37-37-201. License requirements -- exemptions. (1) An applicant for a license shall pay an application fee set by the board by rule. The board may provide a separate, combined fee for persons licensed by the board holding dual licenses. An applicant for a license under this section shall also complete an application on a form provided by the department and provide documentation to the board that the applicant:

(a) (i) has a master's degree or a doctoral degree in marriage and family therapy from a recognized educational institution or a degree from a program accredited by the commission on accreditation for marriage and family therapy education; or

(ii) has a graduate degree in an allied field from a recognized educational institution and graduate level work that the board determines to be the equivalent of a master's degree in marriage and family therapy or marriage and family counseling;

(b) has successfully passed an examination prescribed by the board;

(c) has worked under the direct supervision of a qualified supervisor for at least 3,000 hours, including 1,000 hours of face-to-face client contact in the practice of marriage and family therapy, of which up to 500 hours may be accumulated while achieving the educational credentials listed in subsection (1)(a); and

(d) is of good moral character. Being of good moral character includes in its meaning that the applicant has not been convicted by a court of competent jurisdiction of a crime described by board rule as being of a nature that renders the applicant unfit to practice marriage and family therapy.

(2) As a prerequisite to the issuance of a license, the board shall require the applicant to submit fingerprints for the purpose of fingerprint checks by the Montana department of justice and the federal bureau of investigation as provided in 37-1-307.

(3) If an applicant has a history of criminal convictions, then pursuant to 37-1-203, the applicant has the opportunity to demonstrate to the board that the applicant is sufficiently rehabilitated to warrant the public trust, and if the board determines that the applicant is not, the license may be denied.

(4) An applicant is exempt from the examination requirement in subsection (1)(b) if the board is satisfied that:

(a) the applicant is licensed, certified, or registered under the laws of a state or territory of the United States that imposes substantially the same requirements as this chapter and has passed an examination similar to that required by the board; or

(b) the applicant is licensed as a clinical social worker under Title 37, chapter 22, or as a clinical professional counselor under Title 37, chapter 23, and has practiced marriage and family therapy within the state for a period prescribed by the board.

(5) A person is exempt from licensure as a marriage and family therapist if the person practices marriage and family therapy:

(a) under qualified supervision in a training institution or facility or other supervisory arrangements approved by the board and uses the title of intern;

(b) as part of the person's duties as a member of the clergy or priesthood; or

(c) while registered as a social worker licensure candidate, professional counselor licensure candidate, or marriage and family therapist licensure candidate.