Photo: John De Leon, Pexels
This guide is for Montana teens, their parents and adults getting a first license. In Montana you can start driving with a learner permit at 14 1/2 through state-approved traffic education, or at 16 at an MVD exam station without it. Under-18s then hold the permit for at least six months, log 50 supervised hours and move to a first-year restricted license, which ends after a year or at 18.
Key facts
- Agency: Montana Department of Justice, Motor Vehicle Division (MVD). Teen traffic education is overseen by the Office of Public Instruction (OPI).
- Handbook: the Montana Driver Manual, May 2026 edition. It now calls the learner license a Non-Commercial Learner Permit (NCLP).
- Earliest permit: 14 1/2, only while in (or after) a state-approved traffic education course. Online courses are not approved.
- Exam station permit: at 16, or at 15 after completing state-approved traffic education.
- Tests for a first license: vision, knowledge (written) and road test (MCA 61-5-110).
- Practice: at least 50 hours, 10 of them at night, over at least six months (MCA 61-5-132).
- Fee: $5 for each year, or part of a year, the license or permit is valid (MCA 61-5-111, as of November 2026). Check the full list on mvdmt.gov before you go.
The three GDL steps in Montana
| Step | When | Main rules |
|---|---|---|
| 1. NCLP (learner permit) | 14 1/2 with traffic education; 15 after traffic education; 16 without | Valid one year. Supervised driving only. Everyone in the vehicle belted. Hold at least six months. |
| 2. First-year restricted license | After six months on the permit, 50 hours (10 at night), a clean six months and a road test | No driving 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. (with exceptions). Passenger limits for under-18s. Everyone belted. |
| 3. Full-privilege license | One year after Step 2, or at 18 if sooner | Restrictions end automatically. A license issued under 21 expires on your 21st birthday. |
Each step has its own guide:
- Montana traffic education for teens at 14 1/2
- Montana written test and learner permit (NCLP)
- Montana 50 hour supervised driving log
- Montana road test guide
- Montana first-year restricted license rules
Can you get a driver’s license at 15 in Montana?
Yes. Montana law sets 15 as the minimum age for a driver’s license (MCA 61-5-105), and the usual route is traffic education. A teen who starts the course at 14 1/2, holds the permit for six months and logs the required hours can get a first-year restricted license at 15. The same law lets the MVD issue a restricted license from 13 in cases of individual hardship, decided case by case.
Without traffic education, the exam-station permit starts at 16. But the permit is not the license: MCA 61-5-132 requires anyone under 18 to have completed a traffic education course before the MVD issues a driver’s license, either a traditional school course (with 50 hours of supervised practice, 10 at night) or an alternative course approved by the Department of Justice (with 75 hours, 15 at night). The only exceptions are a teen who has held another state’s license for at least 6 months and surrenders it, and a teen enrolled in a Montana Job Corps program. If you are under 18 and skipping school traffic education, ask the MVD Customer Care Center at 1 (406) 444-1772 which alternative courses are approved before you plan your road test.
Chapter 1: getting the license
- Book ahead. Make appointments online at mvdmt.gov or by phone.
- Documents: proof of identity, Montana residency and authorized presence. You do not show your Social Security card, but you must know the number.
- Under 18: a parent or guardian signs a consent form before testing. Signing makes them financially responsible for damage from the teen’s driving.
- Receipt: your license receipt lasts one year and covers three attempts to pass all required tests. It cannot be renewed.
- Adults 18 and over: no GDL steps, but you still pass the written, vision and road tests.
- Fees: a 3% administrative fee is added to MVD transactions, and a replacement license costs $10. Pay by cash, check or card (not AMEX).
- Keep it current: carry your license when you drive, and tell the Driver Services Bureau within 10 days if you move. You can renew up to six months early. A license expired for more than one year means starting over with all the tests.
Moving from another state? See transferring your license to a new state. Montana usually needs only a vision test to swap a valid license (MCA 61-5-110). For the federal ID star, see REAL ID and your first license.
Chapter 2: vehicle equipment and seat belts
- Every occupant in a designated seat must wear a fastened seat belt or the right child restraint (MCA 61-13-103). For permit and first-year drivers under 18, this is also a GDL condition.
