Montana CPA Requirements

Montana's accounting and auditing industry is rapidly growing. Projection Central forecasts a 14.3% growth rate from 2022-2032 — three times the projected national rate.

This growth might result from the state's diverse industries. Top employers include education, healthcare, government, and transportation sectors, which all report a common need: accounting oversight.

Students interested in taking advantage of Montana's budding accounting industry might consider becoming certified public accountants (CPA). The process is similar to that of most other states, with requirements for education, ethics, and experience. Discover the specific eligibility requirements for the Montana CPA exam and licensure in this helpful guide.

Education Requirements for Becoming a CPA in Montana

As in most states, a Montana CPA candidate must complete 150 credits and a bachelor's degree in accounting before applying for licensure. However, they only need 48 credits of accounting and business courses before taking the CPA exam, allowing students to sit for the exam while still completing their undergraduate degrees. Most licensure applicants, though, already hold a master's degree.

The 150-credit requirement exceeds the typical 120 credits in a bachelor's degree, so aspiring CPAs often pursue a 30-credit master's degree program. Many schools in Montana even offer bachelor's-to-master's accounting programs that accelerate the CPA path, often reducing the study time by a year.

Concentrations, Credits, and Course Acceptance

The Montana Board of Public Accounts lists the same course requirements for CPA exam and licensure applicants: 24 accounting credits and 24 general business credits. While only upper-level credits (usually above the 200 level) can fulfill the accounting requirements, the state board accepts business credits at any level.

These business credits must not relate to accounting. Instead, they may cover approved topics, like marketing, economics, or finance.

Given this business focus, CPA candidates in Montana might benefit from concentrations like economics, finance, or operations management. A bachelor's or master's in business administration — perhaps with an accounting concentration — can also help students meet Montana credit and course requirements.

The state board expects applicants to have a major or concentration in accounting. Other focuses that meet the credit requirements may need board approval.

Regardless of concentration, applicants must complete all credits at accredited institutions. While commercial CPA review classes do not count toward the credit requirements, international chartered accountant program courses may qualify.

Montana Experience Requirements

Along with education, Montana CPA license requirements include 2,000 hours of accounting or auditing experience. These hours equal about one year of full-time work, but applicants can spread them out over the three years preceding application submission.

All experience must relate to public accounting work, whether completed in the private, public, governmental, or academic sectors. Eligible activities include:

• Management advisory
• Consulting services
• Tax advisory
• Tax preparation
• Financial statements or reports publication

Regardless of the experience type, someone must confirm the hours by signing the applicant's certification of experience form. The state board accepts verification from a licensed supervisor, a CPA in good standing, or a commanding military officer.

Applicants with non-licensed supervisors can request experience verification through the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA). The service sends a verified report to the state board and costs $600 for domestic applicants.

CPA Exam Requirements

All aspiring CPAs must take and pass the Uniform CPA Examination, a four-part exam regulated by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). However, the requirements to sit for the exam differ in each state.

The sections below outline the unique CPA exam requirements and application process for Montana candidates.

Eligibility to Take the Exam

A CPA candidate in Montana can apply and sit for the exam once they have completed at least 48 accounting and business credits from an accredited four-year school. Degree-completion status does not affect eligibility.

Half of those required credits must come from upper-level accounting courses. Students need about eight non-introductory accounting classes, including one in each of the following topics:

• Taxation
• Financial accounting
• Management accounting
• Auditing

The other 24 credits must not relate to accounting but instead cover general business themes, including:

• Quantitative applications in business
• Marketing
• Ethics
• Information systems
• Business law
• Organizational behavior
• Communication
• Economics
• Finance

The Montana Board of Public Accounts does not list any other residency, citizenship, age, or Social Security number requirements. Exam applicants only need their transcripts — or an education evaluation for international applicants — demonstrating completion of 48 credits.

Applying for and Scheduling the Exam

While the state board establishes eligibility, Montana exam applicants must apply through NASBA. Create an account on NASBA's online platform, then access the CPA Portal from the dashboard.

On the New Candidate application, set the jurisdiction as the Montana State Board of Public Accountants. The resulting prompts ask for basic candidate information, a list of U.S. schools attended, and yes/no answers to evaluation questions.

NASBA reminds students that they must request official transcripts from every school listed on the application, even if they have not yet finished a degree. All transcripts must go directly to NASBA's CPA Examination Services (CPAES), not the student.

