Do Montana Plates Need To Be Transferred After 30 Days?

You’ve Got Montana Plates on Your New Ride. Do You Have Tag it in Your Home State in 30 Days?

One of the things that is largely misunderstood about the Montana LLC registration process, and one that we constantly get questions about, is transferring after 30 days. This was always a concern with some of the other states we worked with that after 30 days, the registration would be null to do domicile state laws requiring out of state registrations be transferred. 

This poses a serious problem for anyone who was using an out-of-state registration option to get their UTV or other OHV made street legal. See, if you have to register it back in your home state (as would happen with a South Dakota OHV registration), you are kinda screwed since you registered it out of state because your domicile state won’t recognize them or register them. 

So, when you register in Montana, do you need to transfer your plates to your home state after 30 days? Short answer: no. Long answer: still no, but read on to find out why. 

Montana Vehicle Registration Basics

What does it take for a vehicle to be street legal in Montana? Is it the presence of DOT-required items, passing a safety inspection, or strictly bureaucratic registration processes? The answer is all three.

First and foremost, "street-legal" is not a one-size-fits-all term. For instance, a vehicle that is street-legal in Montana doesn't have to meet the same standards as a street-legal vehicle in California. However, a vehicle legally tagged and registered in Montana (and generally any state) can legally travel through any other state.

The concept of being street-legal is embedded in the legal framework of the state where you register your vehicle. For example, in California, you must pass a smog test to be considered street-legal and registered. There is no such requirement in Montana; you can drive from Montana to California without needing that smog test.

In Montana, there are no inspection requirements for registering a vehicle or maintaining its registration. Once a vehicle is registered, it can be registered permanently after it reaches eleven years of age or older.

However, all vehicles must meet standard requirements to be considered street-legal: horn, turn signals, brake lights, seat belts (except motorcycles), headlights, etc.

The specific equipment requirements for all street-legal vehicles in Montana are detailed in the Montana Code and the Montana Title Manual. Due to the detail and complexity of statutory code, it's best for you to read the code based on the type of vehicle you want to register.

Since Montana has no vehicle inspection requirements and the vehicle does not need to be present at the time of registration, it is entirely up to you, the owner/operator, to ensure your vehicle is adequately equipped.

Chapter 9 covers all the pertinent info. 

Supplementary resources:

• Montana MVD (DMV) FAQs

• Montana MVD Vehicle Titles and Registrations

• Montana MVD Title Manual

• Montana Motor Vehicle Code

The 30-Day Rule: What It Means

Okay, so yes, Montana does have its own 30-day rule regarding people moving into the state. But that isn’t exactly what we are looking at. We are talking about every other state. Now, the term ‘30-day rule’ is generic; all of the states have different rules about this. 

But generally speaking, the rule is somewhere in the ballpark of a month or less to register it in the home state. 

For California, the number is only 20 days, while in New York it is 30 days.

If you registered out-of-state anywhere besides Montana, you would be basically obligated to abide by these rules. However, the secret sauce is the LLC. See, when you register your car through our Montana registration program, the owner is the LLC, and the LLC resides in Montana. It really is that simple. 

One important caveat: the areas where we have seen the most trouble with this are vehicles that are outlawed in state, and the cops know it. For instance, surplus military vehicles are forbidden in Colorado and California, so if you go rolling through town with Montana plates, prepare to be pulled over at the least, and impounded at the worst. We have also seen a couple of videos surface of guys trying to run UTVs with Montana plates in Colorado and the local authorities weren’t having it. 

If you decided to get a Montana registration for you 2021 Toyota Sienna, the odds are pretty good that nobody would ever bat an eye.  

So I Don’t Have to Transfer Montana Plates?

No, you sure don’t! 

Because you were smart and created residency in Montana through an LLC, you don’t have to do anything. We like to keep things simple, here. You bought a Montana registration through us because you had a problem that you wanted taken care of. 

What kind of problems do these take care of? Well, for one you don’t have to worry about state sales tax. Montana has no state sales tax, so once you register there, you don’t have to worry about it again. 