- Headlights must be dimmed within 1,000 feet of an oncoming vehicle and within 500 feet when following one (MCA 61-9-221).
- Headlights must be on from half an hour after sunset to half an hour before sunrise, and whenever weather or blowing dust cuts visibility to less than 500 feet. A car parked on the road in the dark must show parking lights.
- The driver must make sure every occupant is belted or in a child seat, and the fine is $20. A child under 6 who weighs less than 60 pounds must ride in a child safety restraint. The manual advises children under 13 to ride in the back seat when possible.
- Studded tires are not allowed from June 1 through September 30.
- Always carry proof of liability insurance in the vehicle you drive.
- Your test vehicle must be road-worthy: no cracked windshield, and working taillights, brake lights and turn signals.
More: seat belt and car seat laws.
Chapter 3: signs, signals and markings
Montana uses the national sign system. The knowledge test checks that you can read and understand highway signs (MCA 61-5-110). Study the shapes and colors, signals and road lines in these guides:
- US road signs by shape and color
- Traffic signals, including the flashing yellow arrow
- Pavement markings
Chapter 4: Montana driving rules
Montana speed limits
| Road | Day | Night |
|---|---|---|
| Interstate outside urban areas of 50,000+ | 80 mph | 80 mph |
| Interstate inside urban areas of 50,000+ | 65 mph | 65 mph |
| Four-lane national highway sections (10+ miles) | 75 mph | 70 mph |
| Other public highways | 70 mph | 65 mph |
| Urban district | 25 mph | 25 mph |
Source: MCA 61-8-303. Posted signs can set other limits. On a two-lane road in a passing zone you may go 10 mph over the limit to pass and return to the right lane. You must always drive at a speed that is reasonable for traffic, visibility, weather and road conditions. See the basic speed law.
School buses
When a school bus has its red lights flashing, stop about 30 feet away, whichever direction you are coming from, and wait until the red lights go off. Never pass a stopped bus on the right. Flashing amber lights mean slow down and be ready to stop (MCA 61-8-351). See school bus stopping laws.
Montana rules from the manual worth memorizing
- Signal 100 feet before a turn in town and 300 feet before a turn on rural roads.
- School zones can have limits as low as 15 mph, and fines are doubled in all Montana school zones.
- Roundabout speeds are 15 mph or less. Yield to vehicles already in the circle.
- At a railroad crossing, stop at least 15 feet from the nearest rail when signals, gates, a stop sign or a flagger warn of a train, or when a train is within 1,500 feet.
- Turn around on a road only where you can see 500 feet in both directions and nothing is coming.
- After stopping, you may turn left on red from a one-way street onto another one-way street, as with right on red, unless a sign forbids it.
- You do not have to stop for a school bus on a different road, or one stopped in a loading zone where pedestrians may not cross the road.
- Yield to a funeral procession led by a funeral lead or escort vehicle.
- It is illegal to deliberately interfere with someone lawfully riding a bicycle.
- It is illegal to sound your horn when approaching or passing a horse.
- Parking: within 18 inches of the curb or shoulder; not within 15 feet of a hydrant, 20 feet of a crosswalk at an intersection, 30 feet of a signal, stop sign or yield sign, or 50 feet of a railroad crossing.
Other rules to study
- Four-way stops and right on red
- Roundabouts
- Move over laws and pulling over for emergency vehicles
- Railroad crossings and crosswalks
- Parking rules
Phones
The Montana Driver Manual notes that most Montana cities have their own bans on texting and calls while driving, so the rule can change as you cross city limits. The safe habit is no phone in your hand at all. See hands-free and texting laws.
Chapter 5: how to drive safely
The manual covers scanning, following distance, sharing the road, night driving and bad weather. Montana’s long rural highways and winter conditions make these chapters worth real practice time, not just reading. Start with:
- Driving in snow, fog and rain
- Merging onto a freeway
- Sharing the road with trucks, bikes and motorcycles
Chapter 6: physical requirements
Every applicant takes an eyesight test, and renewals include one too (MCA 61-5-110, 61-5-111). The MVD cannot license someone whose condition causes lapses of consciousness or control unless a doctor, physician assistant or advanced practice nurse confirms in writing that it is stable (MCA 61-5-105). If you wear glasses or contacts, bring them to the test. The vision test checks for at least 20/40 in at least one eye, with or without lenses.
