Montana LBSW Requirements & Hours Tracker

Licensing as a Licensed Baccalaureate Social Worker (LBSW) in Montana is structured around three main elements: a CSWE‑accredited BSW degree, supervised work experience under a board‑qualified supervisor, and successful completion of the ASWB bachelor’s exam and background checks. The requirements are set in statute (Montana Code Annotated, MCA) and in the Administrative Rules of Montana (ARM) adopted by the Montana Board of Behavioral Health.

Below is a step‑by‑step guide that tracks directly to that law and rule language.

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1. Understand what the LBSW license is in Montana

Montana recognizes three levels of social work licensure: Licensed Baccalaureate Social Worker (LBSW), Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW), and Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW). The LBSW level is tied to the requirements laid out in MCA 37‑22‑307.(law.justia.com)

A licensed baccalaureate social worker may engage in social work practice as defined by the Board and use the initials “LBSW.”(law.justia.com)

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2. Education requirement

The Board’s education rule is straightforward:

• You must have a bachelor’s degree in social work from a program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).

ARM 24.219.501(1) states that “Applicants for LCSW, LMSW, and LBSW licensure must have a degree from a program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.”(regulations.justia.com)

This implements MCA 37‑22‑307(1)(a), which likewise requires a BSW from a CSWE‑accredited (or board‑approved) program.(law.justia.com)

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3. Register as a Social Worker Licensure Candidate

You cannot simply start counting hours after graduation. Before accruing supervised experience toward the LBSW, you must register as a “social worker licensure candidate.”

3.1. Who must register

MCA 37‑22‑313(1) requires anyone who has completed the education for an LBSW, LMSW, or LCSW but has not yet completed the supervised work experience to register as a social worker licensure candidate in order to practice and earn supervised hours in Montana.(law.justia.com)

3.2. What you submit to register

Under MCA 37‑22‑313(2), to register as a social worker licensure candidate you must submit to the Board:(law.justia.com)

• The application and fee required by the Board.
• Proof of completion of the education requirement (your CSWE‑accredited BSW).
• Fingerprints for a Montana Department of Justice and FBI background check.
• Proof of good moral character.
• A training and supervision plan that meets Board requirements.

Once approved, you may practice as a licensure candidate under board‑set conditions and use the appropriate candidate title.(law.justia.com)

The Board’s LBSW Candidate page confirms this pathway and notes that an LBSW candidate background check via fingerprints is required before licensure.(boards.bsd.dli.mt.gov)

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4. Complete the required supervised work experience

The supervised experience requirement for LBSW licensure is set out in ARM 24.219.504(2).

4.1. Total hours and timeframe

For LBSW applicants, the rule states:

• You “must complete a minimum of 500 total hours of supervised work experience over a period of no less than 18 months.”(regulations.justia.com)

This is a big change from older secondary sources that still list 2,000 hours; the current official rule (effective through June 6, 2025) is 500 supervised hours, not 2,000.

4.2. Required supervision hours inside those 500 hours

ARM 24.219.504 further breaks down how some of those 500 hours must be spent:(regulations.justia.com)

• At least 50 hours of the 500 must be individual or group supervision provided by a qualified supervisor (as defined in ARM 24.219.421).
• Of those 50 supervision hours, at least 10 hours must be with the client populations that will be served by the LBSW candidate (the rule gives examples of client populations such as child, adolescent, adult, or chemically dependent/substance use disorder).

So, in hour terms:

• 500 total supervised work experience hours minimum, over ≥ 18 months.
  • Within that 500:
    • ≥ 50 hours of supervision with a qualified supervisor.
    • Of those 50, ≥ 10 hours of supervision specifically involving your intended client populations.

4.3. Direct client contact requirement

For LBSW applicants, the statute adds another key requirement. MCA 37‑22‑307(1)(b) states that an applicant must have completed supervised work experience as specified in board rule, and that “[s]ome of the required hours must be in direct client contact.”(law.justia.com)

Important points:

• The law explicitly requires that part of your supervised experience involve direct client contact.
• Unlike Montana’s LCSW requirement, which specifies 1,500 hours of direct client contact out of 3,000 total hours,(law.justia.com) the Board does not set a fixed number of direct‑contact hours for LBSW in current rule.
• Practically, your training and supervision plan should spell out how you will achieve a meaningful amount of direct client work within the 500 hours.

4.4. Recency of hours

ARM 24.219.504(6) adds a recency requirement:

• For LBSW (and LMSW) applicants who are not actively licensed in another jurisdiction, all supervised work experience hours must have been earned within five years of the date of application.(regulations.justia.com)

4.5. Supervision ratio

The Board also requires a minimum supervision ratio. ARM 24.219.504(4) states:

• Supervisors must provide at least two hours of supervision for every 160 hours of social work performed by LBSW, LMSW, and LCSW candidates.(regulations.justia.com)

This ratio applies across your supervised practice; it is not limited only to the 50 “formal” supervision hours.

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5. Make sure your supervisor qualifies under Board rules

Supervisor qualifications are defined in ARM 24.219.421.

5.1. General supervisor standards

Under ARM 24.219.421(2), all supervisors must:(regulations.justia.com)

• Have an active license in good standing in the jurisdiction where supervision occurs, and
• Either:
  • Have been licensed in their discipline for at least three years (not counting candidate time), or
  • Have completed board‑approved supervision training (at least one graduate semester credit focused on supervision OR 20 hours of board‑approved training in supervision).

