BY STATE · MONTANA · 49 CFR §40.281

How to Become a DOT SAP in Montana

Becoming a DOT Substance Abuse Professional is one uniform federal pathway, set in 49 CFR §40.281 and applied the same way in every state. What is specific to Montana is the underlying clinical credential — the license or certification you earn through the boards below to satisfy the §40.281(a) requirement before you complete SAP qualification training and pass the national exam.

TRACK A

Addiction-counselor certification (the DOT counselor path)

This is the path that satisfies the §40.281(a) “drug and alcohol counselor” category, which DOT accepts only through a NAADAC-, IC&RC-, or NBCC-affiliated board. In Montana that credential is:

Licensed Addiction Counselor (LAC)

IC&RC-affiliated: Yes

Issuing board: Montana Board of Behavioral Health (Department of Labor and Industry)
Education requirement: Reported ~330 hours of addiction-specific coursework plus a qualifying (associate or higher) degree; see Montana Board of Behavioral Health LAC checklist for current requirements.
Supervised hours: Reported ~1,000 hours of supervised work experience (min. ~7 months); see Montana Board of Behavioral Health LAC checklist for current requirements.
Required exam: IC&RC ADC or AADC exam (NAADAC and Northwest/Southwest exams also accepted).
Also accepted: Montana's addiction-counselor credential is the state LAC LICENSE. The Board of Behavioral Health accepts the IC&RC ADC/AADC exam and also accepts NAADAC and Northwest/Southwest certification exams. (The IC&RC member-board directory lists the Montana Prevention Certification Board, which handles the prevention credential, not the counselor LAC.)

TRACK B

State clinical license

Montana also issues a clinical license that qualifies on its own under §40.281(a).

Licensed Addiction Counselor (LAC)

Issuing board: Montana Board of Behavioral Health (Department of Labor and Industry)

OTHER PATHS

Other SAP-eligible boards in Montana

You do not have to be an addiction counselor. Any one of these Montana boards licenses a profession that satisfies one of the other five §40.281(a) SAP credential categories — physician, social worker, psychologist, employee assistance professional, or marriage and family therapist.

Social worker Montana Board of Behavioral Health — Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)

Psychologist Montana Board of Psychologists (Department of Labor and Industry)

Marriage & family therapist Montana Board of Behavioral Health — LCPC and LMFT

Physician Montana Board of Medical Examiners (Department of Labor and Industry)

THE FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS

The federal steps are the same in every state

Once you hold a qualifying Montana credential above, the rest of the SAP pathway is set by federal rule and does not change by state. See the full federal requirements →

1 What credential do you need to become a DOT SAP?
2 What knowledge does a SAP need?
3 What qualification training and exam are required?
4 What continuing education must a SAP maintain?
5 What documentation must a SAP keep?
6 What does a DOT SAP actually do?

Sources

Last reviewed: 2026-07-07

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