1. (1) Each applicant for licensure must submit:

   1. (a) a completed application form;
   2. (b) the applicable fee; and

   3. (c) documentary evidence satisfactory to the department that the applicant:

      1. (i) meets the education and examination requirements for licensure set by board statute or rule (application by examination); or
      2. (ii) meets the criteria for licensure by substantial equivalency under 37-1-304, MCA (application by endorsement) 37-12-302(3), MCA, and ARM 24.126.508; and
      3. (iii) meets the character and fitness requirements to practice.

2. (2) The department will verify character and fitness through:

   1. (a) the applicant's personal history questions submitted with the application;
   2. (b) the license history in any jurisdiction where the applicant has held a chiropractic license;
   3. (c) a query from the National Practitioner Databank (NPDB); or
   4. (d) other sources of unprofessional conduct allegations.
3. (3) Applicants under (1)(c)(i) must take the jurisprudence examination with a minimum score of 75 percent.

4. (4) Applicants under (1)(c)(ii) are exempt from:

   1. (a) taking the jurisprudence examination; and
   2. (b) meeting the bachelor's degree requirement under 37-12-302(3), MCA.

5. (5) The board authorizes the department to deem applications from applicants who hold an active license in another state as routine and substantially equivalent to Montana if the state requires:

   1. (a) graduation from a college of chiropractic approved by the board; and
   2. (b) passage of parts I through IV of the NBCE. An applicant from a state that does not require passage of the physiotherapy portion of the NBCE must submit evidence of having passed that portion of the exam; and
   3. (c) passage of the jurisprudence examination.
6. (6) All license applications expire within 1 year of initial submission to the department.

Authorizing statute(s): 37-1-131, 37-12-201, MCA

Implementing statute(s): 37-1-105, 37-1-131, 37-1-304, 37-12-302, 37-12-304, MCA

History: Eff. 12/31/72; AMD, 1979 MAR p. 442, Eff. 5/11/79; TRANS, from Dept. of Prof. & Occup. Lic., Ch. 274, L. 1981, Eff. 7/1/81; AMD, 1982 MAR p. 1540, Eff. 8/13/82; AMD, 1983 MAR p. 1247, Eff. 9/16/83; AMD, 1988 MAR p. 44, Eff. 1/15/88; AMD, 1990 MAR p. 995, Eff. 6/1/90; AMD, 1992 MAR p. 2131, Eff. 9/25/92; AMD, 1996 MAR p. 2844, Eff. 10/25/96; AMD, 1998 MAR p. 1494, Eff. 6/12/98; AMD, 2000 MAR p. 1307, Eff. 5/26/00; TRANS, from Commerce, 2003 MAR p. 2761; AMD, 2008 MAR p. 1978, Eff. 9/12/08; AMD, 2018 MAR p. 645, Eff. 3/31/18; AMD, 2024 MAR p. 1462, Eff. 6/22/24; AMD, 2026 MAR, Notice No. 2025-264, Eff. 2/7/26.