SR22 State

SR-22 in Montana

Checked against official Montana sources · Last reviewed October 5, 2026

In Montana, the insurance filing requirement follows a license revocation. If your license was revoked, it can't be restored, and you can't get a probationary license, until your insurer files a certificate of insurance with the state. Montana law calls this filing a "certificate of insurance."

The Motor Vehicle Division (MVD) can drop the requirement after 3 years if you have no new convictions that would lead to a suspension or revocation in that time. [1][2][5][6]

Uses SR-22?
Yes (insurer certificate)
How long
3 years [2]
After a DUI
Not confirmed
Base reinstatement fee
$100 [3]
Minimum liability coverage
25/50/20 [4]

Does Montana require an SR-22?

Yes. After a license revocation, Montana law requires a certificate of insurance from your insurer before the license can be restored or a probationary license issued. [1]

How long do you need an SR-22 in Montana?

3 years. The MVD must waive the proof requirement any time after 3 years from the date proof was required, if it has received no record during the previous 3 years of a conviction that would require suspension or revocation. [2]

After a DUI

We haven't confirmed this from an official Montana source yet. Check with Montana Department of Justice, Motor Vehicle Division (MVD), Records and Driver Control Bureau, Helena.

What does reinstatement cost?

$100 reinstatement fee after most suspensions and revocations. It is $200 for suspensions or revocations under MCA 61-5-205 (mandatory revocations and suspensions, including those tied to DUI convictions) or 61-8-1016 (implied consent/test refusal). [3]

We couldn't confirm whether Montana charges its own fee to file an SR-22. Your insurer may charge one.

What coverage do you need?

$25,000 bodily injury per person, $50,000 bodily injury per accident, $20,000 property damage per accident [4]

What happens if your SR-22 lapses?

We haven't confirmed this from an official Montana source yet. Check with Montana Department of Justice, Motor Vehicle Division (MVD), Records and Driver Control Bureau, Helena.

Don't own a car?

Yes. Montana law provides for an operator's policy covering the insured while driving vehicles they don't own, and a certificate of insurance doesn't have to list vehicles when the policy is issued to someone who doesn't own one. [5]

Who has to file one?

Any license revocation, including for negligent homicide, a felony committed with a vehicle (including felony 4th-offense DUI), failing to stop and render aid after an injury or fatal crash, perjury about vehicle ownership or operation, negligent vehicular assault, fleeing police, or habitual traffic offender status. Also required to get a probationary license while revoked. [1]

Who handles it

Montana Department of Justice, Motor Vehicle Division (MVD), Records and Driver Control Bureau, Helena [6]

Common questions

Do I need a certificate of insurance after a DUI?

Montana law ties the certificate to revocations. The MVD treats a 1st, 2nd, or 3rd DUI, and a test refusal, as a suspension (6 months for a first, 1 year for a second or later within 10 years), and neither state law nor the MVD's suspension page lists the certificate as a condition of reinstating after one. A felony DUI (4th or later) is a revocation, so the certificate is required. Ask the MVD to confirm what applies to you. [1][6][7]

How long do I have to keep it?

At least 3 years. The MVD can waive it any time after 3 years from the date the proof was first required, but only if it has no record of a conviction in the past 3 years that would call for a suspension or revocation. [2]

Can I get a probationary license while my license is revoked?

Not without the certificate. State law bars a probationary license for a revoked driver until a certificate of insurance is filed. [1]

How much does it cost to get my license back?

The reinstatement fee is $100 for most suspensions and revocations. It's $200 for mandatory revocations and suspensions, including those tied to DUI convictions, and for test-refusal suspensions. After a revocation you also must apply for a new license, pay all license fees, and take the required knowledge and skills tests. [3][6][8]

I don't own a car. Can I still file?

Yes. Montana law provides for an operator's policy that covers you while driving vehicles you don't own. The certificate doesn't have to list any vehicles in that case. [4][5]

Sources

  1. MCA 61-6-131 - When proof of financial responsibility required (statute, accessed Oct 5, 2026)
  2. MCA 61-6-142 - Duration of proof (statute, accessed Oct 5, 2026)
  3. MCA 61-5-218 - License reinstatement fee following license suspension or revocation (statute, accessed Oct 5, 2026)
  4. MCA 61-6-103 - Motor vehicle liability policy minimum limits (statute, accessed Oct 5, 2026)
  5. MCA 61-6-133 - Certificate of insurance as proof (statute, accessed Oct 5, 2026)
  6. Montana MVD - Suspensions, Revocations, and Reinstatements (official agency page, accessed Oct 5, 2026)
  7. MCA 61-5-208 - Period of suspension or revocation; probationary license (statute, accessed Oct 5, 2026)
  8. MCA 61-2-107 - License reinstatement fee ($200) (statute, accessed Oct 5, 2026)

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