Montana driving law, answered
Every answer here comes from Montana Driver Manual and, where the manual is silent, the Montana Code Annotated: Title 61, Chapter 1: Definitions, Title 61, Chapter 3, Parts 2, 3, 6 and 7: Certificates of Title and Registration, Title 61, Chapter 5: Driver's Licenses (except commercial licensing), Title 61, Chapter 6, Parts 1 to 3: Responsibility of Vehicle Users and Owners, Title 61, Chapter 7: Accidents and Accident Reports, Title 61, Chapter 8 (except Parts 8 and 9): Traffic Regulation, Title 61, Chapter 9: Vehicle Equipment, Title 61, Chapter 11, Part 2: Habitual Traffic Offenders, Title 61, Chapter 2, Part 3: Driver Improvement Program, Title 61, Chapter 13: Seatbelts, Title 45, Chapter 5, Part 6 (§ 45-5-638): Offenses Against the Family -- possession of alcohol by a minor, with the page or the section it is in.
Statutes fetched on 8 October 2026; manuals fetched on 14 September 2026. How the answers are made
How far from a fire hydrant must you park?
Do not park within 15 feet of a fire hydrant. Firefighters lose time hooking up a hose when a car sits against the hydrant.
Within 15 feet of a fire hydrant
As of 14 Sep 2026
How far from a crosswalk at an intersection must you park?
Do not park within 20 feet of a crosswalk or sidewalk at an intersection. A car parked at the corner hides a walker stepping off the curb from turning drivers.
Within 20 feet of a crosswalk or sidewalk at an intersection
As of 14 Sep 2026
How far from a stop sign or traffic signal must you park?
Do not park within 30 feet of a traffic signal, stop sign or yield sign. A parked car next to a stop sign hides it from the driver who needs to see it.
Within 30 feet of a traffic signal, stop sign, or yield sign
As of 14 Sep 2026
How far from a railroad crossing must you park?
Do not park within 50 feet of a railroad crossing. A car parked near the tracks hides an oncoming train from drivers about to cross.
Within 50 feet of a railroad crossing
As of 14 Sep 2026
How far from a fire station driveway must you park?
Do not park within 20 feet of a fire station driveway on the same side of the street. A fire truck swinging out of the station needs room to turn without hitting parked cars.
Within 20 feet of a fire station driveway on the same side of the street, or within 75 feet of a driveway on the other side of the street
As of 14 Sep 2026
How close to the curb must you park?
When parking on a roadway, your vehicle must be within 18 inches (1.5 feet) of the curb or shoulder. A car parked well out from the curb sticks into the lane where moving cars pass.
Your vehicle must be within 18 inches (1.5 feet) of the curb or shoulder.
As of 14 Sep 2026
When must you stop for a school bus with flashing red lights?
When meeting or passing a school bus stopped with its red lights flashing, you must stop at least 30 feet from the bus. Children cross in front of and behind the bus, and a car too close cannot be seen by them or the bus driver.
Upon meeting or passing from either direction any school bus stopped with its red lights flashing, the driver of a vehicle must stop at least 30 feet from the bus and cannot proceed until the red lights are turned off (Diagrams 1 and 2).
As of 14 Sep 2026
What must you do when passing a stopped emergency vehicle with flashing lights?
In the lane next to a stationary emergency or police vehicle with signals on, slow to at least 20 mph below the posted limit. An officer standing at a car door has no room to jump if a car rushes past at full speed.
On highways with a posted speed limit of 50 MPH or more, vehicles in a lane directly next to a stationary emergency or police vehicle displaying emergency signals must slow down to a speed of at least 20 miles below the posted speed limit.
As of 14 Sep 2026
How far behind a fire truck answering an alarm may you follow?
The operator of a vehicle other than one on official business may not follow a fire apparatus traveling in response to a fire call closer than 500 feet or drive into or stop the vehicle within 500 feet of where the fire apparatus has stopped in answer to a fire call.
Montana law, Mont. Code Ann. § 61-8-363
As of 8 Oct 2026
When must you turn on your headlights?
Turn on your headlights when it begins to get dark, at dusk or on overcast days; turning them on a little early helps other drivers see you. In fading light, a car without lights is the last thing another driver notices.
Turn on your headlights when it begins to get dark.
As of 14 Sep 2026
How far from an oncoming vehicle must you dim your high beams?
You must dim your high beams when you meet an oncoming vehicle within 1,000 feet. High beams in an oncoming driver's eyes can blind them just as you pass each other.
High beam must be dimmed when meeting other vehicles at 1000 feet and when overtaking other vehicles at 500 feet.
As of 14 Sep 2026
Who must wear a seat belt?
No one may drive a motor vehicle in Montana unless each occupant is wearing a properly adjusted and fastened safety belt. One unbelted rider is enough to turn a fender bender into a hospital trip.
No person may drive a motor vehicle in Montana unless each occupant is wearing a properly adjusted and fastened safety belt.
As of 14 Sep 2026
When must a child ride in a car seat?
In Montana, babies and children up to age 6 and 60 pounds must be buckled in a child safety seat. An adult belt rides across a small child's neck and belly, where it injures instead of protects.
