Montana requires at least $25,000 of bodily injury liability per person, $50,000 per accident and $20,000 of property damage liability, often written as 25/50/20. Uninsured motorist coverage at those same injury limits comes with every policy unless the named insured rejects it.
Montana doesn’t ask for proof of insurance when you register a car, and no state program was found that sends notices when coverage lapses. Instead, police can check your coverage in a state database during a traffic stop or crash, and the penalties grow with each conviction within five years.
Key Takeaways
- Montana requires 25/50/20 liability coverage. The property damage minimum is $20,000, not the $25,000 some websites quote, and uninsured motorist coverage is included unless the named insured rejects it.
- Montana law doesn’t require underinsured motorist coverage, personal injury protection or medical payments coverage, and no rule was found that makes insurers offer underinsured coverage.
- Under the statute, a first conviction for driving uninsured brings a fine of $250 to $500. A second within five years means a $350 fine, surrendered plates and a suspended registration, and a fourth or later can lead to a driver’s license suspension.
- Montana law calls the filing many people know as an SR-22 a certificate of insurance. It’s needed to get a revoked license back, and the state can generally release it after three years.
Montana Minimum Car Insurance at a Glance
| Coverage | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Bodily injury liability | $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident |
| Property damage liability | $20,000 per accident |
| Uninsured motorist | Included at $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident unless the named insured rejects it |
| Underinsured motorist | Not required |
| Personal injury protection and medical payments | Not required |
| Collision and comprehensive | Not required by law, but lenders and lessors often require them |
The limits are set by MCA 61-6-103, and the Montana Commissioner of Securities and Insurance (CSI) lists the same figures on its auto insurance page. Some websites quote 25/50/25 for Montana, but the property damage minimum is $20,000. RateFrog’s guide to liability limits explains how the three numbers work.
The insurance mandate itself is MCA 61-6-301. Owners of vehicles registered and operated in Montana have to keep a liability policy in force at those amounts. The only alternative it allows is a certificate of self-insurance, which under MCA 61-6-143 is available only to someone with more than 25 vehicles registered in their name. The Motor Vehicle Division (MVD) says on its insurance and verification page that a registered vehicle has to be insured even when it isn’t being driven.
A few details are easy to miss. The law lets a policy exclude a named family member, so check whether anyone in your household is excluded before they drive. MCA 61-6-303 also exempts some vehicles from the mandate, including government vehicles and motorcycles, so the rules in this guide are for cars and don’t automatically carry over to a motorcycle.
Uninsured Motorist Coverage in Montana
Under MCA 33-23-201, an auto liability policy for a vehicle registered and principally garaged in Montana has to include uninsured motorist (UM) coverage at the state’s bodily injury limits. It pays for injuries or death caused by a driver who has no bodily injury liability insurance or bond at the time of the crash. The requirement covers bodily injury only.
The statute gives the named insured the right to reject UM. CSI says that unless you sign a form saying you don’t want it, your agent is required to provide it, so expect your insurer to use a rejection form. If you reject it, the same insurer doesn’t have to add it back at renewal unless you ask in writing.
Underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage, which helps when the at-fault driver’s limits are too low, isn’t required. A 2025 bill that would have added UIM to policies unless rejected, SB 290, was tabled in a Senate committee and died. Montana law does treat UIM as a coverage a policy can include, so ask your insurer whether it offers it. RateFrog’s guide to uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage explains the difference.
Montana also limits stacking. Under MCA 33-23-203, limits from one policy, or from several policies with the same insurer, generally can’t be added together when the premiums reflect that and the rates are filed with the commissioner, unless the policy says otherwise. Your insurer has to tell you in writing whether a coverage can be added to coverage on another vehicle or policy.
Proof of Insurance in Montana
Under MCA 61-6-302, the owner or driver has to keep proof of insurance in the vehicle. That can be an insurance card issued by your insurer or an insurer-issued electronic document you can display on an electronic device, such as your phone. You have to show it when a peace officer, highway patrol officer, judge or MVD field deputy asks. If you need a card in a hurry, RateFrog’s guide to getting proof of insurance fast can help.
If you’re cited and an insurance check later shows you had valid coverage at the time, the law says you can’t be convicted. The same applies if the database was down and you bring proof that was valid at the time to court or to the officer’s office.
How Montana Checks Your Coverage
MVD’s FAQ says no proof of insurance is needed to register a vehicle, though you have to carry proof while driving. Coverage is checked through the Montana Insurance Verification System (MTIVS), which MCA 61-6-157 requires insurers to help maintain. Troopers, MVD staff and county treasurers can use it.