Chapter 7: emergencies, crashes and traffic stops
If you are in a crash, stop, help anyone hurt and exchange information. Leaving the scene is a serious offense in Montana, and failing to report a crash adds points to your record (MCA 61-11-203). Montana drivers must carry liability insurance of at least $25,000 for one person hurt, $50,000 for two or more, and $20,000 for property damage (MCA 61-6-103). Driving uninsured is a misdemeanor: a fine of $250 to $500, up to 10 days in jail, or both, plus 5 points. A second offense also suspends your plates and registration for 90 days.
Report a crash to police immediately if anyone is hurt or killed or damage is $500 or more. If there is an injury, a death or $1,000 or more of damage to one person’s property, also file a report with the Highway Patrol within 10 days. On roads posted 50 mph or more, slow to at least 20 mph below the limit in a lane next to a stopped emergency or police vehicle with signals on. See what to do after a crash and insurance for new drivers.
Chapter 8: penalties and your driving record
| Rule | Montana limit |
|---|---|
| Alcohol, drivers 21+ | 0.08 alcohol concentration |
| Alcohol, under 21 | 0.02 |
| THC, drivers 21+ | 5 ng/ml |
| THC, under 21 | Any amount |
Source: MCA 61-8-1002. Montana also has an implied consent law (MCA 61-8-1016). You become a habitual traffic offender if you collect 30 or more conviction points in three years; a DUI alone is 10 points (MCA 61-11-203). The manual says a first alcohol conviction brings a $300 to $1,000 fine plus court charges, a possible jail sentence and a six-month license suspension. Open alcohol containers in the passenger area are illegal. Read zero tolerance for under-21s, implied consent and DUI, cannabis and driving and points and suspensions.
Chapter 9: other services
The manual’s last chapter covers voter registration at exam stations, Selective Service, organ and tissue donation and living wills. Under-21 licenses expire on the 21st birthday. You can often renew by mail or online, but not twice in a row (MCA 61-5-111).
Common questions
What is an NCLP in Montana?
The Non-Commercial Learner Permit is the name used in the May 2026 Montana Driver Manual for what was called the learner license. The rules are the same: supervised driving only, valid one year.
How many hours of practice do Montana teens need?
At least 50 hours, including 10 at night, over at least six months. A parent or guardian certifies the hours on MVD form 21-1600. The law sets 75 hours, 15 at night, for teens who take an MVD-approved alternative course.
Who can supervise a Montana permit driver under 18?
A parent or legal guardian, or, with their permission, a licensed driver aged 18 or older seated beside you (MCA 61-5-106). Traffic education instructors also supervise during the course.
What time can a first-year Montana driver be on the road?
Not between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m., unless an exception applies, such as work, school events, religious events, emergencies, farm or ranch hauling, or a licensed adult 18+ riding along.
Is texting while driving illegal in Montana?
Many Montana cities ban it locally. Treat every phone use behind the wheel as off-limits, especially as a new driver.
Do I need a road test in Montana?
Yes, for a first license. Teens in a school district certified for cooperative testing can take it with their traffic education instructor (MCA 61-5-110).
Sources
- Montana Department of Justice, Motor Vehicle Division, “Montana Driver Manual” (May 2026) (mvdmt.gov)
- Montana Department of Justice, Motor Vehicle Division, “Montana Driver Manual” (Revised April 2024) (mvdmt.gov)
- Montana Department of Justice, Motor Vehicle Division, “Montana Driver Manual” (revised October 2018, OPI copy) (opi.mt.gov)
- Montana Department of Justice, Motor Vehicle Division, “Drivers Under 18” and “New Drivers 18+” (mvdmt.gov)
- Montana Office of Public Instruction, “Driver Education” (opi.mt.gov)
- Montana Office of Public Instruction, “GDL: Graduated Driver Licensing in Montana” fact sheet and practice driving log (opi.mt.gov)
- Montana Legislature, “Montana Code Annotated 2025”, sections 61-5-105, 61-5-106, 61-5-110, 61-5-111, 61-5-132, 61-6-103, 61-8-303, 61-8-351, 61-8-1002, 61-9-221, 61-11-203, 61-13-103 (mca.legmt.gov)