§ 61-3-303 — Original Registration -- Process -- Fees

61-3-303 . Original registration -- process -- fees. (1) Except as provided in 61-3-324 , a Montana resident who is an owner of a motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, or pole trailer operated or driven upon the public highways of this state shall register the motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, or pole trailer in the county where the registering owner is domiciled. A nonresident who has an interest in real property in Montana may register in the county where the real property is located a motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, or pole trailer operated or driven upon the public highways of this state. A person serving or retired from serving aboard the USS Montana may register by mail in Lewis and Clark County or electronically using forms prescribed by the department.
(2) A Montana resident who is an owner of a motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, or pole trailer with co-owners, one or more of whom are not Montana residents, may register the vehicle regardless of the fact that one or more of the co-owners would otherwise not qualify to register the vehicle under subsection (1) if the registering Montana resident is:
(a) an individual human being; and
(b) the principal operator of, and in whom is vested the right of possession and control of, the vehicle.
(3) Except as provided in subsection (4), the county treasurer or an authorized agent shall register any vehicle for which:
(a) as of the date that the motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, or pole trailer is to be registered, an owner delivers an application for a certificate of title to the department, an authorized agent, or a county treasurer; or
(b) the county treasurer or an authorized agent confirms that the department has an electronic record of title for the motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, or pole trailer as provided under 61-3-101 .
(4) (a) A county treasurer or an authorized agent may register a motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, or pole trailer for which a certificate of title and registration were issued in another jurisdiction and for which registration is required under 61-3-701 after the county treasurer or the authorized agent examines the current out-of-jurisdiction registration certificate or receipt and receives payment of the fees required in 61-3-701 . The county treasurer or an authorized agent may ask the motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, or pole trailer owner to provide additional information, prescribed by the department, to ensure that the electronic record of registration maintained by the department is complete.
(b) A county treasurer or an authorized agent shall collect fees pursuant to 61-3-203 and 61-3-220 (3) and issue a 90-day temporary registration permit pursuant to 61-3-224 for a motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, pole trailer, motorboat, sailboat that is 12 feet in length or longer, snowmobile, or off-highway vehicle for which the new owner cannot, due to circumstances beyond the new owner's control, surrender a previously assigned certificate of title. The new owner shall request the 90-day temporary registration permit from the authorized agent or county treasurer that originally issued the temporary registration permit.
(c) A person serving or retired from serving aboard the USS Montana shall include in an application for a certificate of title, in a manner prescribed by the department, proof that the person has current orders to serve or has previously served aboard the USS Montana.
(5) Upon registering a motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, or pole trailer for the first time in this state, the county treasurer or an authorized agent shall:
(a) update the electronic record of title, if any, maintained for the vehicle by the department under 61-3-101 ;
(b) assign a registration period for the vehicle under 61-3-311 ;
(c) determine the vehicle's age, if required, under 61-3-501 ;
(d) determine the amount of fees, including local option taxes or fees, to be paid under subsection (6); and
(e) assign and issue license plates for the vehicle under 61-3-331 .
(6) Unless otherwise provided by law, a person registering a motor vehicle shall pay to the county treasurer or an authorized agent:
(a) the fees in lieu of tax or registration fees as required for:
(i) a light vehicle under 61-3-321 or 61-3-562 , in addition to, if applicable, any local option tax or fee under 61-3-537 or 61-3-570 ;
(ii) a motor home under 61-3-321 ;
(iii) a travel trailer under 61-3-321 ;
(iv) a motorcycle or quadricycle under 61-3-321 ;
(v) a bus, a truck having a manufacturer's rated capacity of more than 1 ton, or a truck tractor under 61-3-321 and 61-3-529 ; or
(vi) a trailer under 61-3-321 ;
(b) a donation of $1 or more if the person indicates that the person wishes to donate to promote awareness and education efforts for procurement of organ and tissue donations in Montana to favorably impact anatomical gifts;
(c) a donation of $1 or more if the person indicates that the person wishes to donate to a program supporting cancer screening; and
(d) unless the person opts out of the donation, an automatic donation of $1 to fund activities that educate and support recovery of individuals and families, including military service personnel, living with traumatic brain injuries, promote brain injury prevention, and support the traumatic brain injury advisory council. The county treasurer or an authorized agent shall post a notice that is at least 8 1/2 x 11 inches in size in one or more locations where a person registering a motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, or pole trailer can read it. The notice must explain the donation details provided in this subsection (6)(d) in substantially similar language, including the automatic nature of the donation and the option to opt out of it.
(7) The county treasurer or an authorized agent may not issue a registration receipt or license plates for the motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, or pole trailer to the owner unless the owner makes the payments required by subsection (6).
(8) The department may make full and complete investigation of the registration status of the motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, or pole trailer. A person seeking to register a motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, or pole trailer under this section shall provide additional information to support the registration to the department if requested.
(9) Revenue that accrues from the donations provided for in subsection (6) must be forwarded by the respective county treasurer or an authorized agent to the department for deposit as follows:
(a) in the state special revenue fund to the credit of an account established by the department of labor and industry to support activities related to awareness and education efforts for procurement of organ and tissue donations for anatomical gifts if the revenue is from the donation provided for in subsection (6)(b);
(b) to the credit of the special revenue account established in 53-6-2210 if the revenue is from the donation provided for in subsection (6)(c); and
(c) to the credit of the account established in 2-15-2218 if the revenue is from the donation provided for in subsection (6)(d).
(10) (a) Except as provided in subsection (10)(b), the fees in lieu of tax, taxes, and fees imposed on or collected from the registration of a travel trailer, motorcycle, or quadricycle or a trailer, semitrailer, or pole trailer that has a declared weight of less than 26,000 pounds are required to be paid only once during the time that the travel trailer, motorcycle, quadricycle, trailer, semitrailer, or pole trailer is owned by the same person who registered the travel trailer, motorcycle, quadricycle, trailer, semitrailer, or pole trailer. When registered, a travel trailer, motorcycle, quadricycle, trailer, semitrailer, or pole trailer is registered permanently unless ownership is transferred or unless it was registered under 61-3-701 .
(b) Whenever ownership of a travel trailer, motorcycle, quadricycle, trailer, semitrailer, or pole trailer is transferred, the new owner is required to register the travel trailer, motorcycle, quadricycle, trailer, semitrailer, or pole trailer as if it were being registered for the first time, including paying all of the required fees in lieu of tax, taxes, and fees.
(11) The department, an authorized agent of the department, or a county treasurer shall use the online motor vehicle liability insurance verification system provided in 61-6-157 to verify that the vehicle owner has complied with the requirements of 61-6-301 .

