenses, and it gives people three options. The license you choose will dictate your scope of work moving forward.

Montana Social Work License Options



If you become a licensed baccalaureate or master’s social worker, you’ll be able to work in general practice. However, a master’s social worker license will open more doors and give you access to higher-paying jobs. Some people choose to become a licensed baccalaureate social worker first before taking the remaining steps to earn a license as a master’s social worker.

You also have the option of obtaining a license as a clinical social worker to work in client care. You’ll be able to run therapy sessions, treat patients, and more with this license.

Regardless of the career path you choose, you’ll need to meet the licensing requirements first. Becoming a licensed baccalaureate social worker has the fewest requirements while becoming a licensed clinical social worker has the most. These additional requirements will prepare you to provide patient care in a clinical setting.

If you have any questions when working toward your license, you can contact the Montana Board of Behavioral Health at 406-841-2300 or email DLIBSDWEBHELP@MT.gov. The board can help you better understand what you need to do to get your license to start your career as a social worker in Montana.

You can also use this guide as you navigate the path to becoming a social worker. It outlines the steps you must take depending on the type of license you want to obtain. The guide is so comprehensive that you likely won’t need to reach out to the Montana Board of Behavioral Health during the process of getting your license.

Let’s begin by exploring the process of becoming a licensed baccalaureate social worker. If you prefer to become a master’s or clinical social worker, you can skip ahead to those sections to go through each of the steps.