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Montana Office of Public Instruction application documents

Which documents does Montana require from an out-of-state teacher?

The state, institution, employer or testing provider may need to send some records directly.

Open Educator Licenses
Official state guidance State makes the decision Checked 2026-08-23

Core application evidence

Requirement

TeachMT review uses official transcripts, preparation and supervised-teaching verification, fingerprints, the source license and experience evidence or the documents for another selected competency pathway.

Which application this evidence supports

Montana does not exchange out-of-state licenses automatically; it evaluates degree, approved preparation, supervised teaching and one of four competency pathways for a Class 2 Standard license.

What can change this answer

The Class 2 route requires a bachelor's or master's degree and approved preparation with supervised teaching, plus one complete competency pathway: a current unrestricted source license with two years of experience, the Montana Praxis, a passing student-teaching portfolio or a 3.00 preparation-program GPA. A teacher who misses a Class 2 requirement may fit Class 5A for Praxis only, Class 5B while enrolled in preparation or Class 5C when completed preparation is no longer recent.

Conditions to resolve before sending records

  • Montana states that it does not have automatic reciprocity with another state
  • The four Class 2 competency pathways cannot be mixed and matched
  • The preparation program must be AAQEP-, CAEP-, MACTE- or state-approved
  • A Class 1 Professional license adds a qualifying master's degree or National Board certification to Class 2 eligibility
  • Every Class 5 applicant needs a Montana residential address or qualifying Montana P-12 job offer
  • Class 5 licenses are nonrenewable and cannot be reinstated

Send identity documents and background records only where the state agency instructs. TeachPassport does not receive them.

Official sources

Check again by 2026-11-23