Legislative History

En. Sec. 5, Ch. 75, L. 1917; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 207, L. 1919; re-en. Sec. 1759, R.C.M. 1921; amd. Sec. 22, Ch. 113, L. 1925; amd. Sec. 2, Ch. 181, L. 1929; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 158, L. 1931; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 158, L. 1933; re-en. Sec. 1759, R.C.M. 1935; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 72, L. 1937; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 195, L. 1953; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 256, L. 1955; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 223, L. 1957; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 245, L. 1963; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 290, L. 1967; amd. Sec. 9, Ch. 296, L. 1967; amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 214, L. 1971; amd. Sec. 12, Ch. 74, L. 1975; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 55, L. 1977; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 521, L. 1977; amd. Sec. 43, Ch. 566, L. 1977; R.C.M. 1947, 53-114(1), (3); amd. Sec. 4, Ch. 502, L. 1979; amd. Sec. 7, Ch. 712, L. 1979; amd. Sec. 23, Ch. 614, L. 1981; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 433, L. 1985; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 503, L. 1985; amd. Sec. 16, Ch. 516, L. 1985; amd. Sec. 4, Ch. 421, L. 1987; amd. Sec. 21, Ch. 611, L. 1987; amd. Sec. 6, Ch. 724, L. 1991; amd. Sec. 131, Ch. 27, Sp. L. November 1993; amd. Sec. 2, Ch. 88, L. 1995; amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 257, L. 1995; amd. Sec. 22, Ch. 200, L. 1997; amd. Sec. 20, Ch. 496, L. 1997; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 94, L. 1999; amd. Sec. 24, Ch. 515, L. 1999; amd. Secs. 60, 83(2), Ch. 477, L. 2003; amd. Secs. 28, 47(2)(a), Ch. 592, L. 2003; amd. Sec. 67, Ch. 542, L. 2005; amd. Secs. 50, 142, Ch. 596, L. 2005; amd. Sec. 56, Ch. 44, L. 2007; amd. Sec. 25, Ch. 329, L. 2007; amd. Sec. 4, Ch. 41, L. 2009; amd. Sec. 8, Ch. 413, L. 2009; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 73, L. 2011; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 142, L. 2013; amd. Sec. 5, Ch. 196, L. 2013; amd. Sec. 2, Ch. 370, L. 2013; amd. Sec. 4, Ch. 323, L. 2017; amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 435, L. 2017; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 77, L. 2021; amd. Sec. 7, Ch. 389, L. 2021; amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 663, L. 2023; amd. Sec. 9, Ch. 782, L. 2023; amd. Sec. 5, Ch. 88, L. 2025; amd. Sec. 12, Ch. 395, L. 2025; amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 440, L. 2025.