Montana Golf Cart & Low Speed Vehicle Laws

PLEASE NOTE: Golf Cart Laws may vary from City to City, so please be sure to check with your local municipality in regards to the laws in your area. We are in the process of gathering laws by municipality for you, however, this is a huge undertaking and does take time. Thank you.

This is an in-depth guide to Montana Golf Cart & Low-Speed Vehicle Laws. We’ve created this guide to help you, the consumer, in determining Montana’s laws.

Is this state Medium Speed Vehicle friendly? Yes, they may be driven on roads with posted speed limits of 45MPH or less.

Is License and Registration a Requirement? For Golf Carts, No. For Low Speed Vehicles, Yes.

General Federal Law for Golf Carts:

Under current NHTSA interpretations and regulations, so long as golf cars and other similar vehicles are incapable of exceeding 20 miles per hour, they are subject to only state and local requirements regarding safety equipment. However, if these vehicles are originally manufactured so that they can go faster than 20 miles per hour, they are treated as motor vehicles under Federal law.

The standard requires low-speed vehicles to be equipped with headlamps, stop lamps, turn signal lamps, taillamps, reflex reflectors, parking brakes, rearview mirrors, windshields, seat belts, and vehicle identification numbers.

Find out more information on federal laws pertaining to golf carts and low speed vehicles here.

Montana Golf Cart & Low Speed Vehicle Laws

Guidelines for Golf Carts and PTVs (Personal Transportation Vehicles)

Registration
Not required except as provided in 61-3-321.

A person may not operate a golf cart on a public street or highway open to the public unless the operation is specifically authorized by ordinance or regulation passed by the local governing body of the county, city, or town for a public street or highway under its jurisdiction.

A person operating a golf cart must have a valid driver’s license.

Required for Operating a Golf Cart: 

• at least one and not more than two headlamps
• at least one taillamp
• at least one reflector
• stop lamps
• a horn
• a mirror that reflects to the driver a view of the highway

Except as provided in 61-3-321, a golf cart is exempt from titling, registration, and mandatory liability insurance requirements under this title.

Guidelines for LSV (Low Speed Vehicle)

Low-Speed Vehicles are for use on roads with speed limits of 25MPH or less and must be registered with valid license plates. A driver’s license is also required.

You must have a low-speed restricted driver’s license to operate a low-speed EV.

The following is required for LSVs:

• 4 wheels
• Electrically powered
• 20 mph – 40 mph
• Headlamps
• Turn Signals
• Tail lamps
• Stop lamps
• Reflectors – one red on each side to the rear
• Mirrors – Must have a mirror on the drivers side of the vehicle and at least one additional mirror located on either the passengers side or in the center of the vehicle (a rearview mirror) that must reflect a distance of at least 200 feet
• Parking Brake
• Windshield
• VIN
• Seat belts

Guidelines for MSV (Medium Speed Vehicle)

By Montana definition, a medium-speed electric vehicle (EV) is one that:

• Is able to reach a maximum speed of 45 mph.
• Has a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 5,000 pounds or fewer.
• Is in compliance with Title 49, Section 565 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

By Montana law, you must:

• Operate medium-speed electric vehicles only on highways with posted speed limits up to 45 mph.
• Treat medium-speed electric vehicles as light-duty vehicles for the purposes of titling and registration.

HELPFUL LINKS

iltva.org
leg.mt.gov
www.one.nhtsa.gov

Disclaimer
Although each of these state guides gives a thorough approach to the golf cart laws in your state, it is recommended that you perform the research on your own and reach out to your local municipality.