Under MCA 61-6-309, an officer can check MTIVS during a traffic stop or crash investigation. The system’s response overrides a card you show, so if it says you aren’t insured, the officer can cite you even when you have a card. The exceptions are vehicles on a commercial policy, in a self-insured fleet or on a new binder that hasn’t reached the system yet. The same law says officers can’t stop you only to check insurance. They need reasonable cause to suspect another traffic violation or an unsafe vehicle.
MVD says a new binder can take a matter of days to appear and that a VIN that doesn’t match between your policy and title can cause a failed check. You can look up your own status at MTIVS.com using the Vehicle Number on your registration card or renewal notice plus your plate number.
Penalties for Driving Without Insurance in Montana
Montana’s penalties come from a citation and conviction, and they get heavier with each conviction. A prior conviction counts if less than five years passed between it and the new offense.
Court Penalties
Under MCA 61-6-304, the penalties for driving uninsured or not carrying proof are:
- First conviction: a fine of $250 to $500.
- Second conviction: a fine of $350.
- Third or later conviction: a fine of $500, up to 10 days in county jail, or both.
Each conviction also adds 5 points to your driving record under MCA 61-11-203. Reaching 30 points within three years makes you a habitual traffic offender.
MVD’s insurance page lists different penalties, including possible jail for a first or second offense, a 90-day license revocation for a second offense and up to six months in jail for a third. Those figures don’t appear in the current statute. The amounts above come from MCA 61-6-304. If you’ve been cited, check with the court about your case.
Registration and License Consequences
After a second or later conviction, the court orders you to surrender the vehicle’s plates and registration receipt, and MVD suspends the registration. Once you show proof of insurance and pay the replacement fees, you can get a restricted registration that only lets you drive for work. That restriction lasts 90 days from a second conviction or 180 days from a third or later one.
MVD’s suspensions page says to send proof of liability insurance to its Records and Driver Control Unit in Helena, then buy the restricted registration and plates from your county treasurer.
A fourth or later conviction goes further. If the vehicle was registered to you or an immediate family member, the court orders you to surrender your driver’s license, and MVD suspends it until you prove you have insurance and meet the other requirements to drive again.
No Montana statute or MVD page found allows police to impound a car just because it’s uninsured. RateFrog’s guide to what happens when insurance lapses covers the broader risks of a gap in coverage.
An Unpaid Crash Judgment
Without insurance, you may have to pay for damage and injuries you cause yourself. If a court enters a judgment against you after a crash and you don’t pay it within 60 days, the creditor can ask the court to send it to MVD, which then suspends your license. Under MCA 61-6-123, the suspension lasts until the judgment is paid or otherwise resolved and you have insurance, though it can end once six years have passed since the judgment and you meet the insurance requirements.
SR-22 Filings in Montana
Montana’s statutes and the MVD pages reviewed for this guide don’t use the term SR-22. The filing it describes is a certificate of insurance: a written certificate from your insurer, filed with the state, confirming that you have a liability policy in effect. If an insurer or court mentions an SR-22, this certificate is the Montana filing that fills that role. Non-owners can file one without listing a vehicle.
Under MCA 61-6-131, a driver whose license has been revoked has to file this certificate, along with meeting other eligibility rules, before getting the license back. Revocations under MCA 61-5-205 include negligent homicide with a vehicle, fleeing police and failing to stop and help after a crash that causes injury or death. Montana treats a DUI under that section as a suspension, so the certificate rule doesn’t automatically apply to it. Check with MVD about your own case.
The state can generally release the requirement three years after the proof was first required if you had no qualifying convictions or bail forfeitures in the prior three years. It won’t do so while a damages lawsuit is pending, a judgment is unpaid or you were in an injury or damage crash in the prior year. Montana law also lets you give proof with a bond or a $55,000 cash or securities deposit. Those options satisfy a proof filing, not the general insurance requirement. RateFrog’s SR-22 guide explains how these filings work in general.
If You Can’t Find Coverage
Under MCA 61-6-144, the commissioner approves a plan that spreads drivers who are entitled to coverage but can’t get it among insurers, and all auto insurers have to take part. In Montana it’s the Montana Automobile Insurance Plan, run by the Western Association of Automobile Insurance Plans. According to the plan’s page on AIPSO, it’s for drivers who can’t get coverage in the voluntary market, and consumers can call the plan office at (800) 227-4659.
How Montana Insurers Set Rates
Credit can be used with limits. Under MCA 33-18-605, an insurer:
- Can’t deny, cancel or nonrenew a personal policy based on credit information without other underwriting factors
- Can’t count a missing or unscorable credit file against you
- Can’t use income, gender, address, ZIP code, ethnic group, religion, marital status or nationality in an insurance score
- Has to rerate your policy at annual renewal using a current credit report if you ask, no more than once every 12 months
Gender and marital status can be used in setting auto rates. Since a 2021 amendment, MCA 49-2-309 says accepted ratemaking methods based on sex or marital status don’t violate Montana’s insurance discrimination law.
