How to Become a Real Estate Agent in Montana (2026 Guide)

Thinking about getting licensed in Montana?

Big Sky Country has seen a real estate boom over the past several years, fueled by out-of-state buyers chasing wide-open space and mountain towns. If you’re ready to get in on it, here’s the honest rundown: you’ll need 70 hours of coursework, a two-part exam, proof of liability insurance, and a broker to sponsor you. None of it is complicated, but a few of the details genuinely trip people up — so let’s walk through it, sourced straight from the Montana Board of Realty Regulation.

Here’s the roadmap:


6 Steps to Get a Real Estate License in Montana

Per the Montana Board of Realty Regulation, you’ll need to be at least 18, have completed the equivalent of two years of full high school curriculum (or a diploma/GED), and be prepared to disclose any past professional discipline. Assuming that’s all in order, here’s the path forward:

STEP 1 | Complete Your 70-Hour Pre-License Education

  • Montana’s 70-hour salesperson course has to come from a Board-approved provider, and it stays valid for 24 months from completion — so don’t take it too far ahead of when you plan to actually apply. You can complete it online or in a classroom setting, depending on the school.

STEP 2 | Schedule and Pass Your Exam Through Pearson VUE

  • Montana’s salesperson exam runs $95 per portion through Pearson VUE, and most candidates end up scheduling both the national and state portions (sometimes on the same day, sometimes separately — your call). You’ll face 113 scored questions total (80 national, 33 state law) plus a handful of unscored pretest questions mixed in, with 3.5 hours to work through everything.
  • You’ll need a scaled score of 75 on each portion independently to pass, and as of March 2025, Montana lets you sit for the exam through Pearson’s online-proctored OnVUE platform instead of driving to a test center, if that’s more convenient. Once you pass, you have 12 months to get your application submitted. More on retakes in our FAQs below.

STEP 3 | Line Up Your Errors & Omissions Insurance

  • Montana requires continuous professional liability (E&O) coverage before you can even submit your application — this isn’t something you can circle back to later. The Board maintains a group policy option you can enroll in directly, or you may be covered under your future brokerage’s firm policy instead.

STEP 4 |  Line Up a Supervising Broker

  • You’ll need to be employed by, or under contract with, a licensed broker who holds a supervising broker endorsement — not every broker automatically qualifies to sponsor new salespersons. We’ll cover how to pick a good one further down this page.

STEP 5 |  Gather Your Supporting Documents

  • Before you apply, you’ll need your 70-hour completion certificate, your exam results showing both portions passed, and official license verification from any state or jurisdiction where you’ve ever held a professional license of any kind — not just real estate. If you’ve ever faced professional discipline anywhere, you’ll need to include documentation explaining it.

STEP 6 |  Submit Your Application

  • Apply online through Montana’s Accela licensing portal (recommended over the paper option) along with the $80 application fee, payable by card or bank account online. Include a valid email address — it’s the Board’s primary way of reaching you. Most applications process within 5 to 10 business days, and once your broker’s endorsement is attached, you’re officially licensed.

How Long Does It Take to Get a Real Estate License?

Here’s a realistic breakdown, step by step, based on typical processing times:

  • 6 to 10 weeks to work through the 70-hour course
  • 1 to 2 weeks to get a Pearson VUE testing slot secured
  • A few days to set up your E&O insurance once you’re ready
  • 1 to 3 weeks to interview and settle on a sponsoring broker
  • 5 to 10 business days for the Board to process your application

Put it all together and you’re generally looking at somewhere around 10 to 15 weeks from start to finish. The single biggest lever you have to speed things up is choosing an online, self-paced course provider instead of a fixed classroom schedule — and lining up broker interviews while you’re still finishing your coursework so there’s no dead time waiting to get sponsored.


Cost to Get a Real Estate License in Montana

Here’s the full breakdown of what you’ll actually spend:

  • Pre-License Real Estate Course – $300 to $700
  • State Exam Fee (Pearson VUE, per portion) – $95 to $190 (national + state)
  • License Application Fee (Board of Realty Regulation) – $80
  • State exam prep courses or materials – $25 to $150 (optional)

** Total Cost to Get Licensed = $475 to $970


More Costs to Expect as a Brand New Realtor

Licensing is just the entry fee — running an actual real estate business in Montana comes with its own ongoing costs, some of which are easy to overlook until they show up.

Here’s what tends to catch new Montana agents off guard:

  • Continuing Errors & Omissions Insurance (required year-round, not optional) – $150 to $250 annually
  • Continuing Education (12 hours annually) – $100 to $250
  • License Renewal Fee (annual, renewal window runs September 1 through October 31) – $80 active / $40 inactive
  • National and Local Board of Realtors / Examples:
  • Multiple Listing Service (MLS) – about $150 to $175 quarterly, often billed separately from board dues
  • SentriLock or Supra eKey to show homes – $100 to $200 annually
  • Business cards and signage – varies
  • Marketing materials and advertising – varies
  • Brokerage joining fee – $0 to $500 (average is about $250)
  • Monthly Brokerage fee – ranges from $0 to $350 monthly

** Total Cost to Become a Real Estate Agent in Montana = $1,305 to $2,950



Find the Top Real Estate Schools

Your 70 hours must come from a school approved by the Montana Board of Realty Regulation. Most of the real estate license courses can be taken online, but there are a few that are virutal (zoom) or in person. Please note that some of the school links below are affiliate links. If you enroll through one of these links, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.

