Montana MVD · Quick Reference 2026

Montana MVD Test Cheat Sheet

Every key number, rule, and fact from the Montana Driver Manual (Revised April 2024) — on one page. Bookmark it or print it.

🏎️ Speed Limits

Interstate highway75 / 80 mph (as posted)

Urban interstate (Billings/GF/Missoula)65 mph

Two-lane highway70 day / 65 night

Urban district (unless posted)As posted

Roundabout15 mph or less

School zone (when posted)as low as 15 mph

Slow-moving emblem (orange triangle)≤ 25 mph

Work zone & school zone finesDOUBLED

💡 On a Montana two-lane highway you may exceed the posted speed limit by up to 10 mph when overtaking and passing another vehicle, then return safely to the right lane (p. 38). Heavy fog/rain/snow with visibility under 200 ft: max 30 mph (p. 63).

🅿️ Parking Distances

From fire hydrant15 feet MEMORIZE

From crosswalk at intersection20 feet

From fire station driveway20 ft same side / 75 ft opposite

From stop sign / yield / signal30 feet

From railroad crossing50 feet

From curb (parallel parking)18 inches

In front of a drivewayNever — prohibited

🍺 Alcohol & DUI Laws

BAC limit — drivers 21+0.08%

BAC limit — under 210.02% Zero Tolerance

BAC limit — CDL / commercial0.04%

Refuse chemical test (Implied Consent)License loss

Report a drunk driver1-800-525-5555

Alcohol-related fatalities (MT)~50%

1st DUI conviction6-month suspension

Buy/consume alcohol minimum age21+

Open-container — 1st offenseCivil penalty

Body processes alcohol~1 drink / hour

⚠️ Montana law: by driving on a Montana road you have agreed (Implied Consent) to take a chemical test (breath, blood, or urine) when requested by a peace officer after a DUI arrest. Refusing the test costs you your driver license — separate from any DUI conviction (p. 72).

⚖️ DUI Penalties (Adults)

Offense	Fine	Jail	Suspension
1st DUI	$300–$1,000 + court	1 to 60 days	6-month suspension
2nd DUI	Higher fine (escalates)	Mandatory jail	Longer suspension
3rd DUI	Substantial fine	Mandatory jail	License revocation
4th+ DUI / DUI causing death	Felony fine range	Years in prison	Felony — long-term revocation

📏 Key Distances & Rules

Turn signal in city100 feet before

Turn signal outside city300 feet before

Following distance3-second rule

Sight-distance / poor weather4-second rule

School bus stop distance30 feet minimum

No passing near hill / curveWithin 1/3 mile

Pass on 2-lane (overtake)+10 mph allowed

Dim headlights (oncoming)1,000 feet

Dim headlights (following)500 feet

High beam range / Low beam350 ft / 100 ft

Horn audible from200 feet

Pass cyclist (2-lane)~5 feet clearance

RR crossing stop distance≥ 15 feet from rail

Move Over (50+ mph roads)Slow ≥ 20 mph below limit

💡 Headlights are required from 30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise — and any time visibility is less than 500 feet. Use low beams in fog, heavy rain, sleet, snow, or dust (p. 14).

🔷 Sign Shapes

Shape	Meaning	Example
Octagon (8 sides)	STOP	Stop sign
Inverted triangle	YIELD	Yield sign
Diamond	WARNING	Curves, merges, hills
Pentagon (5 sides)	SCHOOL	School zone/crossing
Circle	RAILROAD	Advance RR warning
Pennant	NO PASSING	No passing zone (left side)
Vertical rectangle	REGULATORY	Speed limits, rules
Horizontal rectangle	GUIDE	Directions, distances
Crossbuck (X)	RR CROSSING	At the crossing itself

🎨 Sign Colors

Color	Meaning
🔴 Red	Stop, yield, do not enter, prohibition
⬜ White	Regulatory — rules and laws
🟡 Yellow	Warning — hazards ahead
🟢 Green	Guide — directions, distances
🔵 Blue	Services — gas, food, hospital
🟠 Orange	Construction / work zone
🟤 Brown	Parks, recreation, historic
💛 Yellow-Green	Pedestrian, school, bicycle