Babies and children up to age 6 and 60 pounds must be buckled in a child safety seat.
As of 14 Sep 2026
What is the legal blood alcohol limit for adult drivers?
In Montana you can be arrested for driving with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08% or more, or for driving under the influence. A driver who feels fine at a high BAC is still slower to brake than they believe.
You can be arrested for driving with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08% or more, or while driving under the influence.
As of 14 Sep 2026
What is the blood alcohol limit for drivers under 21?
In Montana the BAC limit for a driver under 21 is 0.02. A young driver who thinks the adult limit applies can be over their own limit after a single drink.
The BAC for a driver under 21 years of age is 0.02.
As of 14 Sep 2026
What happens if you refuse a breath or blood alcohol test?
If a police officer asks you to take a BAC test, you must do so; you can lose your driver license if you refuse. Without this rule, a drinking driver could simply refuse the test and escape any proof.
If a police officer asks you to take a test, you must do so.
As of 14 Sep 2026
May you use a handheld phone while driving?
Most Montana cities have passed their own laws against texting and talking on cell phones while driving. A driver who assumes phone use is legal everywhere in Montana can be ticketed the moment they enter town.
Most Montana cities have passed laws against texting and talking on cell phones while driving.
As of 14 Sep 2026
May you text while driving?
Most Montana cities have passed their own laws against texting and talking on cell phones while driving. A driver who assumes phone use is legal everywhere in Montana can be ticketed the moment they enter town.
Most Montana cities have passed laws against texting and talking on cell phones while driving.
As of 14 Sep 2026
How far before a turn must you signal?
In Montana, signal 100 feet before turning in town. A late signal gives the car behind no time to slow, so it is still at speed when you brake to turn.
Use a proper turn signal 100 feet before turning in town, 300 feet before turning on rural roads.
As of 14 Sep 2026
May you turn right on a red light?
At a traffic light, unless a sign says you cannot, you may turn right on red after you have stopped in the proper lane and made sure it is safe. Rolling through a red without stopping gives you no time to see a walker or a car coming from the left.
At intersections controlled by a light, unless there is a sign that says you cannot turn right, you may turn right AFTER YOU HAVE STOPPED (if vehicle is in the proper lane) and you have determined it is safe to do so.
As of 14 Sep 2026
May you turn left on a red light onto a one-way street?
Montana law also allows a left turn on red from a one-way street onto a one-way street, after stopping and making sure it is safe. Turning left on red onto a two-way street would cross oncoming cars that have the green.
Montana law also permits turning left from a one-way street to a one-way street under the condition stated above for turning right on red.
As of 14 Sep 2026
Where are U-turns not allowed?
(2) upon any curve or upon the approach to or near the crest of a grade where the vehicle cannot be seen by the operator of any other vehicle approaching from either direction within 500 feet.
Montana law, Mont. Code Ann. § 61-8-334(2)
As of 8 Oct 2026
What is the speed limit on a highway outside town when no sign is posted?
On Montana's two-lane highways, the daytime speed limit for cars and light trucks is 70 mph. A two-lane road has oncoming cars only a few feet away, so its limit sits below the interstate's.
Two-Lane Highways 70 65 60 55
As of 14 Sep 2026
What is the speed limit in a school zone?
Montana school zone speed limits may be as low as 15 mph. At low speed a car can stop in time when a child runs out from behind a parked bus.
School zone speed limits may be as low as 15 mph
As of 14 Sep 2026
When may you pass another vehicle on the right?
(2) The operator of a vehicle may overtake and pass another vehicle on the right only under conditions permitting safe movement. The movement may not be made by driving off the pavement or main-traveled portion of the roadway, except that a person operating a bicycle may pass on the shoulder, provided the movement may be done in safety.
Montana law, Mont. Code Ann. § 61-8-324(2)
As of 8 Oct 2026
May you wear headphones while driving?
Do not drive with headphones or earbuds; they make it too hard to hear emergency horns and sirens. A driver with earbuds in does not hear the ambulance until it is right behind them in the intersection.
Do not drive with headphones or earbuds.
As of 14 Sep 2026
May you have an open container of alcohol in the car?
Montana law prohibits anyone in a motor vehicle from possessing an open alcoholic beverage container, and a container holding any amount of alcohol counts. A nearly empty can in the cup holder is still an open container, and a sip from it is one reach away.
Montana law also prohibits the possession of an open alcoholic beverage container by a person in a motor vehicle.
As of 14 Sep 2026
How old must you be to get a learner's permit?
Without traffic education, a Montana learner permit (NCLP) applicant must be at least 16; with an approved driver education course, 15. A younger teen with no course behind them would be learning traffic rules for the first time in live traffic.
To be eligible for a NCLP, the applicant must be at least 16 years of age (without traffic education) or 15 years of age and successfully completed an approved driver education course*.
As of 14 Sep 2026
How long must you hold a learner's permit before a license?
A Montana teen under 18 must hold a learner permit for at least six consecutive months before applying for a first-year restricted license. Practice crammed into a few weeks misses winter roads, night driving and the slow build of judgment.