Also, and we have talked about this at length, but this is the best way to get vehicles titled that are otherwise hard to get on the road. Most states do not take nearly as hard of a line on military vehicles as Colorado and California, but they can still be hard to get done in a lot of states since they are sold from the auction houses without titles. 

There are million examples why our program is a great option, but here is the key takeaway: when you get an LLC through us, you have fully legal lawful residency in Montana. Residency is not the same as domicile, but it does mean that you can register your vehicles in Montana.

And one final piece of universal advice: the flashier or more unique a vehicle you register, the more scrutiny it will get. If it catches the eye of the police, odds are pretty good that they will pull you over to run the tags. Just be prepared for this. 

Parting Thoughts

We still offer registration packages from more than just Montana, but generally we discourage those unless there is a legitimate or extenuating reason to use them. 

The Montana LLC and registration package is the best way to protect yourself when you want to register your vehicle out of state and want the legal footing to win in court should it go that way. Because, without the legal backing of the LLC, you are just another guy trying to skirt the rules and you probably won’t win that argument. 
Check out our full line of Montana LLC products while you’re here; cars and trucks aren’t the only way to benefit from the process.

Do Street Legal OHVs Need Unlimited Road Use Insurance?

Should You Get Unlimited Road Use Insurance for Your Street-Legal OHV?

One of our favorite topics here at Dirt Legal is talking about making OHVs street legal. We love it! One of the biggest markets seeking street-legality is UTVs, which we have written extensively about. In fact, we wrote the definitive guide!

But we aren’t just interested in UTVs; we think that just about anything with wheels and an engine looks better with a tag than without. We have helped make all kinds of vehicles street-legal, and we are here for many more. But getting a tag on there is only half of the battle. You aren't going anywhere if you don’t get your wheels insured. 

This poses somewhat of a problem: what kind of insurance do you use when the vehicles aren’t intended to be road-use vehicles, but you have made them street-legal? Because the major insurance providers may not be equipped to write coverage for a UTV or quad, regardless of what the registration says. 

Let’s dive in. 

What Is Road Use Insurance?

What we call road insurance isn’t universally called that. Sometimes, it is just called ATV or UTV insurance. But here’s the deal: it is not intended for road use. ATVs and UTVs are supposed to be ridden off-road, which is why they are sent from the factory without a street-legal title. 

No, we are not advocating against our own brand or anything here; we are just stating the truth. Manufacturers design them as OHVs, and you are responsible for making them street-legal on yourself. Of course, this puts you in an odd position because OHVs aren’t intended to be on public roads, so the insurance is not intended for on-road use. 

Road use, or ATV/UTV/OHV insurance is very common, but if you are involved in an incident, the insurance provider may (ok, they probably will) refuse to pay out the claim because you weren’t supposed to be driving it on the road anyway (with that particular type of insurance). 

How About Unlimited Road Use Insurance?

There are exceptions to everything. 

In this case, unlimited road use insurance is available for OHVs. The insurance companies are not dumb; they are very aware that a growing number of states have approved OHVs for street-legal road use (Oklahoma is one of the most recent). In fact, we covered this thoroughly in our Nationwide Street Legal UTV Guide.

With nine states now boasting robust street-legal UTV legislation, there is plenty of validation for street-legal OHV insurance options. Of course, some issues here are quite a bit different than standard passenger vehicles. Mainly, UTV and OHV owners/riders are not always going to stick to the roads. In fact, part of the convenience of having a street-legal UTV is that you don’t need to trailer it to the trails anymore. 

So, the insurance policies need to take this into account which is where unlimited road use insurance policies enter the equation. Here are a few of the features of unlimited road use insurance that you should be aware:

1. Comprehensive coverage:

1. This will include both on- and off-road usage since the OHV is being used in both environments. Again, this is super important when you plan to take your UTV on the pavement and off. Valid insurance is only as good as what it will cover when stuff happens. 

2. Broad liability coverage

1. Broad liability protects against bodily injury and property damage liability claims. This coverage mainly concerns the vehicle's on-road use, so don’t skimp here. 