5.2. Specific requirements for LBSW candidate supervisors

For LBSW candidates, ARM 24.219.421(5) states that:(regulations.justia.com)

• Supervisors must be licensed as an LCSW, LMSW, or LBSW in good standing in the jurisdiction where the supervision occurs.
• If the supervisor is an LBSW, that person:
  • Must have been licensed as an LBSW for at least three years, and
  • Cannot qualify to supervise by taking supervision courses alone (an LBSW supervisor cannot use coursework instead of the three‑year experience requirement).

The rule also prohibits supervisors who are the candidate’s parent, child, spouse, or sibling, or who have other conflicts of interest such as a cohabiting or financially dependent relationship.(regulations.justia.com)

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6. Complete the ASWB Bachelor’s exam

Once you have finished your supervised experience as a social worker licensure candidate, MCA 37‑22‑307(2)(a) requires that you “satisfactorily complete an examination prescribed by the board.”(law.justia.com)

The Board’s LBSW information page specifies that Montana accepts test scores from the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) bachelor’s examination.(boards.bsd.dli.mt.gov)

In practice:

1. Your supervisor confirms to the Board that you have met the supervised experience requirements (using Board forms).
2. The Board clears you to sit for the ASWB Bachelor’s exam.
3. You pass the exam and have your scores sent to the Board.

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7. Apply for the LBSW license and complete background checks

7.1. Application and fee

After supervised experience and the exam are complete, MCA 37‑22‑307(2)(b) requires you to:(law.justia.com)

• Submit a completed application required by the Board, and
• Pay the application fee set by the Board.

The Board’s LBSW page directs you to apply online and references a “Licensing Requirements & Application Submission Checklist – LBSW,” which lays out the documents needed (education verification, supervision documentation, etc.).(boards.bsd.dli.mt.gov)

7.2. Fingerprint‑based background check

MCA 37‑22‑307(2)(c) and 37‑22‑313(2)(c) require fingerprint submission for DOJ/FBI checks as a prerequisite to license issuance and candidate registration.(law.justia.com)

The Board’s LBSW page makes this explicit, stating that LBSW applicants must complete a background check through submission of fingerprints to Montana Criminal Records; the results are sent directly to the department.(boards.bsd.dli.mt.gov)

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8. After licensure: scope of practice and continuing education (briefly)

8.1. Scope and title

Once licensed, an LBSW:

• Is subject to the social work ethical standards adopted in MCA 37‑22‑201.
• May engage in social work activities defined in MCA 37‑22‑102(5) (the statute lists functions like assessment, planning, case management, advocacy, and non‑clinical counseling at the baccalaureate level).
• May use the initials “LBSW” for “licensed baccalaureate social worker.”(law.justia.com)

8.2. Continuing education

ARM 24.219.435 sets continuing education (CE) requirements for all Board of Behavioral Health licensees, including LBSWs:(regulations.justia.com)

• 20 hours of CE annually before renewal.
• Of those 20 hours:
  • A minimum of 2 hours must relate to suicide prevention for the first renewal and every two years thereafter.
  • Up to 10 hours may come from first‑time preparation of courses/workshops or first‑time publication/presentation of qualifying professional work.
• Licensees with more than one license must complete 20 hours for each license they hold.
• CE is not required until after your first renewal.

The Board’s LBSW page directs licensees to ARM 24.219.435 for these CE requirements.(boards.bsd.dli.mt.gov)

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9. Note on the now‑expired “Legacy Clause”

You may encounter references to a “Legacy Clause” that allowed experienced social workers to obtain LBSW or LMSW licensure without supervision hours or an exam. NASW Montana explains that under HB 499 (2023), the Legacy Clause permitted degree‑holders with at least 4,000 hours of historical social work experience to gain LBSW/LMSW without new supervision or an exam, but that this pathway sunset on December 31, 2024.(naswmt.socialworkers.org)

As of late 2025, this option is no longer available; applicants must follow the standard education, candidate registration, supervised experience, exam, and background‑check route outlined above.

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10. Summary of key LBSW hour requirements in Montana

Putting the hour‑related requirements into one place:

• Education

  • BSW from a CSWE‑accredited program.(regulations.justia.com)

• Supervised work experience (LBSW) – ARM 24.219.504(2):(regulations.justia.com)

  • 500 total hours of supervised work experience.
  • Must be completed over at least 18 months.
  • At least 50 hours must be individual or group supervision by a qualified supervisor.
  • At least 10 of those 50 supervision hours must involve the client populations you will serve as an LBSW.
  • Per statute, some of the 500 hours must be in direct client contact, but no fixed numerical direct‑contact requirement is set for LBSW.(law.justia.com)
  • Recency: If not licensed in another jurisdiction, the 500 supervised hours must be earned within 5 years of your application.(regulations.justia.com)
  • Supervision ratio: At least 2 hours of supervision per 160 hours of social work.(regulations.justia.com)

• Supervisors (LBSW candidates) – ARM 24.219.421:(regulations.justia.com)

  • Must be licensed LCSW, LMSW, or LBSW in good standing.
  • If LBSW, must have ≥ 3 years as an LBSW and cannot replace that requirement with coursework.
  • Must meet general supervisory experience or training criteria and avoid prohibited relationships/conflicts of interest.

• Exam

  • Must pass the ASWB Bachelor’s exam, the exam accepted by the Montana Board for LBSW.(boards.bsd.dli.mt.gov)

Together, this combination of a CSWE‑accredited BSW, 500 structured supervised hours with required supervision components and some direct client contact, a passing ASWB Bachelor’s exam score, and fingerprint‑based background clearance are what the Montana Board of Behavioral Health currently requires for LBSW licensure.