Montana’s Online Vehicle Registrations Are Good, but There’s a Better Way

This article is part of a series of articles focusing on the Montana LLC registration process. Check out the whole series here!

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In our ongoing series on Montana LLCs, we’ve already explored how anyone can register a vehicle in Montana without ever going there, the major benefits of doing so (hint: it’s tax-free), and how easy the process can be when you use our Montana LLC Registration Service.

Today we’re going to dive into how simple it is to register your car online in Montana. Whether you are living and driving in Montana or not, the process is almost completely the same.

Is Montana Different Than Other States?

This question can get out of hand fast. We don’t know if it is any different than any or all of the other states; that is an undertaking for another time. 

But in 2022, it is safe to say that all states have the technological ability to provide an online registration option, and Montana is no different. You can jump on their official registration website and get the ball rolling quickly, as we will explore later on.

Of course, if you are a little more old school in your approach, you can always go in person to level up your registration or send it in through the mail. 

However, this can get complicated when you live out of state. When you use our Montana LLC registration service, we suggest you also use our Registration Renewal Service to register your Montana vehicle registration(s) yearly.

Alternatively, and we will get to this in a little while, Montana provides a permanent registration for any vehicle over 11 years of age. That sounds old until you realize it’s a 2011 or older model year. 

Courtesy of Montana DMV

How To Renew Montana Registrations Online

So, how are you going to go about registering online? If you plan on going it alone, you can proceed to the MVD website.

Once you are on the MVD registration page, you will be prompted to provide some defining details of your vehicle to ensure eligibility. 

If you are, you can proceed. Since I don’t have a vehicle registered there, I can’t take you any deeper down the rabbit hole. The alternative is to have us do it for you.

Registering to an LLC

Courtesy of Montana DMV

If you’re reading this as part of our ongoing Montana LLC series, you’re most likely set on registering your vehicle to an LLC in Montana; otherwise, you’d be reading something else.

Because some technicalities are associated with registering your vehicle using an LLC as proof of residence, we provide an online registration service to take care of this for you. 

The whole point of Dirt Legal is to get you on the road with the least resistance possible. There are a lot of ins and outs to learn if you are going to start up an LLC and register your car in Montana on your own. We take care of that for you, so you can return to what you do. All you need to do is keep an eye on your mailbox and put your tag and stickers on as necessary. 

Is There Anything Different About Registering Online?

What about using Montana’s online registration process is different? Not much. You will register online, and the MDV will process payments and mail out the registration renewal, just like the in-person or mail-in options. The biggest changes are that online registration allows for a credit card to process payments and, of course, you don’t have to be in Montana to do it.

Why You Should Use The Montana Car Registration Process

We have an entire Montana LLC registration process series, which you can find here. The series is a real deep dive into the Montana LLC service, the processes involved, and what’s in it for you. 

As writers, we looked across the vast internet landscape and found a lot of clickbait on Montana LLCs, a TON of slander about the process, and very little of any true value. 

Our goal on the Dirt Legal blog is to add value. We are not here for clicks. The decision to register your vehicles out of state is not without its risks, no BS. There are several states that are overtly unfriendly to UTVs that use the Montana registration process, for example, and more than one state has taken aim at rooting out exotic car owners that have registered their collections through Montana. 

While we are happy to provide service to anyone who wants to put their hard-earned money back into their own pockets, we have designed our service to cater to all users, not just the affluent. You should stay aware of your local laws and regulations when considering our services, including the local climate and attitude toward registering a vehicle in Montana.

Let’s be honest: the micro-celebrity, Sperry-wearing Instagram influencer posting pics in one of their many Lambos draws much attention to themselves. It’s hardly surprising when that person also becomes the center of attention in the state’s eyes.

But what about the folks who are fed up with getting charged 10 percent in sales tax because they had to upgrade their family car? Especially when new car prices have risen by over 40 percent since before 2020, and used car prices are up 37 percent. Since sales tax is percentage-based, sales taxes have paralleled car prices. That’s right. 

A vehicle currently at the average used-car price of $29,900 would have only been about $18,900 a couple of years ago. Around my parts, the total sales tax is about ten percent. The tax bill for the exact same car rose from $1,900 to $2,900. These are for average commuter cars. Nothing special, just plain old cars. That’s an extra GRAND of taxes on top of the extra $11,000 you’ve already paid for the same car. Suffice it to say, the states are not suffering from a stunted economy, but the rest of us sure are. 

Dirt Legal’s Montana LLC Registration Service helps you do what it’s completely within your rights to do: register your vehicle in a state that doesn’t have sales tax.

How About That Permanent Montana Car Registration?

We touched on this a little earlier in the article.

This is the official text from the Montana Code about the permanent registration of light vehicles. Mind you, this is only applicable to light vehicles. 

61-3-562. Permanent registration -- transfer of light vehicle ownership -- rules. (1) (a) The owner of a light vehicle 11 years old or older subject to the registration fee, as provided in 61-3-321(2), may permanently register the light vehicle upon payment of an $87.50 registration fee, the applicable registration, and license fees under 61-3-412, if applicable, the administrative fee and the annual one-time-only donation fee for a generic specialty license plate under 61-3-480 or collegiate license plates under 61-3-465, and an amount equal to five times the local option motor vehicle tax or flat fee on vehicles under 61-3-537 and, as applicable, either.

If you have a light vehicle 11 years old or older, you can pay a one-time registration fee of $87.50 and never deal with registration again. Frankly, this is almost enough to make me think about registering my cars in Montana if they weren’t all so old and cheap to begin with. 

But think about a vehicle like a motorhome or a tow rig (¾ ton or 1-ton truck). A 2011 Ford F-350 SuperCab is still an expensive truck, running around $20,000 on KBB. With a Montana LLC, you will save a couple of grand in sales tax (depending on where you live). You can choose to make it a permanent registration and never worry about registering the vehicle again. 

Are All of the Montana Counties the Same for Online Registration?

When you opt to register your vehicle online through the MDV, there is no differentiation from county to county (see image above). 

However, if you move from one county to another, you will have to change counties in person at the MVD. But, if you have registered through an LLC, your county should never change. 

Wrapping Up

There is no perfect solution, but we think that our Montana LLC registration service is pretty good. You need to leverage every advantage because the hits will keep coming. Your state has no problem tacking on another one or two grand to your tax bill because car prices have gone up over a third. With Montana’s online vehicle registration process allowing you to register from anywhere, the puzzle pieces are all right there.
The only way you can make it ahead in this deal is to make it your own way with a little help from us. Dirt Legal is your one-stop shop for out-of-state registrations, titles, and registration renewals, so you don’t have to figure it all out on your own. Check out our Vehicle Registration Programs to see which one is the best fit for you today!