Montana Principal Certification and Administrator Licensure
Montana principal certification and superintendent licensure both run through the Office of Public Instruction under one Class 3 Administrator License. Principal endorsement requires a master’s or education specialist degree in education, educational leadership, or another P-12 field, an accredited preparation program, a school law course covering special education law, and three years of licensed teaching/counseling experience. No exam is required.
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Every Montana principal was a classroom teacher first. State rule requires it: before you can lead a building, you need three years of teaching or school counseling experience under a standard Montana license. From there, the path to Montana principal certification forks depending on whether you’re aiming for a principal endorsement, a superintendent endorsement, or a supervisor endorsement, each governed by its own section of the Administrative Rules of Montana (ARM).
Use the links below to jump to principal requirements, superintendent requirements, provisional license options, and the application process.
- How Montana’s Class 3 Administrator License works
- Principal endorsement requirements
- Superintendent endorsement requirements
- Provisional license options if you’re not quite there yet
- Exams and background check requirements
- How to apply for a Montana administrator license
How Montana’s Class 3 Administrator License Works
The Montana Office of Public Instruction issues one license type for school leadership: the Class 3 Administrator License. What changes is the endorsement attached to it. Principal endorsement covers building-level leadership at the elementary, secondary, or K-12 level. Superintendent endorsement covers district-level leadership. Supervisor endorsement covers subject-area supervisory roles, such as overseeing curriculum in a specific content area. Each endorsement has its own eligibility requirements under the ARM, and you can hold more than one endorsement on the same Class 3 license.
Before any of these endorsements, you’ll need to qualify for an underlying Montana educator license. That means meeting the eligibility requirements for a Class 1, Class 2, or Class 5 teaching license, or a Class 6 School Counseling license, before OPI will consider your administrator application, and renewing that underlying license follows its own separate schedule. If you’re moving from an out-of-state license, Montana’s reciprocity process can sometimes have licensure and endorsement processed together.
Principal Endorsement Requirements
To meet Montana’s requirements for Class 3 Principal licensure under ARM 10.57.413 and 10.57.415, you’ll need to clear four requirements beyond your underlying teaching or counseling license:
- An education specialist or master’s degree from an institutionally accredited college or university, with a major in education, educational leadership, or a related P-12 education field
- Completion of an accredited educator preparation program aligned to the endorsement level you’re seeking (elementary, secondary, or K-12 principal)
- A college course in school law that specifically includes special education law
- A minimum of three years of teaching or school counseling experience under a licensed, standard credential
All applicants must also complete OPI’s free Indian Education for All course through the Teacher Learning Hub before licensure. If you’re weighing where to complete the graduate coursework, several Montana universities run accredited educator preparation programs that lead directly to this endorsement, including principal-specific graduate tracks.
Superintendent Endorsement Requirements
Superintendent endorsement, governed by ARM 10.57.413 and 10.57.414, builds on the principal pathway rather than replacing it. You’ll need:
- Eligibility for a Montana Class 1, 2, or 5 teaching license, or a Class 6 School Counseling license
- An education specialist, master’s, or doctoral degree from an accredited educator preparation program, or a master’s degree in education leadership
- Completion of a school superintendent preparation program
- A minimum of three years of teaching experience as a licensed teacher or school counselor
- A minimum of one year of administrative experience as a licensed principal
- Coursework covering Montana School Finance, Montana School Law, and Montana Collective Bargaining and Employment Law
That one-year principal requirement is the detail people miss. Applicants must document at least one year of experience as a licensed principal before qualifying for the Superintendent endorsement, which makes the principal endorsement a practical prerequisite even though the two credentials aren’t formally stacked.
