(1) A license to practice as a licensed addiction counselor in Montana may be issued to the holder of an out-of-state licensed addiction counselor or equivalent license at the discretion of the board, provided the applicant completes and files with the board an application for licensure and pays the required application fee. The applicant shall:

(a) hold a valid and unrestricted license to practice as a licensed addiction counselor or equivalent in another state or jurisdiction that was issued under standards substantially equivalent to or greater than current standards in this state. Official written verification of such licensure status must be received by the board directly from the other state(s) or jurisdiction(s);

(b) hold a degree, which meets the requirements of 37-35-202, MCA, and shall supply a copy of the certified transcript sent directly from an accredited college, university, or institution, and complete the degree summary sheet provided by the board;

(i) Candidates who did not obtain the addiction-specific education hours within their degree must complete an addiction-specific education summary sheet.

(c) supply proof of successful completion of the National Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors Certification Commission Level 1 or Level 2 examination, the Northwest Certification II examination, or the Southwest Certification II examination or another board-approved licensing examination. The applicant's scores on the examination must be forwarded directly to the board; 

(d) submit proof of completion of the hours of addiction counseling experience required in ARM 24.154.409. The applicant may verify the experience hours by affidavit and need not supply a supervisor's signature upon reasonable explanation of why the supervisor's signature is unavailable to the applicant;

(e) submit proof of continuous practice as a licensed addiction counselor or equivalent in another jurisdiction for the two years immediately preceding the date of application in Montana; and

(f) answer questions about the applicant's character and fitness to practice on a form prescribed by the board, and provide all information required by the board in response to these questions.

(2) All applicants must submit the fingerprint and background checks required by the board.

(3) An out-of-state applicant for licensure in Montana may be granted a temporary permit to practice addiction counseling, provided:

(a) the applicant has submitted a completed application as described in this subchapter; and

(b) the initial screening by board staff shows the current license is in good standing and not on probation or subject to ongoing disciplinary action.

(i) The temporary permit will remain valid until a license is granted or until notice of proposal to deny license is served, whichever occurs first.

(ii) In the event that neither contingency has occurred within one year of issuance of the temporary permit, the temporary permit shall expire and may not be renewed.