Suspended license in Montana: points, other causes, and how to reinstate
In Montana, the first points threshold is 30 points within 3 years: Declared a Habitual Traffic Offender; driver's license revoked for 3 years. No course removes points. The fee to reinstate after a suspension that is not alcohol-related is $100.
A DUI is only one of the ways a license gets suspended. Points from ordinary tickets, an unpaid ticket, a lapse in insurance, unpaid child support or a missed court date each carry their own suspension and their own path back. The rules below are the ones the Montana Department of Justice, Motor Vehicle Division states, each quoted from its page or from the statute.
How the points system works
Most states assign points to moving violations and suspend the license when the total inside a set window crosses a threshold. The threshold, the window and how long each violation keeps counting are all set by the state.
Montana assigns conviction points to traffic convictions under the point schedule in MCA 61-11-203 and uses them to identify habitual traffic offenders: a driver who accumulates 30 or more conviction points within a 3-year period is declared a Habitual Traffic Offender (HTO) and the driver's license is revoked for 3 years.
| Points | Within | Consequence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 points | 3 years | Declared a Habitual Traffic Offender; driver's license revoked for 3 years | mca.legmt.gov |
Points period stated by the agency: 3 years. Conviction points count toward the habitual traffic offender threshold for a 3-year period. The Motor Vehicle Division states that conviction points remain on a driving record for three years from the conviction date, while the convictions themselves become a permanent part of the record; when a driver is declared an HTO the department removes the points on which the designation was based.
“After it declares a person to be a habitual offender, the department shall revoke the person's driver's license or driving privilege for a period of 3 years from the date of the declaration, subject to the provisions of 61-2-302.”
“Conviction points remain on a driving record for three years from the conviction date. While the points are removed after three years, the convictions become a permanent part of a driving record”
| Violation | Points |
|---|---|
| driving while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or narcotics or drugs of any kind | 10 |
| failure of the driver of a motor vehicle involved in an accident resulting in death or injury to any person to stop at the scene of the accident and give the re | 8 |
| operating a motor vehicle while the license to do so has been suspended or revoked | 6 |
| reckless driving | 5 |
| speeding, except as provided in 61-8-725(2)(a) | 3 |
| all other moving violations | 2 |
Check points or the driving record: mvdmt.gov
The statute: Mont. Code Ann. § 61-11-203
“"Habitual traffic offender" means any person who within a 3-year period accumulates 30 or more conviction points according to the schedule specified in subsection (2).”
Traffic school and point reduction
| Course | Driver Rehabilitation and Improvement Program (MCA 61-2-302) |
|---|---|
| Effect | No point-reduction course |
The Motor Vehicle Division states that completing a defensive driving class does not remove points from a driving record, and MCA 61-11-203 contains no point-reduction provision. Under MCA 61-2-302 the department may run a driver rehabilitation and improvement program for drivers whose license is suspended or revoked; participation can stay the suspension or revocation and lead to a restricted probationary license, but it does not reduce conviction points.
“Completing a defensive driving class does not remove points from a driving record”
Other reasons a license is suspended, and what ends each one
These are the causes the licensing agency itself lists on its suspension pages, with what it requires to lift each one. Court-imposed suspensions and DUI suspensions are covered on the state's DUI pages.
| Cause | What the agency states | To reinstate | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Habitual traffic offender accumulating 30 or more conviction points within a three-year period | Revocation for 3 years from the date of the HTO declaration; the department notifies the driver in writing and the driver may appeal. A revoked license may not be renewed or restored; after the period expires the driver applies for a new license. | Apply for a new license after the revocation period: complete the applications, pay all fees including the reinstatement fee, and take all applicable knowledge and skills tests. | $100 |
| Non-payment of fines or non-appearance on a notice to appear | Indefinite suspension under MCA 61-5-214 on a court report that the driver failed to appear on a misdemeanor traffic or criminal charge or failed to comply with a sentence; it continues until the court notifies the department that the person appeared or complied. | Court notice to the department that the person appeared in court or complied with the sentence and paid a $25 court administrative fee if the license was held in lieu of bail; the $100 reinstatement fee is waived when the court finds the person indigent. | $100 |
| Failure to pay child support | Indefinite suspension for a child support delinquency under Title 40, chapter 5, part 7 until the support obligations are met; the support enforcement entity may stay the suspension for hardship or under a payment plan. | Notice from the support enforcement entity staying or reinstating the suspension, which the licensing authority enters on its records and acts on without further action. | $100 |
| Unsatisfied judgment | Suspension for an unpaid motor-vehicle judgment lasts until the judgment is stayed or satisfied and proof of insurance compliance is given, or until 6 years have passed from the date the judgment was first entered; the MVD lists it as a 6-year suspension. | Each judgment stayed, satisfied in full or satisfied as provided in the statute, plus proof of compliance with the liability insurance requirement of MCA 61-6-301, and payment of the reinstatement fee. | $100 |