Two discounts are required by law, though neither has a set percentage. Under MCA 33-16-222, drivers 55 and older who complete an approved traffic safety course get an appropriate premium reduction on liability, bodily injury or collision coverage for three years. Insurers can require a clean record, such as no at-fault accidents or moving violation convictions, and CSI says qualifying courses are approved by the Montana Department of Transportation. MCA 33-16-230 gives Montana National Guard members a similar three-year reduction after a qualifying defensive driving course. RateFrog’s guide to the factors that affect car insurance rates covers the rest.
Cancellation and Nonrenewal Rules
Once a policy has been in effect for 60 days, or if it’s a renewal, MCA 33-23-211 lets the insurer cancel for only two reasons: nonpayment, or a suspended or revoked license or registration for the named insured or another driver in the household or who regularly drives the car. Under MCA 33-23-212, the insurer has to give at least 45 days’ notice, or 10 days with the reason stated for nonpayment. If you ask, the insurer has to explain its reasons within 15 days.
For nonrenewal, MCA 33-23-214 requires at least 45 days’ advance notice, with some exceptions such as nonpayment. CSI says insurers may consider claims, driving record and credit history in deciding whether to renew. RateFrog’s guide to car insurance grace periods explains what usually happens when a payment is late.
Montana adds one more protection in the minimum coverage law. An insurer can’t cancel, nonrenew or raise your premium because of injury or damage you suffered unless you broke a traffic law, were found negligent or paid the other party. Premiums also can’t go up during the policy term unless your exposure changes.
Is Montana’s Minimum Coverage Enough?
A 25/50/20 policy can run out quickly in a serious crash, and $20,000 of property damage coverage may not pay for a newer car or a multi-car crash. If a claim is more than your limits, you could owe the rest. Montana also doesn’t require underinsured coverage or medical payments, so a minimum policy may leave your own injury costs to your health insurance or savings. Higher limits cost more, so weigh that against what you could pay out of pocket. RateFrog’s guide to how much car insurance you need can help you choose, and you can compare car insurance quotes at several coverage levels.
Where to Get Help
CSI’s consumer advocates take calls at 800-332-6148 or 406-444-2040. Complaints have to be in writing or online, and the complaints page links the online complaint form. CSI can ask your insurer to review a claim, but it can’t decide comparative negligence. For license suspensions, registration suspensions and reinstatement, contact MVD at 406-444-3933. Your county treasurer handles registrations and restricted plates.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Uninsured Motorist Coverage Required in Montana?
It’s included in every policy unless the named insured rejects it, and insurers typically use a rejection form. Underinsured motorist coverage isn’t required.
What Is the Fine for Driving Without Insurance in Montana?
Under MCA 61-6-304, a first conviction is $250 to $500 and a second within five years is $350. A third or later is $500, up to 10 days in jail, or both. Each conviction also adds 5 points to your record.
Does Montana Suspend Your License for Driving Uninsured?
Not at first. A second or later conviction leads to a registration suspension, and after you show proof of insurance and pay the fees you can get a work-only restricted registration for 90 or 180 days. A fourth or later conviction leads to a license suspension until you prove insurance, if the vehicle was registered to you or an immediate family member.
Can I Show Proof of Insurance on My Phone in Montana?
Yes. Montana law accepts an insurer-issued electronic document shown on an electronic device. An officer can also check the state’s verification system, and its result overrides the card you show.
Sources
- Montana Commissioner of Securities and Insurance: Auto
- Montana Commissioner of Securities and Insurance: Insurance Complaints and Fraud
- Montana Motor Vehicle Division: Vehicle Insurance and Verification
- Montana Motor Vehicle Division: Suspensions and Revocations
- Montana Motor Vehicle Division: FAQs
- MCA 61-6-103
- MCA 61-6-123
- MCA 61-6-131
- MCA 61-6-143
- MCA 61-6-144
- MCA 61-6-157
- MCA 61-6-301
- MCA 61-6-302
- MCA 61-6-303
- MCA 61-6-304
- MCA 61-6-309
- MCA 61-5-205
- MCA 61-11-203
- MCA 33-23-201
- MCA 33-23-203
- MCA 33-23-211
- MCA 33-23-212
- MCA 33-23-214
- MCA 33-16-222
- MCA 33-16-230
- MCA 33-18-605
- MCA 49-2-309
- AIPSO: Montana Automobile Insurance Plan