Get a REAL ID in Montana

Get a Montana REAL ID: book an in-person visit at an MVD driver license exam station, bring your documents and pay the REAL ID total from MVD's fee table.

Your situation

Do you already have a Montana REAL ID (a star in a circle in the upper right corner)?

Montana cards without REAL ID say "NOT FOR FEDERAL IDENTIFICATION PURPOSES" in that corner. A REAL ID from another state does not transfer.

No, getting my first Montana REAL IDYes, renewing a Montana REAL ID

Are you a U.S. citizen?

YesNo

Is your current legal name different from the name on your birth certificate, passport or immigration document?

No, it's the sameYes

Update my plan

Your plan

1. Gather your documents

   • Proof of full legal name, date of birth and authorized presence
     Birth certificates must be certified copies with an official stamp or seal from the state or county. Photocopies, pictures, hospital-issued certificates and birth registration cards are not accepted.
     Accepted documents (bring 1)

     • Certified U.S. birth certificate
     • Valid, unexpired U.S. passport (verified through the U.S. Passport Verification Service)
     • Consular Report of Birth Abroad
     • Certificate of Naturalization
     • Certificate of Citizenship
   • Two proofs of Montana residency · 2 different documents
     The two may be the same type. Each must show your full legal name and current physical address (no PO Box) and be unexpired or dated within the last year. Documents must be unaltered.
     Accepted documents (bring 2)

     • Montana driver license or ID (expired less than 1 year)
     • Tribal identification
     • Utility bill or phone bill
     • Credit card or bank statement
     • Current mortgage document
     • Rental agreement or rent receipt (not handwritten)
     • Recent pay stub with your Montana residential address
     • W-2 tax document
     • Valid hunting or fishing license or permit
     • Concealed carry permit
     • 911 card, health insurance card or voter registration
     • Certified court documents
     • School transcript or report card
     • First-class mail with a dated postmark

2. Check your documents

   Use MVD's REAL ID checklist. You don't need a Social Security card, but you must know your full Social Security number so it can be verified at your appointment.

   Montana REAL ID checklist (PDF) ↗

3. Book an appointment

   Schedule an in-person visit at a driver license exam station with MVD Online Services. You can also pre-apply for your license or ID there.

   MVD Online Services ↗

4. If you can't provide a document

   Ask MVD for exceptions processing: you complete a form, give a good reason and bring other documents, and MVD decides. MVD Driver Services: 406-444-3933.

   Real ID on mvdmt.gov ↗

5. Go to your appointment

   Bring a completed application and your documents, have a new photo taken and pay the fee. MVD scans your documents and gives the originals back.

   Real ID on mvdmt.gov ↗

Common reasons people get turned away

• A photocopy, picture or hospital-issued birth certificate instead of a certified copy with a state or county stamp or seal.
• Proofs of residency with a PO Box, without your full legal name, or more than a year old.
• A name change without a certified document for each change, or a church-issued marriage certificate.
• Expecting a REAL ID from another state to carry over: it does not transfer, so bring all the required documents.

Offices that issue REAL ID

Montana MVD handles in-person license and ID changes, including REAL ID updates, by appointment at its driver license exam stations. Agency source.

47 offices in Montana

• Baker Driver License Station Baker ✓ Office type issues it
• Big Timber Driver License Station Big Timber ✓ Office type issues it
• Billings Driver License Station Billings ✓ Office type issues it
• Bozeman Driver License Station Bozeman ✓ Office type issues it
• Broadus Driver License Station Broadus ✓ Office type issues it
• Butte Driver License Station Butte ✓ Office type issues it
• Chester Driver License Station Chester ✓ Office type issues it
• Chinook Driver License Station Chinook ✓ Office type issues it
• Choteau Driver License Station Choteau ✓ Office type issues it
• Circle Driver License Station Circle ✓ Office type issues it
• Colstrip Driver License Station Colstrip ✓ Office type issues it
• Columbus Driver License Station Columbus ✓ Office type issues it
• Conrad Driver License Station Conrad ✓ Office type issues it
• Cut Bank Driver License Station Cut Bank ✓ Office type issues it
• Deer Lodge Driver License Station Deer Lodge ✓ Office type issues it
• Dillon Driver License Station Dillon ✓ Office type issues it
• Eureka Driver License Station Eureka ✓ Office type issues it
• Forsyth Driver License Station Forsyth ✓ Office type issues it
• Fort Benton Driver License Station Fort Benton ✓ Office type issues it
• Glasgow Driver License Station Glasgow ✓ Office type issues it
• Glendive Driver License Station Glendive ✓ Office type issues it
• Great Falls Driver License Station Great Falls ✓ Office type issues it
• Hamilton Driver License Station Hamilton ✓ Office type issues it
• Hardin Driver License Station Hardin ✓ Office type issues it
• Harlowton Driver License Station Harlowton ✓ Office type issues it
• Havre Driver License Station Havre ✓ Office type issues it
• Helena Driver License Station Helena ✓ Office type issues it
• Kalispell Driver License Station Kalispell ✓ Office type issues it
• Lewistown Driver License Station Lewistown ✓ Office type issues it
• Libby Driver License Station Libby ✓ Office type issues it
• Malta Driver License Station Malta ✓ Office type issues it
• Miles City Driver License Station Miles City ✓ Office type issues it
• Missoula Driver License Station Missoula ✓ Office type issues it
• Philipsburg Driver License Station Philipsburg ✓ Office type issues it
• Plentywood Driver License Station Plentywood ✓ Office type issues it
• Polson Driver License Station Polson ✓ Office type issues it
• Red Lodge Driver License Station Red Lodge ✓ Office type issues it
• Roundup Driver License Station Roundup ✓ Office type issues it
• Scobey Driver License Station Scobey ✓ Office type issues it
• Shelby Driver License Station Shelby ✓ Office type issues it
• Sidney Driver License Station Sidney ✓ Office type issues it
• Superior Driver License Station Superior ✓ Office type issues it
• Thompson Falls Driver License Station Thompson Falls ✓ Office type issues it
• Townsend Driver License Station Townsend ✓ Office type issues it
• Virginia City Driver License Station Virginia City ✓ Office type issues it
• White Sulphur Springs Driver License Station White Sulphur Springs ✓ Office type issues it
• Wolf Point Driver License Station Wolf Point ✓ Office type issues it

Find a nearby office by city or ZIP

Search

Results show offices that issue REAL ID or may, nearest first, each labelled.

Read more

• Montana driver license and ID card: first license, renewal, replacement and REAL ID
• REAL ID explained: what changed and which ID you need to fly

Did it work on your first visit?

Tell us after you've been. One anonymous answer, no account, nothing else saved.

Yes, first visitNo

If not, what went wrong?
Choose one (optional)I was missing a documentA document was not acceptedI went to an office that does not issue itI needed an appointmentSomething else

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Sources · checked October 30, 2026

• Real ID (Montana Motor Vehicle Division)
• Montana REAL ID Checklist (PDF, Montana MVD)
• Frequently Asked Questions (Montana MVD)
• Renewing Your License / ID (Montana MVD)
• Licensing Fees (Montana MVD)
• MVD Online Services (Montana DOJ)

We wrote this plan ourselves from the official pages above on the date shown. Agencies change rules without notice: the official page always wins. DMVorganization.org is independent and not a government agency; we don't book appointments or take payments.