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Renewing a Montana licence when you are not in a classroom
By the team. Checked 15 Nov 2026.
The short answer
To renew a Montana teaching license while you are not in a classroom, you still need 60 professional development units earned during your licence's five years, under ARM 10.57.215. The rule does not mention employment, so college credit from an institutionally accredited college and approved online activities can work. Ask OPI in writing which of your units it will count.
What the rule asks of everyone
ARM 10.57.215 sets one standard for Class 1, 2, 3 and 6 licences: 60 professional development units earned during the five years the licence is valid, verified through 31 August of the year it expires. The rule speaks about the licensee and the activity, not about where you work. It does not say you must be teaching to renew, so a parent at home, a teacher abroad or someone in another job uses the same 60-unit standard.
The rule covers Classes 1, 2, 3 and 6. If you hold another class, or are unsure how yours renews after time away from teaching, ask OPI in writing before you plan your units.
Routes that work outside a school
Without district in-service days, most people lean on routes they can do on their own time:
- College credit from an institutionally accredited college: 15 units per semester credit, taken online or in person.
- Online or summer activities from OPI-approved providers, shown on an OPI unit certificate: 1 unit per hour.
- A single activity OPI approves for you, if the provider is not approved.
- Teaching a related college course, if you hold a graduate degree in an endorsed field.
- National Board Certification, which counts as 60 units.
Choosing courses that pass the curriculum test
Every activity must be planned and structured, build your professional skills, and fit the P-12 public school curriculum. Away from a classroom, it is tempting to pick whatever is cheapest; choose instead a course you can explain in one line as useful to P-12 teaching. Educational Psychology, Psychology of Diversity and Research Methods in Psychology are clear examples. Introduction to Artificial Intelligence suits teachers planning to bring AI tools into class.
How UPI Study credit could reach OPI
UPI Study is not a college. Courses are ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended, and the credit reaches OPI via a college transcript. TESU and UoPeople are partner colleges that consider ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit; a partner college reviews your course and, if it awards credit, records it on its transcript. Ask both the college and OPI in writing before you enrol.
On PRO, $99 a month, you could finish one or two courses in a month or two from home. Add the college's fee for recording the credit. A 3-credit course would give 45 units if OPI counts it.
Timing when your licence is about to expire
Work backwards from 31 August of the expiry year. Leave several weeks for the college to review and record credit, and more for OPI to process your renewal. Units must fall inside the five years of the licence being renewed, so a course finished after it lapses may not help that licence.
If your licence has already lapsed, ask OPI in writing what applies. The rule has a separate line for first-time applicants whose degree is more than five years old: they can be licensed by showing 60 units from the five years before the licence starts. OPI decides whether anything similar applies to you.
A checklist before you start
Keep this short list with your renewal records:
- Your licence class and expiry date.
- Units already earned this period, with proof.
- OPI's written answer on the course and college you plan to use.
- The college's written answer on how it records the credit.
- Copies of every certificate and transcript; the rule says you keep the records.
What to ask in writing
Before you enrol
Ask OPI Educator Licensure in writing whether a named UPI Study course, recorded on an institutionally accredited college's transcript, would count toward your 60 renewal units, and at what rate, before you enrol.
UPI Study is not a college and is not accredited. ACE and NCCRS review our courses and recommend credit; a college decides whether to give that credit and records it on its own transcript.
ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities.
Questions people ask
can i renew my montana teaching license if i am not teaching
ARM 10.57.215 asks for 60 professional development units during the five years of your licence and does not mention employment. It covers Classes 1, 2, 3 and 6, so if you hold another class or are unsure, ask OPI in writing how yours renews after time away from teaching.
can i earn montana renewal units online
Yes, if the activity meets the rule. College credit from an institutionally accredited college counts at 15 units per semester credit, and approved providers can run online activities shown on an OPI certificate. Every activity must fit the P-12 public school curriculum. Ask OPI before you rely on a new provider.
what if my montana license has already expired
Ask OPI in writing what you need. ARM 10.57.215 counts units earned during the licence's five years and sets a separate route for first-time applicants whose degree is more than five years old: 60 units from the five years before the licence starts. OPI decides how that applies.
how much does it cost to renew with college credit
It depends on the route. Teaching Channel lists a 3-credit graduate course at $489, which gives 45 units. UPI Study PRO is $99 a month for as many courses as you finish, plus a college's fee to record the credit. Ask OPI in writing first which route it will count.
Courses that fit
ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended courses, studied online at your own pace.
Psychology of Diversity
Self-paced online Psychology of Diversity course (Psychology 112). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
Introduction to Artificial Intelligence
Self-paced online Introduction to Artificial Intelligence course (Computer Science 373). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →Start when you have it in writing
Ask OPI in writing first, then take a course that fits the P-12 curriculum at your own pace.
Sources
- ARM 10.57.215: Professional development and renewal requirements (text as reproduced by Cornell LII; amended effective 1 July 2024)Classes 1, 2, 3 and 6 renew with 60 units earned during the five years of validity, through 31 August of the expiry year; 1 hour of attendance = 1 unit, 1 quarter credit = 10, 1 semester credit = 15; activities must be planned and structured, benefit professional development and be consistent with the P-12 public school curriculum; credits from an institutionally accredited college or university; OPI-approved providers under ARM 10.57.216; National Board Certification = 60 units; the licensee keeps the records. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- Montana Code Annotated 2025, 20-4-108: Term of teacher and specialist certificates, renewal (official)Certificates are valid for five school fiscal years, starting the 1 July before issue; Class 5 provisional certificates may be shorter; renewals run for similar periods under the Board of Public Education's renewal policies. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- Teaching Channel: Course pricing$489 for a 3-credit graduate course. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- Sophia Learning: Plans and pricing$99 a month, $299 for four months or $799 a year. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.