| Driver medically unable to safely operate a motor vehicle | Indefinite suspension under MCA 61-5-207 after a medical evaluation or testing shows the driver cannot exercise ordinary and reasonable control of a vehicle; refusal to obtain the evaluation or testing is also grounds for suspension. | Evidence satisfactory to the department that the licensee has regained the ability to safely operate a motor vehicle; no reinstatement fee is charged for a suspension under MCA 61-5-207. | — |
| Drivers convicted of three reckless driving offenses committed within a period of 12 months | Mandatory suspension for 1 year under MCA 61-5-205(2)(b); a suspension under 61-5-205 also carries the $200 reinstatement fee of MCA 61-2-107. | Complete the 1-year suspension and pay the $200 fee required for suspensions under MCA 61-5-205. | $200 |
| Any unlawful use of a driver license / fraudulent application | The department may suspend or revoke without preliminary hearing for unlawful or fraudulent use of the license, falsifying the date of birth on an application, or altering or lending a license or ID card to obtain alcohol; the MVD lists periods from 30 days to one year or indefinite. | Complete the suspension or revocation period and pay the reinstatement fee. | $100 |
| Minor in Possession of Alcohol (MIP) - failure to complete substance abuse course | A first failure to complete the community-based substance abuse course brings a 3-month suspension, a second 9 months, and a third or subsequent 12 months; the court also confiscates the license for 30 days (first MIP) or 6 months. | Complete the suspension period and pay the reinstatement fee. | $100 |
Source quotes for each cause
Habitual traffic offender accumulating 30 or more conviction points within a three-year period
“When the period of revocation expires and the individual meets all of the requirements to be licensed, that person must then apply for a new license, completing applications, paying all fees and taking all applicable knowledge and skills tests.”
Non-payment of fines or non-appearance on a notice to appear
“The suspension continues in effect until the court notifies the department that: (a) the person has either appeared in court or complied with the sentence imposed pursuant to 46-18-201”
Failure to pay child support
“Indefinite suspension until child support obligations are met”
Unsatisfied judgment
“A license or nonresident's operating privilege remains suspended and may not be renewed, nor may a license be issued in the name of a judgment debtor, including a judgment debtor not previously licensed, until each judgment is stayed, satisfied in full”
Driver medically unable to safely operate a motor vehicle
“A suspension under this section continues in effect until evidence satisfactory to the department establishes that the licensee has regained the ability to exercise ordinary and reasonable control in the safe operation of a motor vehicle on a highway.”
Drivers convicted of three reckless driving offenses committed within a period of 12 months
“(b) three reckless driving offenses committed within a period of 12 months”
Any unlawful use of a driver license / fraudulent application
“(a) has committed or permitted an unlawful or fraudulent use of the license as specified in 61-5-302; (b) has falsified the licensee's date of birth on the application for a driver's license”
Minor in Possession of Alcohol (MIP) - failure to complete substance abuse course
“First failure to complete substance abuse course – 3-month suspension Second failure – 9-month suspension Third or subsequent failure – 12-month suspension”
Reinstating after a non-DUI suspension
Reinstatement fee: $100. MCA 61-5-218 sets a $100 reinstatement fee for a suspended or revoked non-commercial license. A $200 fee applies instead to suspensions or revocations under MCA 61-5-205 or 61-8-1016 (MCA 61-2-107); no fee is charged for a medical suspension under 61-5-207; and the $100 fee is waived when a court finds a driver who satisfied a failure-to-appear suspension to be indigent.
“a person whose driver's license, other than a commercial driver's license, or driving privilege has been suspended or revoked shall pay a reinstatement fee of $100 to the department to have the driver's license or driving privilege reinstated.”
Check the license status and reinstatement requirements online
The MVD's online services show the status of the driver license, take fee payments and accept uploaded reinstatement documents.
“Not only can you check the status - you can pay fees and upload reinstatement documents. All online.”
Satisfy the condition that caused the suspension
For a court-reported suspension the court must notify the department that the person appeared or complied; for child support the support enforcement entity sends notice; for a judgment the judgment must be satisfied and proof of insurance given.
“The suspension continues in effect until the court notifies the department that: (a) the person has either appeared in court or complied with the sentence imposed pursuant to 46-18-201”
Pay the reinstatement fee online or by mail
Montana license holders can pay online; otherwise a check or money order payable to the Motor Vehicle Division is mailed to the Records and Driver Control Bureau with the driver license number, full name and date of birth.
“If you are unable to pay online, you can send the payment (check or money order) to: Motor Vehicle Division Records and Driver Control Bureau P.O. Box 201430 Helena MT 59620-1430”
After a revocation, apply for a new license and test
A revoked license is terminated and cannot be renewed or restored; a new application, fees and knowledge and skills tests are required after the period expires.