| Endorsement | Degree Required | Prior Experience Required |
|---|---|---|
| Principal | Education specialist or master’s degree in education, educational leadership, or related P-12 field | 3 years licensed teaching or school counseling |
| Superintendent | Education specialist, master’s, or doctoral degree from an accredited EPP, or a master’s in education leadership | 3 years teaching/counseling plus 1 year as a licensed principal |
| Supervisor | Master’s degree in the specific area requested for endorsement | 3 years teaching or school counseling with a standard license |
Provisional License Options if You’re Not Quite There Yet
Among Montana’s Class 5C provisional pathways are options for candidates who meet almost every requirement but have one specific gap. If you meet all Principal endorsement requirements except the school law coursework, you can apply for a Class 5C provisional license while you complete that coursework, and it’s valid for up to three years. A similar three-year provisional window is available to Superintendent candidates who are missing only the Montana School Finance, School Law, or Collective Bargaining coursework.
A separate Class 5C pathway exists for candidates who hold an out-of-state administrator license that isn’t current and haven’t logged 60 professional development units in the past five years. These aren’t the only Class 5C scenarios OPI recognizes, but if your gap falls outside coursework or recency issues altogether, you may qualify for an internship program instead.
Exams and Background Check Requirements
Montana doesn’t require a licensing exam for the Principal, Superintendent, or Supervisor endorsement. That’s a real point of difference from states that require a school leadership assessment before endorsement, and it means your timeline runs on coursework and experience verification rather than test prep and score reporting.
Every initial license applicant does go through a national fingerprint-based criminal history background check as part of the licensure process. Check with OPI directly for the current fingerprinting method and fee, since processing details can change between application cycles.
How to Apply for a Montana Administrator License
Montana’s licensing runs through TeachMT (TMT), OPI’s online licensure system. You’ll start an Administrator application in TMT, and the system’s application wizard asks a series of questions to route you to the correct license type, whether that’s a full Class 3 endorsement or one of the Class 5 provisional options.
Before you submit, confirm that your educator preparation program has sent your institutional recommendation directly to OPI, and that your official transcripts are on file. Incomplete applications are purged after 90 days, so it’s worth tracking down any outstanding paperwork before you start the clock.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a teaching license before I can become a Montana principal?
You need to qualify for one. Montana requires eligibility for a Class 1, 2, or 5 teaching license, or a Class 6 School Counseling license before OPI will consider a Principal endorsement application. However, out-of-state applicants can sometimes have licensure and endorsement processed together. You’ll also need three years of licensed teaching or school counseling experience.
Is the Praxis exam required for principal or superintendent licensure in Montana?
No. Montana doesn’t require a licensing exam for the Principal, Superintendent, or Supervisor endorsement. Some university preparation programs may require an exit exam or portfolio as part of their own program requirements, but that’s separate from the state’s licensing rule.
Can I work as a principal while I finish my administrator coursework?
In some cases, yes. If you meet all Principal endorsement requirements except the required school law coursework, Montana’s Class 5C provisional license lets you work as an administrator for up to three years while you complete it. If your gap falls outside that specific coursework requirement, an internship program may be the better route.
How long does it take to become a superintendent after becoming a principal?
There’s no fixed timeline in the rule itself. Still, you’ll need at least one full year of licensed experience as a principal before you’re eligible for the Superintendent endorsement, on top of completing the superintendent preparation program and finance, law, and labor relations coursework.
- Teaching experience comes first — three years as a licensed teacher or school counselor is required before either the Principal or Superintendent endorsement.
- No licensing exam required — Montana’s administrator licensure runs on degree, coursework, and experience verification instead of a state assessment.
- Superintendent requires principal experience — one year as a licensed principal is a prerequisite for the Superintendent endorsement, even though the two aren’t formally stacked credentials.
- Provisional licenses cover specific gaps — Class 5C options exist for candidates missing only school law coursework, finance/labor coursework, or recency requirements.
- Applications run through TeachMT — Montana’s licensing system routes you to the correct application type based on your answers to its wizard questions.
If you’re working toward a Montana Class 3 Administrator License, explore accredited educational leadership and principal preparation programs that meet the state’s coursework requirements.
