Montana Car Insurance
Montana drivers must carry 25/50/20 liability under the Montana Motor Vehicle Safety-Responsibility Act (Mont. Code § 61-6-103)1. UM and UIM are a must-offer at the compulsory liability limits under Mont. Code § 33-23-2012. Montana is a traditional tort state and does not require PIP4.
YesWeSure Bottom Line
Traditional tort state. Montana does not require PIP. First-party medical bills typically flow through health insurance or optional MedPay; tort recovery against the at-fault driver remains the primary mechanism4.
UM/UIM default is on. Every Montana personal auto policy includes UM and UIM unless the named insured rejects the coverage in writing2.
How to make a real decision. Treat 25/50/20 as a floor, not a target. For how to think about higher limits, see how to choose coverage limits.
State requirements at a glance
What Montana car insurance law requires
Minimum liability limits
25 / 50 / 201
$25,000 bodily injury per person, $50,000 per accident, $20,000 property damage per accident, under the Montana Motor Vehicle Safety-Responsibility Act (Mont. Code § 61-6-103).
Personal Injury Protection (PIP)
Not required4
Montana is a traditional tort state. No PIP is required on personal auto. Medical Payments coverage is an optional first-party add-on insurers typically offer.
Uninsured / Underinsured Motorist
Must offer; 25 / 50 BI if purchased2
Mont. Code § 33-23-201 requires every Montana personal auto policy to include UM and UIM at not less than the compulsory liability limits unless the named insured rejects it in writing.
Coverage verification
Montana MVD insurance verification3
The Montana Motor Vehicle Division administers insurance verification. Confirmed lapse under Mont. Code § 61-6-304 can trigger driver license and registration suspension plus SR-22 filing requirements.
Rate approval regime
Montana CSI oversight4
Montana does not maintain a headline statewide prohibition on credit-based insurance scoring, gender, or age as personal-auto rating factors.
25/50/20 compulsory liability
The Montana Motor Vehicle Safety-Responsibility Act (Mont. Code § 61-6-103) compels every registered Montana vehicle to carry 25/50/20 liability1. Many Montana drivers carry higher limits.
PIP: not required in Montana
Montana does not require Personal Injury Protection. Medical Payments coverage is an optional first-party add-on that insurers typically offer. For how MedPay compares to PIP in states that require it, see our medical payments coverage guide.
UM/UIM must-offer under Mont. Code § 33-23-201
Every Montana personal auto policy must include UM and UIM at the compulsory liability limits unless the named insured rejects the coverage in writing2.
MVD verification and lapse enforcement
The Montana Motor Vehicle Division administers insurance verification5. A confirmed lapse under Mont. Code § 61-6-304 can trigger driver license and registration suspension plus SR-22 filing requirements3. For a general lapse treatment, see our after-a-lapse guide.
Rating-factor landscape
Montana does not maintain a headline statewide prohibition on credit-based insurance scoring, gender, or age4.
Where the Montana situation rules live on YesWeSure
This State Guide owns the Montana pricing and legal framework. Situation-specific mechanics live on the sibling Situation guides:
- After an accident. See our after-an-accident guide.
- After a DUI. Montana SR-22 and reinstatement mechanics are treated in our after-a-DUI guide.
- After a lapse. MVD consequences of a lapse are treated in our after-a-lapse guide.
- Moving into Montana. New-resident registration is treated in our moving-to-another-state guide.
What we verified for this page
- Strong25/50/20 minimum liability under Mont. Code § 61-6-103 verified against the statute.
- StrongMontana is a traditional tort state (no PIP) verified against the CSI consumer guide. Consistent with the frozen YesWeSure medical-payments guide; no conflict.
- StrongUM/UIM must-offer at compulsory liability limits under Mont. Code § 33-23-201 verified against the statute.
- StrongMontana MVD insurance verification under Mont. Code § 61-6-304 verified against the statute.
- LimitedDeliberately omitted from V1. A Montana modeled cost anchor; carrier-specific MT underwriting; the exact SR-22 duration (deferred to the after-a-DUI guide); and telematics program detail.
- LimitedNamed author and expert reviewer. V1 attributes to "YesWeSure Editorial." A Montana-licensed reviewer is tracked as a pre-launch YMYL item.
Ready to compare Montana quotes at or above the compulsory limits?
Compare Montana car insurance quotesYesWeSure may receive compensation when readers use quote-comparison links. Compensation does not influence the statutory or regulatory information on this page or the sources cited above. See our advertiser disclosure and editorial standards.
Common questions
What is the minimum car insurance required in Montana?
25/50/20 liability under Mont. Code § 61-6-1031. UM/UIM is must-offer at the compulsory liability limits and ships on the policy unless rejected in writing2.
Is Montana a no-fault state?
No. Montana is a traditional tort state and does not require PIP4.
Is UM/UIM required in Montana?
UM and UIM are must-offer. Every Montana personal auto policy includes UM/UIM at the compulsory liability limits unless the named insured rejects the coverage in writing under Mont. Code § 33-23-2012.
Sources & methodology
- Mont. Code § 61-6-103: Montana Motor Vehicle Safety-Responsibility Act; 25/50/20 compulsory liability. (Montana Legislature, TIER 1)
- Mont. Code § 33-23-201: Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist must-offer at compulsory liability limits; written rejection required. (Montana Legislature, TIER 1)
- Mont. Code § 61-6-304: compulsory motor vehicle insurance; penalties and license/registration suspension for operation without insurance. (Montana Legislature, TIER 1)
- Montana Commissioner of Securities and Insurance: Automobile Insurance consumer page. (Montana Commissioner of Securities and Insurance, TIER 1)
- Montana Motor Vehicle Division: Insurance Requirements consumer page. (Montana Motor Vehicle Division, TIER 1)
- YesWeSure: Car insurance after an accident (YesWeSure, INTERNAL)
- YesWeSure: Car insurance after a DUI (YesWeSure, INTERNAL)
- YesWeSure: Car insurance after a lapse in coverage (YesWeSure, INTERNAL)
- YesWeSure: Car insurance when moving to another state (YesWeSure, INTERNAL)
- YesWeSure: What is medical payments coverage? (YesWeSure, INTERNAL)
- YesWeSure: How to choose coverage limits (YesWeSure, INTERNAL)
- YesWeSure: How insurers calculate rates (YesWeSure, INTERNAL)
Evidence hierarchy on this page: Tier 1 (Montana Code Annotated, Montana Commissioner of Securities and Insurance, Montana Motor Vehicle Division). Every legal number traces to a Montana primary source: Mont. Code §§ 33-23-201, 61-6-103, 61-6-304. This page is informational and does not constitute legal, tax, or insurance advice. Last reviewed .