↗️ Right-of-Way Rules

→At a 4-way stop: first to arrive goes first. If tied, driver on the RIGHT goes first.
→At an uncontrolled intersection: yield to the vehicle on the RIGHT.
→Turning left: always yield to oncoming straight-through traffic.
→Entering from alley, driveway, or private road: stop and yield to ALL traffic.
→At a T-intersection (no signs): the vehicle on the terminating road yields.
→Pedestrians in a crosswalk: ALWAYS yield — marked or unmarked.
→Emergency vehicles with lights/sirens: pull to the RIGHT and stop.
→Funeral processions led by an escort have right-of-way; do not enter the intersection if it crosses the procession’s path, even on a green light (p. 42).

🚌 School Bus Rules

→Stop at least 30 feet from a school bus with red flashing lights, both directions, until the red lights are turned off (p. 40).
→The only Montana exceptions are when the bus is on a different road or stopped in an adjacent loading zone where pedestrians are not allowed to cross — divided highways are NOT a blanket exception (p. 40).
→Penalty for passing a stopped school bus: a moving violation in Montana — fines double in school zones, repeated offenses can lead to license suspension under the point system, and serious-injury cases escalate to felony charges (p. 29, 40, 79–80).

🎓 Teen / GDL Laws

Minimum age for NCLP14½ / 15 / 16

Hold NCLP for6 consecutive months (under 18)

Supervised practice hours50 hrs (10 at night)

Driver education statusRequired for under-16 NCLP

Online driver edNOT approved in MT

First-Year Restricted LicenseAfter 6 mo on NCLP

Full license age18 (or end-date on license)

Curfew (every night)11 PM – 5 AM

Curfew exceptionsEmergencies, work, school, church

Passengers (1st 6 mo / 2nd 6 mo)1 / 3 unrelated under 18

Phone useNo statewide ban (most cities ban)

Learner permit fee$5/year

🛡️ Child Restraint & Safety Belts

Up to age 6 AND under 60 lbsChild safety seat

Older children (rec.)Booster seat

Booster recommended until~ 4 ft 9 in tall

Belt-fit kids (≥4'9")Lap/shoulder seatbelt

Every passengerMust be independently restrained

Seatbelt enforcementDriver fine: $20

🏦 Insurance & Financial Responsibility

Bodily injury (per person)$25,000

Bodily injury (per accident)$50,000

Property damage (per accident)$10,000

Proof of insuranceRequired at traffic stops — electronic proof on phone accepted

📋 License Fees & Administration

Standard license (12 yr)$60 ($5/yr)

REAL ID surcharge$25 (8-yr license)

NCLP / learner permit$5/year

Replacement license / state ID$10

Renewal frequencyEvery 12 yrs (8 yr REAL ID)

Address change deadlineWithin 10 days

Organ donor registrymvdmt.gov — register at any MVD station

🚗 Other Must-Know Rules

→Handheld phone use while driving: no statewide ban, but most Montana cities (Billings, Great Falls, Helena, Missoula, Bozeman, Butte and others) ban texting and hand-held cell-phone use — check the local ordinance.
→Texting while driving: banned in most Montana cities and treated as the most alarming distraction in the manual; takes your eyes off the road for ~5 seconds (p. 49).
→Headlights required: sunset to sunrise + whenever wipers are on.
→Hill parking: downhill = turn wheels TO curb. Uphill with curb = turn wheels AWAY from curb.
→Passing on a 2-lane road: you may exceed the posted speed limit by up to 10 mph to overtake and return safely (p. 38).
→Skidding: ease off gas/brakes, steer INTO the direction of the skid.
→Studded tires are NOT allowed June 1 – September 30; chains are required when posted (p. 60).
→Crashes with injury, death, or property damage of $1,000+ must be reported to the Montana Highway Patrol (p. 80).

Choose Your Practice Test

Free, no signup · Questions verified against the official state driver manual

Take Real Test

Start a fresh practice exam with new questions.

Start →

Take Sign Test

Practice identifying road signs and their meanings.

Start →

Take Number Test

Drill speed limits, distances, BAC limits and fines.

Start →