Montana Dietitian License Requirements (2026)
Compiled and verified against primary state-board, CDR, and ACEND sources by DietitianLicense — cite-or-deny, with no invented figures. How we source & verify →
Montana licenses dietitians and nutritionists through the Montana Board of Medical Examiners (Department of Labor and Industry), under 37-25-310, MCA. Montana is mid-transition: HB 806 (enacted in the 2025 Legislative Session) split what had been a single "nutritionist" license into two statutorily distinct credentials — a CDR-registration-based "Dietitian" license and a separate, graduate-degree/CNS-exam-based "Nutritionist" license. As of this record's verification date, the Board has completed rulemaking to implement HB 806 but its new online application for the redesigned license types is still under construction; the Board continues actively issuing licenses under the pre-existing "Nutritionist" category to applicants with active CDR registration, and has stated that individuals licensed as nutritionists as of October 1, 2025 who hold CDR certification will be converted to the new Dietitian license type once the transition completes. Because Montana already operates an active application/issuance process today (just mid-relabeling), it is classified as licensing under this project's rule.
Montana Dietitian License Requirements
| Licensing Authority | Montana Board of Medical Examiners, Department of Labor and Industry |
| Protected Titles | Dietitian, Nutritionist |
| Education | For the Dietitian license: current, valid registration with the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) as a Registered Dietitian (RD/RDN) — no separate Montana degree requirement beyond holding that national credential. For the (separately defined) Nutritionist license: a master's or doctoral degree with a major in nutrition or a comparable field, including at least 15 semester hours of clinical/life-science coursework (with at least 3 semester hours in human anatomy and physiology) and at least 15 semester hours of nutrition/metabolism coursework (with at least 6 semester hours in biochemistry). — 1,000 supervised-practice hours |
| Exam | CDR Registration Examination for Dietitians (Dietitian license pathway); Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS) examination (Nutritionist license pathway) (Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR); Board for Certification of Nutrition Specialists (BCNS)) |
| Continuing Education | Not required |
| Endorsement (CDR/RD holders) | The Dietitian license's substantive standard is simply proof of current CDR registration (37-25-310, MCA), so any RD/RDN with active national CDR registration qualifies for a Montana license under the standard application regardless of prior state of practice — functioning as an automatic endorsement-style pathway rather than a separate reciprocity process. |
Fee Breakdown
Recommended exam prep
Formal prep pays for itself against a retake. These are the resources we point candidates to for the CDR Registration Examination for Dietitians.
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Mometrix · SponsoredRegistration Examination for Dietitians Secrets Study GuideA full review of the CDR Registration Examination for Dietitians — domain-by-domain concept breakdowns and practice questions built for a first-try pass.See the study guide →
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37-25-310, MCA defines "Dietitian" (CDR/RD-RDN pathway) and "Nutritionist" (graduate-degree + CNS-exam pathway) as two statutorily distinct license categories with different education, exam, and supervised-practice requirements — not a single combined credential. Operationally, however, the Board is still transitioning: per its own program page, it is not yet issuing licenses under the new "Dietitian" label even though the statute now defines it, and is continuing to issue the pre-existing "Nutritionist" license to CDR-registered applicants (who will later be converted to the Dietitian type), while the true CNS-pathway "Nutritionist" application is also described as still being built out.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Montana require a dietitian license?
Yes. Montana licenses dietitians through the Montana Board of Medical Examiners, Department of Labor and Industry. The protected titles are Dietitian, Nutritionist.
Is the title "nutritionist" protected in Montana?
37-25-310, MCA defines "Dietitian" (CDR/RD-RDN pathway) and "Nutritionist" (graduate-degree + CNS-exam pathway) as two statutorily distinct license categories with different education, exam, and supervised-practice requirements — not a single combined credential. Operationally, however, the Board is still transitioning: per its own program page, it is not yet issuing licenses under the new "Dietitian" label even though the statute now defines it, and is continuing to issue the pre-existing "Nutritionist" license to CDR-registered applicants (who will later be converted to the Dietitian type), while the true CNS-pathway "Nutritionist" application is also described as still being built out.
Can I get a Montana dietitian license by endorsement if I'm already a CDR-registered RD?
The Dietitian license's substantive standard is simply proof of current CDR registration (37-25-310, MCA), so any RD/RDN with active national CDR registration qualifies for a Montana license under the standard application regardless of prior state of practice — functioning as an automatic endorsement-style pathway rather than a separate reciprocity process.
Sources
Data last verified: 2026-07-22 | Source: Montana Board of Medical Examiners — Dietitian and Nutritionist license information (current program status, HB 806 transition)