Montana Auto Insurance Laws
Auto Insurance Laws and Trends in MT
Under Montana's tort insurance system, medical expenses and property damages are the responsibility of the party who is deemed to be at fault for causing an accident. Montana requires drivers to carry auto insurance liability minimums of:
- Bodily injury: $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident
- Property damage: $10,000 per accident
- Under/uninsured motorist coverage: $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident
Auto insurance penalties in Montana
If a motorist allows his or her auto insurance to lapse, the penalties include a fine from $250 to $500, suspension of driving privileges, as well as a possible jail term of 10 days. In order to have your driver's license, registration, and insurance re-instated, there are re-instatement fees that would need to be paid. An SR-22 would also be required. This is a high -risk insurance policy that is more expensive than a regular policy, and it must remain in effect for a continuous period of 3 years.
Auto insurance premiums in Montana
In Montana, one of the leading causes of high insurance premiums is motor vehicle crashes. A majority of these crashes are due to harsh weather conditions and driving under the influence of illegal drugs or alcohol. In fact, on average, alcohol and drugs cause 10% of all crashes and 45% to 50% of all fatal crashes. Out of all of the states, Montana has the highest fatality rate due to alcohol/drugs in 3 of the last 4 years.
Year |
Crashes |
Fatal Crashes |
Alcohol/Dug Impaired Crashes |
Alcohol/Drug Impaired Fatalities |
2004 |
21,783 |
209 |
2,113 |
98 |
2005 |
22,376 |
224 |
2,182 |
95 |
2006 |
22,186 |
226 |
2,243 |
99 |
2008 |
21,975 |
208 |
2,313 |
84 |
Montana has implemented strict penalties for DUIs. For the first offense, an individual will receive a fine of $1,000 and up to 6 months in jail. There is no set rule when it comes to the length of time that a motorist will lost driving privileges for. It is up to the presiding judge to decide this.