Montana driver license and ID card: first license, renewal, replacement and REAL ID

How Montana's three-step teen licensing works, what adults and new residents must do, who can renew online or by mail, how to replace a lost card, and what a REAL ID or state ID card requires, from the Montana MVD.

Guide · Montana · REAL ID · Driver licenses · Renewals · ID cards · updated October 29, 2026

Montana driver licenses, learner permits and ID cards are issued by the Motor Vehicle Division (MVD) of the Montana Department of Justice, at its driver exam stations. This guide covers the teen path to a first license, getting a license as an adult, moving to Montana with another state's license, renewing, replacing a lost card, REAL ID and ID cards. For booking and the document categories, see the Montana MVD visit guide.

Your first license as an adult

If you are 18 or older, the MVD says you pass written, vision and road tests and provide the required documents. You bring proof of identity, residency and authorized presence to your written test appointment. You must pass the written test before you can take the driving test. The Montana Driver Manual is online to help you study, and you can pre-apply online to save time.

For the driving test, bring:

• Your current learner permit
• Proof of current registration for the test vehicle
• Proof of insurance, on paper or on a phone
• A vehicle without mechanical problems

The fee depends on your age; the MVD's fee table lists every case.

Teens: Montana's three-step program

Montana's graduated driver licensing law has three steps for drivers under 18.

Step 1: learner permit

There are two kinds of learner permit:

• Driver Ed Learning Permit: issued by the instructor to students who are 14½ and enrolled in a state-approved traffic education program.
• Learner Permit: for teens aged 15 or older who have not taken a driver training class, issued at a driver exam station.

To get one, you book an appointment for the written exam. At the appointment you provide parental consent and your documents, and you pay the fee. While driving, you must be supervised by a licensed parent, guardian or responsible adult, and everyone in the vehicle wears a seatbelt.

To move to Step 2, you must:

• Hold the permit for at least 6 months and 1 day
• Complete 50 hours of supervised driving, including 10 at night, logged by your parent or guardian
• Have no traffic violations or alcohol or drug offenses in the previous six months

Step 2: first-year restricted license

Book a drive test and bring your documents again, even if you provided them before. Also bring your driving log, the test vehicle's registration and insurance, your permit, and the signed parent certification (Form 21-1600). The restriction lasts one year. During that year:

• You may not drive between 11:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. There are exceptions, such as emergencies, farm work, travel to and from school, church or work, and purposes your parent has authorized.
• For the first six months you may carry only one unrelated passenger under 18, unless a licensed driver aged 18 or older is with you. For the second six months the limit is three.

The MVD lists the penalties for breaking these rules as 20 to 60 hours of community service for a first offense and a six-month suspension for a second.

Step 3: full privileges

The restrictions end on the date on the back of your license, or when you turn 18, whichever comes first.

Moving to Montana with another state's license

The MVD says you must start the application within 60 days of moving to Montana if you have a valid out-of-state license. The limit for a commercial license is 30 days. You apply in person by appointment. To avoid testing, bring a hard copy of your valid out-of-state license. You will also need:

• Your Social Security number (the number only; no card needed)
• One document showing your Montana physical address
• One proof of authorized presence

A REAL ID needs more, as described below. Montana also has reciprocity agreements with Taiwan and the Republic of Korea, which let licenses transfer without knowledge or skills tests.

Renewing your license

If you are over 21, you can renew up to 6 months before your license expires, and up to 1 year after it expires. The MVD stresses that your driving privilege ends at midnight on the expiration date and does not return until the renewal is processed.

You can renew online or by mail if all of these are true:

• You are a U.S. citizen.
• You are within the renewal window.
• Your last renewal was not online or by mail. Montana does not allow two remote renewals in a row.
• Your license is not suspended or revoked in any state.

Online and mail renewals reuse your photo and signature on file. A mail renewal brings a 90-day temporary paper license within 3 to 10 days, and the permanent card within 2 to 6 weeks. Cards cannot be sent outside the U.S.

Otherwise, renew in person. Bring your expiring license (or other proof of identity) and any name change documents. If you already have a REAL ID, you do not need to bring documents again unless your name has changed. You receive a temporary license valid for 90 days, and the card follows by mail in about 2 to 4 weeks.

Replacing a lost license

You can replace a license or ID online, by appointment at any driver exam station, or by mail using Form 21-2000. The MVD's licensing fees page has the replacement fee for your license type; a replacement ID card is $10.30. The MVD recommends reporting a stolen card to local law enforcement. If your license expires within six months, you may be able to renew instead. A replacement can be a REAL ID only if your existing card already is.

REAL ID

The MVD says Montana does not require you to have a REAL ID. Since May 7, 2025, though, you need a REAL ID or another accepted ID, such as a passport, to fly domestically and enter federal facilities. You must apply in person by appointment, and a REAL ID from another state does not transfer. Bring:

• One document proving your full legal name, date of birth and authorized presence, such as a government-certified U.S. birth certificate or a valid U.S. passport. You can also use a combination of documents.
• Every name change, documented by certified records
• Two proofs of Montana residency

You also need to know your Social Security number. The MVD says adding REAL ID costs an additional $25 on top of the license fee. A REAL ID has a star in a circle in the upper right corner, and standard cards say "NOT FOR FEDERAL IDENTIFICATION PURPOSES". Montana lets you hold only one credential at a time.

To check a card you already have, see How can I tell if my driver's license is REAL ID compliant? and REAL ID explained.

ID cards

Any Montana resident qualifies for an ID card. You apply in person at a driver exam station, by appointment, with proof of identity, authorized presence and residency. The MVD lists the fee as $17.00 for a card valid for 8 years; a replacement costs $10.30. You cannot hold both a driver license and an ID card. After a move, you must update your address with the MVD within 10 days.

For vehicle paperwork, see the Montana vehicle registration and title guide, and for nearby offices the Montana office list.