3. Collision and comprehensive coverage

1. This is a common and familiar coverage to all drivers and is there to pay for damages to your vehicle that result from a collision with another vehicle. The comprehensive component covers unfortunate events like theft, animal collisions, damage from falling tree limbs, and assorted environmental damage (flooding). 

How Does UTV Insurance Work?

Again, this question has a lot more to do with how you intend to use the vehicle. Are you only using this around the farm? Are you taking it to the state or federal trail systems on a trailer (i.e, no intention to use this as a street-legal vehicle)? Or are you planning on putting a street-legal tag on your OHV and basically using it like a dual-sport with four tires? 

Because UTV insurance doesn’t work any differently than any other kind of insurance. It provides coverage for damage from environmental conditions, from animals, and, of course, collisions with other vehicles. 

So, since it doesn’t work any differently than any other insurance, what you need to do is make sure that you have appropriate insurance for what you actually do with the vehicle. Yes, this is important. Because if you are doing stuff that you told your insurance provider you weren’t doing with a UTV (like driving on roads, for example) and something happens, they probably won’t cover it. And why should they? If you were being dishonest about use, they have zero obligation to help you out. 

What's The Difference Between Incidental and Unlimited Road Use Insurance?

The difference between incidental and unlimited road use insurance is all in the name. 

Incidental insurance can refer to different types of insurance that cover situations not typically covered by other policies. What does this mean? It means that incidental coverage is there just to cover those oddities, which is not what you are looking for if you want to drive on roads. 

If you plan to drive your OHV on roads (after making it street-legal with a legal title and registration, of course), then you need unlimited road use insurance for it. There really aren’t any ifs ands, or buts about this; getting reh registration squared away is only part of the equation. 

A lot of this information we provide is to make life easier on you and for you, not necessarily to convince you to do the right thing. It only takes one incident with the wrong insurance to realize you should have anted up on your monthly premium and paid for an unlimited road use plan that covered everything you intended to do with it. 

Will It Matter If My Domicile State is Different Than Where My OHV is Registered?

Again, we suggest you proceed with complete transparency. Tell them exactly what you plan to do with your OHV, including if you are running a South Dakota or Montana registration on your rig. They need to know this because if you are driving it in, say, Ohio, but you have a South Dakota plate on it and something happens, your insurance provider might just ask some questions about what it was doing there. 

If you have any problems, call our friends at Select Insurance Group and see what they suggest. This is definitely a situation where you need to consult with an insurance specialist and get their honest feedback on what you should do, because, at the end of the day, it’s you having to fill out paperwork with the cops and insurance providers if something happens. 

Do I Need Insurance At All?

Okay, so this question is purely the result of search algorithms, but we’re going to cover it because people ask it. 

Do you need insurance?

If you drive on any public road at all, ever, anywhere, then the answer is an emphatic yes. Even if the state or whatever governing body in charge of said road didn’t require it (they always do and always will), why would you want to risk it? For one thing, even if the states didn’t require it, every bank and credit union in the universe requires proof of insurance to lend you money, which makes a lot of sense. They carry a considerable liability, lending money to people to buy things that kill people. 

If you bought your OHV outright, you aren’t beholden to the bank’s rules, but if you drop $25k on a UTV, do you really want to drive it around without protection? I wouldn’t. 

Again, as a rule of thumb, insurance is required on all public roads. No, we can’t say for certain it is on every single municipal road across the U.S., but we have never heard of anywhere that it wasn’t required. Check out our preferred insurance providers page and see which fits your needs; the odds are good that we partner with someone who has insurance for your demands.   

Parting Thoughts

We are the biggest proponents in the world of you driving basically whatever you want on public roads, and we offer a huge line of products to get you there. But part of the equation for street-legal driving of OHVs is to make sure they are properly insured. So, does your OHV need unlimited road use insurance? Probably. For the small difference in cost, why not just go with it anyway? If you have street-legal registration and tags on it, you have already put a lot of effort and some money into getting it on the road. 

Don’t cheap out here; this is the one area of driving that will cost you dearly if you skimp or are outrightly dishonest about use. Buy the insurance you actually need. Call the professionals who deal with this every day for a living and pay them for their expertise. You are one accident away from really appreciating what you did.