Why Montana is the Go-To State for UTV and SXS Registration

Why Montana is the Go-To State for UTV and SXS Registration

In the early days of Dirt Legal, the main focus was on our passion: dirt bikes, ATVs, and other assorted offroad vehicles. We even ran a long-standing series on the Mahindra Roxor, one of the coolest SXSs ever made (and we argue it is not really a UTV in the first place).

While our company has evolved a lot over the years, we still proudly support the ability of anyone who wants to drive a UTV legally on the roadways to do just that. The most friendly spot in America for street-legal UTVs is Montana, which also just so happens to be the one place that affords the best opportunity for out-of-state registration. 

Here are our top 6 reasons why Montana is the go-to state for UTV and SXS registration.       

1. Montana’s UTV-Friendly Laws

The first reason why we advocate for Montana is that they were a pioneering state for OHV/ORV vehicle registrations. It’s hard to pin down exactly when they enacted this, but I clearly recall articles in print magazines talking about this when I was a teenager. Spoiler: I haven’t been a teenager for over two decades. 

And it made sense back then for the same reason it makes sense now (perhaps more sense). Montana is the fourth-largest state in area, but resides comfortably in the bottom five for population. Not population density, but total population. With just a little over one million people calling Montana home, but only about seven percent smaller than California with roughly 1/40th the population, there is a lot of wide open space. 

Also, the state is very rugged. From the Eastern Plains to the rugged Rockies, Montana is a great place to explore. It is also a state built on rugged necessity. With so much open space, Montana is crisscrossed with rugged roads and few people. OHVs are sometimes the best option for this rugged terrain, and Montana being a free state, the best option was to just make them street-legal.

We all know those farmers and ranchers were just driving them on county roads anyway like they always have; it made sense to let them tag and register their ORVs so they could just drive them in town (since they were probably doing that, too). 

2. Street-Legal Registration Options

Montana’s residency requirements have long been known as the most ideal state to register not only UTVs for street-legal use, but all kinds of vehicles. See, the major problem we see is that when you equip a SXS with an out of state tag, it gets pulled over. If it is registered in another state besides where you reside, that is all the ‘gotcha’ most municipalities need to enforce a ticket. 

The forcing function is that you have a vehicle registered where you don’t live, and basically, all states require that you transfer registration upon moving there and if said state does not authorize UTVs to be titled and tagged as street-legal, well, you get a ticket. 

With Montana, the owner is the LLC, not you the person. This distinction has proven extremely valuable in the legal fight to gain acceptance for UTVs on America’s roads. 

3. Low-Cost Registration and Tax Benefits

Montana has zero sales tax, which will save you a lot of money. With some UTVs tipping the scales at over $40,000 new, this can mean thousands in savings. If that isn’t something worth celebrating, we don’t know what is. Even a more mid-tier machine MSRPs well into their mid-twenties, so savings from that is incredible.

And, lest we forget that UTVs aren’t street-legal everywhere so you might not even have the choice of registering your UTV in-state if you wanted to. Thankfully for you, Montana is the state that gives you the freedom to do just that. 

Also, it isn’t just that there are thousands of dollars to be saved, it is the ease of registration which we’ll talk about next. 

4. Ease of Registration Process with Dirt Legal

Look, there is nothing worse than getting stuck in the DMV line just to be told no. 

This is what state and local governments have gotten way too used to offering the public. What if we told you that things didn’t have to be that way anymore? Well, they don’t. You can instead order a product or service that you want, tailor it to your needs, press buy, and not have to worry about it. 

We know that time is money, but what does that really mean? Does it mean you need to pay more for your valuable time? 

Nope. You can save money, quit paying sales taxes on your vehicle purchases, and in this case, make a UTV street-legal in a state where they may not be. And we handle it all. 

5. No In-Person DMV Visits Needed

This is the best part of the whole thing. Well, I mean maybe not the very best thing; I think that saving thousands of dollars, in my opinion, is probably the very best thing. But your mileage may vary. 

Listen, you don’t need to go argue with the county clerk about why it is legal in your state to make a UTV street legal, or if you are in a state that has given it the okay, having to explain to someone who doesn’t even know what a UTV is how to change the MCO to a street-legal title. This stuff is what nightmares are made from. You only get so much paid time off. Why do you have to burn it talking to people who don’t care whether your vehicle gets a freshpaperwork or they send you packing. 

We got you, fam. 

Don’t get irritated; get street-legal. That’s it. That’s the tweet. 

There is no discussing whether or not that UTV can be street-legal. Just send us the paperwork, and you’ll get a title and tag. No problems. 

6. Year-Round Registration – No Restrictions

UTVs are a great year-round solution to a lot of problems. They do incredibly well in all conditions, even when they’re handicapped with DOT-approved tires. They have great power and incredible torque. And most importantly: they are fun and badass. Yes, that is the most important thing. 

Aesthetics matter, and nothing is more aesthetically awesome than rolling to Home Depot for a plumber's putty in your RZR because you can. Fun is an underrated reason to get your UTV street-legal. Is it cold driving around Omaha in January with an open-air UTV? Most likely. But do you look like an absolute Chad doing it? Yes. 

Yes, you do. 

When you get your UTV registered in Montana, it is good for the whole year round, and here’s the even better deal: once it hits 11 years of age (or if you buy one that is 11 years old or older) the registration is permanent for life. 

What a great state Montana is. 

Final Thoughts

These are just a few of the reasons why we know that street legal UTVs are great and why Montana remains the best place to make your UTV street legal. 

This is a great time to get your UTV street legal, too. You can beat the warm weather rush now and be the only kid on your block driving your RZR in town this winter.