How to Get a Real Estate License in Montana (2026): Cost & Steps

By StartBusinessByState · Fees and requirements checked October 10, 2026 Research process

MONTANA REAL ESTATE LICENSE

To get a Montana real estate license you take 70 hours of approved courses, pass both parts of the Pearson VUE exam, buy errors and omissions insurance and apply to the Board with a broker. The fees you pay the state and the exam company come to about $270: $190 for the exam and $80 for the license. The courses and your insurance cost extra. Here are the steps in order, with every fee.

Already passed? Go to activation and getting ready for clients.

What a Montana real estate license costs

Exam, two parts at $95: $190
Original license: $80
Required fees, total: $270.00

Fee	Amount	Who you pay and when
70 hours of prelicense courses	Set by the school	Finish them within 24 months before you apply.
Exam, two parts	$190	Pearson VUE. The national exam has 80 questions in 150 minutes. The Montana exam has 40 questions in 90 minutes. You need 75% on each. Each costs $95.
Original license	$80	Montana Board of Realty Regulation.
Errors and omissions insurance	Set by the policy	Required with your application.
Renewal, active license	$80	Montana Board of Realty Regulation.
Brokerage, Realtor association and MLS	Set by each office and association	Get every joining and monthly fee in writing before you sign.

The Board’s checklist also asks for license verification from every state where you have held a professional license.

Build your Montana startup budget

Sources: Montana Board of Realty Regulation: salesperson application checklist (requirements: 70 hours, exam, E&O); Montana rule 24.210.401: fee schedule ($80 license and renewal); Pearson VUE Montana candidate handbook ($95 per exam, questions, 75% passing); Montana Board of Realty Regulation: salesperson license information (12 hours of continuing education). Fees and rules checked October 10, 2026. Exam and background-check prices can change, so confirm the total when you book.

Who can get a Montana salesperson license

Most people call it a real estate agent license. In Montana it is a salesperson license, and it lets you work under a supervising broker. Opening your own brokerage is a separate broker license.

The Montana Board of Realty Regulation says you need to be at least 18 with two years of high school, 70 hours of approved education from the last 24 months, a passing Montana exam score from the last 12 months, proof of errors and omissions insurance and a supervising broker.

Already licensed in another state? The Board has a waiver process where you take the Montana part of the exam. Read its checklist for details.

The steps, in order

Take 70 hours of approved courses.
Compare Montana real estate courses and Colibri packages for the 70-hour education, current tuition and exam-support options.

Complete your 70-hour Montana prelicensing course online with Colibri Real Estate. Compare course packages and current prices, including options with extra exam preparation.
See Montana real estate courses
We may earn a commission if you enroll through this link.
Pass both Pearson VUE exam parts. Each costs $95 and you need 75%.
Buy errors and omissions insurance.
Apply and pay $80. Include your course certificate and exam results.
Join a supervising broker. You need one to be active.

Track your deadlines

Your exam score is good for 12 months and your coursework for 24 months. After you are licensed, plan for 12 hours of continuing education every year.

What Montana agents earn

Median pay, Montana agents on payroll: $79,100
Middle half earns: $67,590–$91,170
Montana agents on payroll: 370

The bottom 10% of Montana payroll agents earn under $49,010. The national median is $52,830. Include insurance from the outset because it is part of the application route. Evaluate an office using the amount retained from a completed transaction after its charges, then account for travel, education and client-acquisition expenses.

Source: U.S. Labor Department pay survey, May 2025, Montana real estate sales agents. Covers agents on a payroll only. Checked October 10, 2026.

Pair your supervising broker with the E&O application requirement

Meet supervising brokers during the 70-hour course and ask to see the training offered after the exam. Focus on practical support: who reviews the first contract, how questions are handled during appointments and what the office expects you to do to find clients.

E&O belongs in the license-application plan. Coordinate the broker affiliation, course certificate, exam results and insurance so the packet is ready within the validity periods above. Include the office’s full recurring and transaction charges when comparing compensation agreements.

Set up your Montana agent business

Register the business and organize payments

Agree on your business identity with the supervising broker before registering it. Confirm the entity type and permitted commission-payee name, then use the Montana LLC guide for an LLC setup. ZenBusiness can handle the filing while you finish the insurance and licensing documents.

Arrange errors and omissions (E&O) insurance

Request E&O quotes from Simply Business before sending the application, then confirm the policy offered meets Montana’s requirements for your work. Compare the limits, deductible and evidence-of-coverage process with the supervising broker’s arrangement. Keep the effective date with your licensing records.

Keep business records from day one

There is no separate new-salesperson post-license course under the current rules above, but the annual 12-hour education requirement still belongs in your calendar and budget. Keep certificates and insurance records accessible for later renewals.

See Montana business registration and tax requirements for the wider registration and tax checklist.

Match the service area to the support you have

Choose an area where you can attend appointments and get reliable broker support. Ask to review a completed local file and practice explaining the sequence to a buyer. Build a list of questions for qualified inspectors, lenders and other specialists so you can connect a client with the right help promptly.

Resources for preparing client conversations

Renew your license

An active Montana salesperson license renews for $80, and an inactive one for $40. You need 12 hours of continuing education each year.

Montana has no separate post-license course for new salespeople. The old rule that required one was repealed in 2021.

Montana agent questions

How much does it cost to get a Montana real estate license?

The fees you pay the state and the exam company come to about $270: $190 for the exam and $80 for the license. The 70 hours of courses and your insurance are extra.

How long is the Montana course?

70 hours of approved prelicense education within 24 months of applying.

What is the Montana exam like?

Pearson VUE gives a national part and a Montana part, $95 each. You need 75% on each.

Can I work with clients as soon as I pass?

Not yet. You need insurance, an application and a supervising broker.

How long does a Montana license last?

See the Board for the renewal cycle. Active renewal costs $80, and you need 12 hours of continuing education every year.

Is there a post-license course in Montana?

No. Montana repealed its post-license course rule in 2021, so new salespeople don’t take a separate course after getting licensed.

I’m licensed in another state. Do I retake the exam?

Maybe only part of it. Out-of-state licensees can take the Montana part of the exam under the Board’s waiver process.

Does this cover opening a brokerage?

No. This guide is for the entry-level salesperson license, working under a supervising broker. A broker license has its own requirements.

Your first move in Montana

Start the approved 70-hour course and meet supervising brokers while preparing for both exams. Assemble insurance and application documents within the exam and coursework validity periods, then set up the annual education calendar.

State resource: Montana licensing and education information.