New residents — Montana Permit Test

A new Montana resident may use a valid license from their old state for up to 60 consecutive days, then must surrender it and qualify for a Montana license.

A driver who never switches over leaves Montana with no record of who they are or what they have done on the road.

If you have a valid driver license issued by the jurisdiction you moved from, you can use it for up to 60 consecutive days, after which you must surrender it and qualify for a Montana license.

A new resident with a valid out-of-state basic license in their immediate possession may exchange it for a Montana license without a written or road test.

Making every licensed driver who moves here retake both tests would clog the exam stations for drivers who already passed.

Out-of-state drivers who hold a valid out-of-state license, and have it in their immediate possession, may exchange their basic driver license for a Montana driver license without a written or road test.

Montana may require written and road tests of an applicant who may lack the functional ability to drive safely.

A driver whose skills have slipped could otherwise keep a license just because they passed a test years ago.

Applicants who may lack functional ability to safely operate a motor vehicle on the highway may be required to complete written and road tests.

After moving to Montana, how long may you drive on a valid license from your old state?

Up to 60 consecutive days. A driver who never switches over leaves Montana with no record of who they are or what they have done on the road. Montana Driver Manual, p.3: “If you have a valid driver license issued by the jurisdiction you moved from, you can use it for up to 60 consecutive days, after which you must surrender it and qualify for a Montana license.”