Driving Age in Montana: Timeline, Tests, and Teen Restrictions

The driving age in Montana starts at 14 and a half, when a teen enrolled in or finished with an approved traffic education course can apply for a learner license. After at least six months on that permit, 50 or more hours of supervised practice, and a passed road test, the teen can move up to a first-year restricted license, usually around age 16. The restrictions come off at 18, or one year after the restricted license is issued, whichever comes first.

The Age Timeline

Montana law sets out three main stages. At 14 and a half, a teen who is enrolled in or has completed an approved traffic education course can apply for a learner license through the Motor Vehicle Division.¹ Traffic education is a prerequisite for anyone under 18. State law bars the department from issuing any license to someone under 15, with a narrow exception for teens at least 13 who can show individual hardship to the department’s satisfaction.²

After holding the learner license for at least six months, passing a road test, logging the required practice hours, and keeping a clean record free of traffic or drug and alcohol violations, the teen can apply for a first-year restricted license. In practice, the earliest this happens is around age 16.³ Restrictions on that license stay in force for a full year or until the driver turns 18, whichever comes first.⁴

Traffic Education and Practice Hours

Every minor applying for a Montana license has to complete an approved traffic education course. Montana recognizes two types, and the type you take sets your practice-hour requirement:

Traditional course: 50 hours of supervised driving, with at least 10 of those hours at night.
Alternative course: 75 hours of supervised driving, with at least 15 of those hours at night.

The supervising driver has to be a parent, legal guardian, or someone at least 18 with a valid license and the parent’s consent.³ The MVD offers a downloadable practice driving log to track those hours, and you have to present it, on paper or on a phone, when you apply for the restricted license.⁵

What to Bring to the MVD

Before your appointment at an MVD exam station, gather:

Proof of identity, such as a certified birth certificate or valid passport.
Proof of Montana residency, such as a school transcript or utility bill.
Proof of authorized presence.
Your Social Security number. You don’t need the card, but you need the number so the MVD can verify it.

For the initial learner license, you also need documentation from your traffic education program. When you upgrade to the restricted license, bring your completed driving log, proof of registration and insurance for the test vehicle, your valid learner permit, and a completed Graduated Driver Licensing Parent/Guardian Certification form.⁶

A parent or legal guardian has to sign the application for any driver under 18. By signing, that parent becomes jointly liable for damage caused by the teen’s negligent or reckless driving, unless the teen is covered by a motor vehicle liability insurance policy.⁷ If no parent is available, another responsible adult can sign and accept that obligation, or the minor can submit a certificate of insurance directly.

Tests and Fees

At the exam station, applicants go through a vision screening, a written knowledge test on traffic laws, road signs, and safe driving practices, and eventually a road skills test. The written exam has 33 multiple-choice questions, and you need at least 27 correct, an 82% score, to pass. The road test happens later, when you’re ready to move from the learner permit to the restricted license.

Montana charges license fees on a per-year basis, running from the date of issuance to the licensee’s 21st birthday. Younger applicants pay more because their license covers more years. A 14-and-a-half to 15-year-old pays around $36.57 for a standard license or about $62.32 for a REAL ID-compliant version. A 16-year-old pays approximately $26.27, or $52.02 with REAL ID.⁸ The underlying statutory rate is $5 per year or fraction of a year.⁹

First-Year Restrictions on a Teen License

Any license issued to someone under 18 carries restrictions for a full year or until the driver turns 18, whichever comes first. Some restrictions loosen at the six-month mark, but they don’t drop away until the one-year period ends.⁴

Passengers

For the first six months, a restricted licensee can carry only one passenger under 18 unless a licensed driver at least 18 rides along or the extra passengers are family members. In the second six months, the limit rises to three passengers under 18. The number of people in the vehicle can never exceed the number of seatbelts.

Nighttime Driving

Restricted licensees cannot drive between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. unless one of these exceptions applies:

Accompanied by a licensed driver 18 or older.
Driving to or from work, or driving in the course of employment.
Driving to or from a school-sponsored event at a school the teen attends.
Driving to or from a religious organization event.
Emergencies involving medical, fire, or law enforcement matters.
Farm or ranch operations, specifically transporting agricultural products, machinery, or supplies within 150 miles of a farm or ranch headquarters.
Emancipated minors.
Specific parental authorization for a specific purpose. A peace officer may contact the parent to verify it.

Seatbelts

Every occupant in the vehicle has to be wearing a seatbelt or properly restrained whenever a restricted licensee is driving. That rule applies to all passengers regardless of age, and there is no exception.

Penalties for Breaking the Rules

Violating a restriction carries real consequences. A first offense results in 20 to 60 hours of community service. A second offense leads to a six-month suspension of the restricted license.¹⁰

Separately, if a teen collects traffic violations or alcohol or drug offenses during the six-month learner period, the parent cannot certify the clean-record requirement, and the department can extend the learner license for another year or until the teen turns 18, whichever comes first.³

Insurance Once the Teen Drives Alone

Montana requires every vehicle operated on public roads to carry liability insurance.¹¹ A teen with only a learner permit is usually covered under a parent’s existing policy, since they are always driving with a supervising adult. The insurance question gets more pressing once the teen earns a restricted license and starts driving alone.

At that point, most insurers require the teen to be listed as a named driver on the family policy. Montana’s minimum coverage requirements include bodily injury liability, property damage liability, and uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage. Adding a 16-year-old to a policy usually raises premiums significantly, sometimes doubling them, so it is worth asking about good-student discounts or driver education completion credits. You’ll need to bring proof of insurance to the MVD when you take the road test for the restricted license.⁶

1
Montana State Legislature. Montana Code 61-5-106 – Learner Licenses, Traffic Education Permits, Temporary Drivers Permits
2
Montana Code Annotated. Montana Code 61-5-105 – Who May Not Be Licensed
3
Montana State Legislature. Montana Code 61-5-132 – Prerequisites for Issuance of Drivers License to Minor
4
Montana State Legislature. Montana Code 61-5-133 – First Year Restrictions on Drivers License Issued to Minor
5
Montana Motor Vehicle Division. Practice Driving Log
6
Montana Motor Vehicle Division. Drivers Under 18
7
Montana State Legislature. Montana Code 61-5-108 – Application of Minors, Imputed Liability
8
Montana Motor Vehicle Division. Licensing Fees
9
Montana State Legislature. Montana Code 61-5-111 – Contents of Drivers License, Renewal, License Expirations, License Replacements, Grace Period, and Fees
10
Montana Office of Public Instruction. GDL Graduated Driver Licensing in Montana
11
Montana Code Annotated. Montana Code 61-6-301 – Required Motor Vehicle Insurance