Here are a few worth looking into:

Don’t just shop on sticker price. Ask what happens if you don’t pass the pre-license course exam the first time (some schools let you retake it free within a set window), whether their materials specifically cover Montana’s water rights and statutory broker concepts (both are notorious sticking points on the state exam), and whether they publish real pass-rate data.


How to Select a Montana Real Estate Broker

You can’t activate a Montana salesperson license without a broker holding a supervising broker endorsement willing to take you on — so this isn’t a decision to rush through at the end of your process.

IMPORTANT QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN CHOOSING A BROKER >>

Commission splits are usually the first thing new agents ask about, and honestly, we’d rank that #2 or #3 on your priority list instead. What matters more in year one is whether the brokerage actually invests in getting you off the ground: is there structured onboarding, or are you handed a login and left to figure it out? How many people can you realistically reach when you’re stuck on a deal? Is support available evenings and weekends, when most of your clients are actually free to talk? If mentorship is part of the pitch, ask exactly what that looks like day to day.

How to Become a Real Estate Agent in Montana: FAQs

How difficult is the Montana real estate exam?

You’ll answer 113 scored questions (80 national, 33 Montana-specific) with a handful of unscored questions mixed in, and you’ll need a scaled score of 75 on each portion independently. Montana’s state-specific content leans heavily on water rights and the state’s default “statutory broker” framework, which trips up a lot of candidates coming from other states where buyer/seller agency works differently — it’s worth spending extra time there specifically.

What if I fail the real estate exam?

Not passing on the first attempt is common, so don’t read too much into it. You only need to retake the portion you missed, and you’ll pay the $95 fee again for that section. Just keep your overall 12-month window in mind — both portions need to be passed within that timeframe of each other, or you may need to start over.

Why do I need Errors & Omissions insurance before I even apply?

Montana is stricter than a lot of states on this point — continuous E&O coverage isn’t something you add after you’re licensed, it’s a documented requirement of your initial application (MCA 37-51-325). The Board runs a group policy option that’s fairly straightforward to enroll in, or your future brokerage may already have a firm policy that covers you. Either way, get this sorted before you’re ready to submit your paperwork, not after.

I’ve seen mentions of a “Recovery Account Fee” — is that part of my application fee?

You may come across older references online to a separate $35 Recovery Account Assessment on top of the license fee. Based on the Board’s current official checklist, the total application fee for a new salesperson license is a flat $80 — we’d recommend treating any older, higher figures you see elsewhere as outdated rather than assuming there’s a hidden add-on. If you want full certainty, the Board’s contact info is at the bottom of this page.

How often do I need to renew my Montana real estate license?

Montana licenses renew annually, with a renewal window that typically runs September 1 through October 31 — mark your calendar, since the online system tends to get bogged down closer to the deadline. Active renewal runs $80; if you want to go inactive instead of letting your license lapse entirely, that’s $40. You’ll also need your 12 hours of continuing education completed before renewing.

Can I get a Montana real estate license if I have a misdemeanor or felony on my record?

A criminal record won’t automatically disqualify you, but Montana requires full disclosure as part of your application — you’ll need to provide a detailed explanation and supporting documentation (charging documents, final judgments, etc.) for any past discipline or criminal history. The Board evaluates these individually. If you’re uncertain how your background might be viewed, it’s worth reaching out to the Board directly before you invest time and money in coursework.

I have a real estate license in another state. Does Montana offer reciprocity?

Montana has a nice out-of-state waiver process. If you’re currently licensed elsewhere, you only need to pass the Montana state portion of the exam — the national portion is waived entirely. You’ll still need to submit official license verification from every state or jurisdiction where you’ve ever held a professional license, so pull those records together early since they can take a few weeks to arrive.

How much can real estate agents make in Montana?

According to Indeed.com, the average Montana real estate agent earns about $117,260 a year — a healthy figure driven partly by the state’s higher-end resort and second-home markets. As always, actual income depends heavily on your transaction volume and the price points in your specific market; Bozeman’s Gallatin Valley and areas near Yellowstone tend to command premium prices compared to more rural parts of the state.

PRO TIP: Want a ballpark for your own potential? Pull the average home sale price for your target market, apply a typical 2.5% commission side, then multiply by the number of homes you realistically expect to close. If the average is $550,000, that’s roughly $13,750 per sale — close 7 deals in your first year and you’re looking at about $96,000 gross, before your broker’s split.

Is Getting a Real Estate License Worth It?

It really depends on what you’re aiming for. If you just want to help a handful of friends or family buy and sell each year, run the cost breakdown above against how much that’s actually worth to you — for a lot of people in that situation, the ongoing dues and insurance don’t pencil out.

If you’re aiming for a real career, though, Montana has a lot going for it right now — sustained in-migration, strong resort-market pricing around places like Bozeman and Whitefish, and a genuinely manageable path to licensure. That said, the jump from a steady paycheck to commission-only income is a real one. Most people are in better shape making that leap with roughly six months of living expenses set aside first, rather than betting everything on an immediate first sale.