Do you need a license to be a carpenter in Montana?
No. Montana doesn't license carpenters as a trade. Contractors must register with Montana DLI, Employment Standards.
State registration · By ChiselJobs Team · Updated
In short
Montana does not license carpenters, but contractors with employees must register with the Department of Labor and Industry's Employment Standards division. The same Construction Contractor Registration covers general and residential work. There is no exam, experience requirement or continuing education. Registered contractors need workers' compensation, and sole proprietors without workers' compensation need an Independent Contractor Exemption Certificate, which costs $125. Cities do not add a separate license. Montana adopted the 2024 IRC and IBC with state amendments. The Montana Department of Labor and Industry also runs the state's registered apprenticeship program.
Key facts
| Carpenter license | No |
| Licensing level | State registration |
| General contractor license | Construction Contractor Registration |
| Residential contractor license | Construction Contractor Registration |
| Home improvement registration | No |
| When a license is needed | Contractors with employees |
| Carpentry classification | None |
| Exam | No |
| Experience | None |
| Fees | ICEC $125 |
| Bond / insurance | Workers comp or ICEC |
| Continuing education | None |
| Local license | No (state license covers) |
| Board | Montana DLI, Employment Standards |
Bond and insurance
- Source: erd.dli.mt.gov · checked November 6, 2026
Apprenticeship
| Registering agency | State Apprenticeship Agency (Montana DLI Registered Apprenticeship) |
- Source: apprenticeship.gov · checked November 6, 2026
- Source: apprenticeship.mt.gov · checked November 6, 2026
Building code
| Code in force | IRC 2024; IBC 2024 (with state amendments) |
Effective Sept 26, 2026; amended and adopted in ARM Title 24, Chapter 301.
- Source: bsd.dli.mt.gov · checked November 5, 2026