International applicants should select "International Evaluation" in the education portion of the application instead of searching for their specific schools. They must send transcripts to the NASBA International Evaluation Services for a separate credential check. This evaluation service provider then submits a final evaluation with the official transcripts to CPAES.

The final exam application step for both national and international applicants is making a $140 payment. It takes about one month for NASBA to pair transcripts with applications and then another two months for the evaluation.

If NASBA does not receive supporting academic documentation within 90 days of application submission, the evaluation expires. In such cases, NASBA does not issue refunds, and applicants must start over.

After the education evaluation and confirmed eligibility, students can register for CPA exam sections. Each non-refundable registration costs $352.64 and applies to only one exam section. Candidates can apply for the sections in any order but must complete them individually.

Once students receive a Notice to Schedule, they must schedule and take the exam within six months. Waiting longer than six months renders the registration and fees invalid.

CPA candidates in Montana must pass all four exam sections within a rolling 18-month period that begins the day they pass their first section. If they take longer than 18 months, the time frame moves forward. However, the initial passed section then expires, requiring a retake.

After Passing the Exam

CPA exam results do not expire in Montana, affording students plenty of time to fulfill the remaining education and experience requirements if they have not yet done so. Remember, each candidate must graduate with a bachelor's degree and complete 150 credits — which usually means completing a master's degree as well.

They can complete the 2,000 hours of supervised accounting or auditing experience while finishing their studies or afterward. However, all hours must fall within the three years before applying for a license.

The Montana Board of Public Accountants requires licensure applicants to pass the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) ethics exam. This online course and test costs $320 or $250 for AICPA members.

Once candidates have met all requirements, they can begin the licensure application through NASBA's online platform. Log into the CPA Licensing Online Application system and confirm the jurisdiction by looking at the upper right-hand corner. It should say "Montana."

Select the "Apply Online" option, then the initial license application. After requesting basic candidate information and attestation questions, the application asks for lists of attended schools and education experience.

Each application must include the following supplemental documents:

• AICPA ethics exam certificate of completion
• Certificate of experience
• Verifier's online license verification
• Transcripts sent directly to the CPAES (only those not submitted for the CPA exam)
• Social Security number affidavit (for applicants without one)

With all required documents uploaded, CPA candidates can pay the $125 fee and submit the application. Processing time may take up to eight weeks. Any incomplete applications become invalid after 12 months, requiring a new application and payment.

Employers can visit the Montana Department of Labor and Industry website to verify a CPA license. They can simply fill out the information on the license search page, and the results appear immediately.

Maintaining Licensure

CPA licenses in Montana expire at the end of each year. Professionals can renew their licenses through the Montana Department of Labor and Industry for $125. Late renewal applicants must pay double the fee.

The state board charges $75 to renew inactive licenses and $25 for retired licenses. Candidates must submit these fees with a reactivation application and verified continuing professional education (CPE).

An active license-holder must complete 120 hours of CPE every three years, but they only need to submit verification if audited. Half of these hours must focus on technical fields, such as:

• Statistics
• Governmental accounting
• Finance
• Auditing
• Economics
• Information technology
• Taxation
• Business law
• Management services
• Ethics (two hours must apply exclusively to ethics)

Qualifying CPE methods include:

• Authorship
• Lecturing
• Group or independent study
• Technical committee work
• Blending or nano-learning

CPAs must document all CPE hours. Certificates of completion or transcripts work for different study methods, while more technical education requires a detailed written certificate.

Thanks to reciprocity agreements, out-of-state and international CPAs can transfer their license fairly easily. The process mirrors an initial application, requiring education and experience documentation. However, it costs slightly more at $150, and applicants should include verification of active CPA licenses.

Any out-of-state candidates who have passed the CPA exam but do not yet have licensure can also transfer to Montana. The state board offers a transfer of grades application, which costs $150.

Considering that all states and several U.S. territories count as substantially equivalent states under the Uniform Accountancy Act (UAA), Montana CPAs can similarly transfer to other areas. CPA mobility also allows licensed CPAs to work in various states — including Montana — without transferring their licenses.

The UAA also declares that non-CPA holders can become firm partners in Montana. However, they must share ownership with a majority of licensed CPAs.

Questions About CPAs in Montana