Registered nurse certification in Montana is issued by the Montana Board of Nursing which works towards providing optimum health facilities to the people of the state. RNs play an integral role in nursing research and educational programs, and also perform a number of non-clinical functions required for the optimal delivery of health care services.
Requirements for Obtaining RN License in Montana
- Examination
All applicants are required to fulfill the following requirements while applying for registered nurse license by examination:
- Complete state approved nursing education program.
- Pass the Board approved licensure examination, i.e., NCLEX-RN (National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurse).
- Provide an application fee of $100 in the form of money order or cashier’s check made payable to the “Montana Board of Nursing”. If you are applying for a temporary permit, provide additional fee of $25.
- Request your nursing school to send official transcripts (which include the degree awarded and date when it was conferred) directly from your nursing school to the Board.
- If applicable, provide verification of your licensure from another state.
- Foreign applicants are supposed to meet the following prerequisites:
- Request for an official evaluation report with course-by-course details from any state approved foreign education evaluation agency such as Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) or International Education Research Foundation (IERF).
- Pass any of the board approved English proficiency exam. The applicants who have completed their graduation from Australia, Canada (except Quebec), Ireland, New Zealand, Tobago, Trinidad and the United Kingdom need not take this exam.
- Endorsement
The requirements for RN license by endorsement are as follows:
- Enclose an appropriate application fee of $200 via money order or cashier’s check, drawn in the name of “Montana Board of Nursing”. You may be required to pay an additional fee of $25, if you request for a temporary license.
- Complete graduation from a state approved nursing program.
- Pass the NCLEX-RN.
- Provide evidence of certification from your original state of licensure.
- Submit proof of licensure from all the respective jurisdictions where you have held a professional license in the last 2 years.
- Foreign applicants- In addition to the above mentioned requirements for foreign applicants by examination, they also need to fulfill the following criteria:
- Complete any of the qualifying examination, such as NCLEX predictor exam or screening exam, certified by the board recognized foreign educator evaluator, CGFNS.
Procedure to Obtain RN License by Examination
The step-by-step procedure to obtain a Montana certification is:
Step 1: Download the examination application using the following link:
http://bsd.dli.mt.gov/license/bsd_boards/nur_board/pdf/nur_exam_app.pdf
Step 2: Carefully read all the instructions before filling the form.
Step 3: You may request for a 90-day temporary permit by downloading the form via below link:
http://bsd.dli.mt.gov/license/bsd_boards/nur_board/pdf/nur_exam_temp_app.pdf
After completing the essential details of the form, attach it with the application.
Step 4: Register with the testing vendor, Pearson VUE, using the following link:
http://www.pearsonvue.com/nclex/
Step 5: Submit the completed application, fees, and all the required documents to the following address:
MONTANA BOARD OF NURSING
PO Box 200513 (301 S Park, 4th Floor)
Helena, Montana- 59620-0513
Step 6: After receiving and approving your application, the Board will make you eligible to take the exam by notifying the Pearson VUE.
Step 7: You will receive an ATT (Authorization to Test) notification from the testing vendor.
Step 8: Schedule and pass the NCLEX-RN exam.
Step 9: The Candidate Performance Report (CPR) will be sent to the Board. If you have received a passing score, the license will be issued. If you have failed, you will have to wait for 45 days to retake the exam.
Procedure to Obtain RN License by Endorsement/Credentialing
Step 1: Download the examination application using the following link:
http://bsd.dli.mt.gov/license/bsd_boards/nur_board/pdf/nur_end_app.pdf
Step 2: Have a look at the information provided on the application form.
Step 3: You may request for a temporary permit which remains valid for 90 days by downloading the “Credentialing Temporary Permit Application” through the following link:
http://bsd.dli.mt.gov/license/bsd_boards/nur_board/pdf/nur_cred_temp_app.pdf
After completing the details, enclose the form with the endorsement application.
Step 4: Submit the application form with all the essential documents to the Montana Board office address mentioned above. (Refer Step 5 of procedure to obtain RN license by examination).
Verification of RN License in MT
You may request for verification of your licensure, by using any one of the three methods:
- Licensee Lookup: Use this link to verify the license – https://ebiz.mt.gov/pol/
- You may request for licensure information directly from the Board through email. Include the following details in your email:
- First name
- Last name
- Address
- City
- State
- License number, and
- Any other type of identifying information
- You may request to provide official license verification to another state licensing board, individual or jurisdiction for license confirmation status in the state. A fee of $20.00 is charged per verification requested. Download the official license verification form using this link – http://bsd.dli.mt.gov/license/pdf/verify.pdf
Renewal of RN License
All nursing licenses in Montana expire on December 31st of every even-numbered year. A fee of $100 is charged on every renewal.
Continuing Education Requirements
All candidates are required to complete at least twenty-four contact hours of CE (continuing education) in the specified period of two years.
Methods to Renew Certificate
- Online at: https://ebiz.mt.gov/pol/ Submit the renewal fee with the help of a credit card or e-check.
- By mail: Download the application using this link – http://bsd.dli.mt.gov/license/bsd_boards/nur_board/pdf/RN_LPN_renew_2012.pdfSubmit the completed form to the Board office address.
Note- Read the instructions mentioned in the form before filling it.
Reactivation of an Inactive License
All applicants who wish to reactivate their inactive license may use the following link to download the reactivation form. Provide application fee of $50 to reactivate the license to an active status.
http://bsd.dli.mt.gov/license/bsd_boards/nur_board/pdf/reactivate.pdf
Submit the completed application by mail or in-person to the address mentioned on the top of the reactivation form.
Lookup License
You may use any of the following links to view the details of your license:
- License Lookup System
https://ebiz.mt.gov/pol/
- Nursys
www.nursys.com – Open this link and click on “Search Quick Confirm”. You can search for the license by providing your name or license number.
Retake NCLEX-RN Exam
If you fail to pass the certification examination in the first attempt, you may take the test after 45 days. Download the application using the following link:
http://bsd.dli.mt.gov/license/bsd_boards/nur_board/pdf/ReExam_Application_Form.pdf