A teenager under 18 must hold a NCLP for a minimum of six consecutive months before applying for a first-year restricted license.
As of 14 Sep 2026
Who must ride with you when you drive on a learner's permit?
A teen on a learner permit must be supervised by a licensed parent, guardian or responsible adult, or by a licensed adult they authorize. A friend who is barely licensed is not ready to catch a learner's mistakes.
A driver with a NCLP must be supervised by a licensed parent, guardian, responsible adult, or a licensed adult driver who is authorized by the parent, guardian, or responsible adult.
As of 14 Sep 2026
What hours may a provisional driver not drive?
A Montana teen with a restricted license may not drive between 11:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m., except in limited cases. Fatal crashes are more likely at night for every age, and the risk is highest for teens.
Teenage drivers with a restricted driver license may not drive between 11:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m.
As of 14 Sep 2026
How many passengers may a new provisional driver carry?
For the first six months of a restricted license, unless a licensed adult is supervising, a teen may carry only one unrelated passenger under 18. Each extra teen in the car adds noise and distraction, and crash risk climbs with every one.
One passenger: For the first six months, unless supervised by a licensed adult driver, a teenage driver may have only one unrelated passenger under the age of 18 in the vehicle.
As of 14 Sep 2026
What is the penalty for littering from a vehicle?
(3) A person convicted of violating subsection (1) or (2) shall be fined a maximum of $500.
Montana law, Mont. Code Ann. § 61-8-372(3)
As of 8 Oct 2026
What is the fine for a first drunk-driving conviction?
(i) for a first violation, by imprisonment for not more than 6 months and by a fine of not less than $600 or more than $1,000, except that if one or more passengers under 16 years of age were in the vehicle at the time of the offense, the person shall be punished by imprisonment for not more than 6 months and by a fine of not less than $1,200 or more than $2,000;
Montana law, Mont. Code Ann. § 61-8-1007(2)(a)
As of 8 Oct 2026
How long can you be jailed for a first drunk-driving conviction?
A first alcohol conviction in Montana can bring a jail sentence of 1 to 60 days. A driver who expects only a fine for a first DUI can end up spending up to two months in jail.
If you are found guilty of an alcohol violation and it is your first conviction, you will be fined from $300 to $1000, plus court charges; you could be sentenced to 1 to 60 days in jail; and your license will be suspended for six months.
As of 14 Sep 2026
How long is your license suspended for a first drunk-driving conviction?
After a first alcohol conviction in Montana, your license is suspended for six months; second and later convictions bring much worse penalties. Half a year without a license means no driving to work or school.
If you are found guilty of an alcohol violation and it is your first conviction, you will be fined from $300 to $1000, plus court charges; you could be sentenced to 1 to 60 days in jail; and your license will be suspended for six months.
As of 14 Sep 2026
When must you install an ignition interlock after a drunk-driving conviction?
(b) if recommending that a probationary license be issued to the person, restrict the person to driving only a motor vehicle equipped with a functioning ignition interlock device during the probationary period and require the person to pay the reasonable cost of leasing, installing, and maintaining the device; or
Montana law, Mont. Code Ann. § 61-8-1010(2)(b)
As of 8 Oct 2026
At what blood alcohol level do drunk-driving penalties increase?
(a) the person's alcohol concentration, as shown by analysis of the person's blood, breath, oral fluid, or other bodily substance, is 0.16 or more;
Montana law, Mont. Code Ann. § 61-8-1001(1)(a)
As of 8 Oct 2026
Who must wear a protective helmet while operating or riding a motorcycle?
(1) (a) Except as provided in subsection (1)(b), an operator and passenger under 18 years of age of a motorcycle, moped, motorized scooter, or quadricycle operated on the streets or highways of this state shall wear protective headgear on the head. The headgear must meet standards established by the department of justice. (b) This section does not apply to an operator and passenger of an autocycle that is completely enclosed with a windshield, nonremovable doors, and a roof.
Montana law, Mont. Code Ann. § 61-9-417(1)
As of 8 Oct 2026
How much light must a tinted side or rear window let through?
(c) the rear window or side windows behind the front seat have sunscreening or other transparent material that has a luminous reflectance of more than 35% or has light transmission of less than 14%, except for the rear window or side windows behind the front seat on a multipurpose vehicle, van, or bus; or
Montana law, Mont. Code Ann. § 61-9-405(4)(c)
As of 8 Oct 2026
Must a vehicle driving slower than other traffic keep to the right lane?
Slow-moving vehicles must drive in the extreme right lane of the roadway. A tractor in the left lane blocks the very lane faster traffic needs to get around it.
Slow-moving vehicles must drive in the extreme right lane of the roadway.
As of 14 Sep 2026
What is the minimum liability insurance coverage for bodily injury or death of one person and property damage?
Montana's minimum liability insurance covers $25,000 for bodily injury or death of one person in any one accident. Medical bills for even one injured person can run high, and the at-fault driver owes them.
Owners must always have insurance of at least:
As of 14 Sep 2026
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