“When a license is revoked, it is terminated for a specific reason and may not be renewed or restored.”
Official page: mvdmt.gov
After a DUI the steps are different: how to get a license back after a DUI in Montana.
Driving during a non-DUI suspension
Available in some cases · Restricted probationary driver's license (Driver Rehabilitation and Improvement Program). Under MCA 61-2-302 a driver whose license is suspended for a traffic-law violation, or revoked after completing 3 months of a 1-year revocation or 1 year of a 3-year revocation, may take part in the driver rehabilitation and improvement program; the department may issue a restricted probationary license to a participant and stay the suspension or revocation while the person complies. The MVD's probationary license information limits driving to essential travel such as work, school, household maintenance and required treatment, prohibits recreational and commercial driving, and re-imposes the full suspension or revocation after any traffic conviction or a returned $200 reinstatement check. Referral comes from a driver improvement analyst or a judge, and the statute creates no right to be included.
“(9) (a) Except as provided in subsection (9)(b), the department may issue a restricted probationary license to any person who enrolls and participates in the driver rehabilitation and improvement program.”
For the privilege after a DUI, see driving after a DUI in Montana.
Questions about a suspended license in Montana
- Does Montana have a points system?
- Yes. MCA 61-11-203 assigns conviction points to traffic convictions, for example 10 for DUI, 5 for reckless driving, 3 for speeding and 2 for other moving violations, and defines a habitual traffic offender as a person who accumulates 30 or more conviction points within a 3-year period. The Motor Vehicle Division's driver-record guide describes the same HTO threshold.
- What happens at 30 points in Montana?
- Under MCA 61-11-204 and 61-11-211 the department declares the person a habitual traffic offender, notifies them in writing, and revokes the driver's license for 3 years from the date of the declaration; the points on which the designation was based are then removed from the record.
- Can a defensive driving course remove points in Montana?
- No. The Motor Vehicle Division's Driving Records page states that completing a defensive driving class does not remove points from a driving record. Conviction points stay on the record for three years from the conviction date, and the convictions themselves are permanent.
- What is the reinstatement fee for a non-DUI suspension in Montana?
- MCA 61-5-218 sets a $100 reinstatement fee for a suspended or revoked non-commercial license. Suspensions under MCA 61-5-205 (for example three reckless driving convictions in 12 months) and DUI-related actions carry a $200 fee under MCA 61-2-107, and medical suspensions under 61-5-207 are reinstated without a fee.
- Is a probationary license available during a Montana suspension?
- MCA 61-2-302 lets the department issue a restricted probationary license to a driver who enrolls in the driver rehabilitation and improvement program, if the license was suspended for a traffic-law violation or the driver has served 3 months of a 1-year revocation or 1 year of a 3-year revocation. The MVD limits the license to essential driving, with no recreational or commercial driving.
Sources
- Montana MVD - Suspensions, Revocations, and Reinstatements (suspension and revocation tables, other violations, MIP, paying a reinstatement fee)
- Internet Archive capture (2026-07-09) of the MVD Suspensions, Revocations, and Reinstatements page, used because the live site returns HTTP 403 to automated req
- Montana MVD - Driving Records (three-year conviction points; defensive driving class does not remove points)
- Internet Archive capture (2026-07-09) of the MVD Driving Records page
- Montana MVD - Guide to Understanding the Montana Driver Record (conviction points, HTO definition)
- Internet Archive capture (2025-09-24) of MVD form 30-1607, Probationary Driver License Information
- MCA 61-11-203 - Definitions, habitual traffic offenders, point schedule
- MCA 61-11-211 - Department to revoke license of habitual offender; removal of points upon revocation
- MCA 61-5-214 - Mandatory suspension for failure to appear or comply with criminal sentence
- MCA 61-5-207 - Reexamination or medical evaluation
- MCA 61-5-205 - Mandatory revocation or suspension upon certain convictions
- MCA 61-5-206 - Authority of department to suspend or revoke license; right to hearing
- MCA 61-5-218 - License reinstatement fee following license suspension or revocation ($100)
- MCA 61-2-107 - License reinstatement fee ($200) for suspensions under 61-5-205 or 61-8-1016
- MCA 61-2-302 - Driver rehabilitation and improvement program; restricted probationary license
- MCA 61-6-123 - Suspension to continue until judgments paid and proof given; maximum period
- MCA 40-5-710 - Stay of suspension of license for nonsupport; payment plan; hardship
Cite this page
Every state page quotes the statute or agency page each value comes from; when citing this page, include the verification date shown above.
WheelsBack. "Montana license suspension, points and reinstatement rules." Verified against primary sources August 29, 2026; sources re-checked September 4, 2026. https://wheelsback.com/montana/suspended-license/