Montana Car Registration

According to the Montana DMV, a “light vehicle” is typically a passenger car, pickup truck one-ton and under, vans, and sports utility vehicles (SUVs). Basically, anything that’s not a motor home or big commercial truck is considered an “auto,” and to the MT DMV, that falls under “light vehicle.” So whether you have a Nissan Frontier, Ford F-150, Toyota Tundra, Dodge Ram 2500, Ford Super Duty, or Chevy Silverado 3500, the technical Montana lingo for registering these vehicles is “light vehicle registration.”

In addition to sales tax and property tax-free vehicle registration, You get several benefits by using a Montana LLC to own your car or pickup:

• No sales tax or property tax. Montana does not impose sales tax or personal property tax on light vehicles.
• No emissions test or vehicle inspection. Montana doesn’t mandate these inspections, so when you register with Montana, you don’t have to worry about the extra cost and inconvenience.
• Permanent plates. If your car, truck or van is 11 years old—or as soon as it reaches that age—you’re eligible to pay for permanent plates. That means that you pay a one-time fee of $130.00 and never have to worry about annual registration again.
• Privacy protection. Your LLC is the owner, and our address is on record. Your name and address stay off Montana Secretary of State and DMV records.
• Asset protection. Your vehicle is an asset owned by your LLC. That makes the LLC legally liable for your vehicle, not you.
• No trip to the DMV. We handle the mundane stuff for you.

Nope! Montana does not have any vehicle emissions testing or requirements. This makes Montana truck LLC registration a huge benefit for residents of states like California and Washington, where emissions regulations are especially strict.

So if you’re looking to purchase a Chevy Silverado 2500, Ford F-250, or any other 2025 or newer model truck that might be wrapped up in emissions red tape, we can help you license and plate your vehicle in Montana.

Oh, and of course, you still get to save a bunch of money in state sales tax, too.

The annual DMV fee for light vehicles in Montana depends on the age of the vehicle. Below are the state fees for registering a car or pickup (not including additional state processing fees). These are only the DMV fees.

If you own a light vehicle (typically a car or pickup truck) with an original MSRP equal to or greater than $150,000, then you will need to pay an $825 annual luxury tax until the vehicle is 11 years old.

For such high-end luxury vehicles, the savings in sales tax far outweigh Montana’s luxury tax.

Aside from annual DMV registration fees, your cost will be associated with maintaining your LLC:

• Annual Report Fee. Keep your Montana motorcycle LLC current by submitting an annual report to the Montana Secretary of State. Our annual report filing service keeps your LLC compliant for $70 a year, which includes the state’s fee.
• Registered Agent Fee. Maintain a registered agent in the state of Montana to make sure your LLC remains compliant. When you hire us to form your Montana motorcycle or ATV LLC, we include our registered agent service for one year. To keep us as your registered agent, we charge only $49 a year.

Times can vary from 8-12 weeks depending on the state’s workload. If you hire us to handle things for you, we offer same-day LLC formation and DMV registration in order to expedite the process as much as possible. So if you purchase your MT vehicle as soon as your MT LLC is formed and overnight us the title work, you can have Montana plates as quickly as possible.

In a hurry to get on the road? We’ve got you covered. For an additional $75, we’ll get you temporary plates in as little as 10 business days.

You have to register your Montana auto in the county of the registered agent, and several counties in Montana have a county option tax. Not our county—we just so happen to be in Kalispell, which has no county option tax. It’s just one of the ways we’ve made sure that you are saving as much as possible when you choose us to register your vehicle in Montana.

Eligible new vehicles signups are auto-enrolled for Montana vehicle registration renewal! First, we form your LLC, provide you registered agent service, and handle your initial registration. After that, our team of local experts stay on top of your everything to make sure your LLC remains in compliance with the state and your vehicle is renewed on time. The best part? You don’t have to worry about a thing—we handle it all and mail you your new tabs (and plates if necessary) when your renewal process is complete!

This service does not include vehicles with perm plates, and it does not include any type of trailers, motorcycles, side-by-sides, scooters, boats, snow mobiles, and jet skis.

If you currently have a lien or may have a lien in the future, this process is a little more complicated. In some cases, this process cannot be completed if you have a lien. For more information regarding registration with a lien, please contact us.

Yes, you can easily register more vehicles under your Montana LLC. Here’s how:

1. Log in to your client portal.
2. Select “Vehicle Registrations” from the menu.
3. Select “+ Vehicle” at the top right corner of the page.
4. Follow the instructions to place your vehicle registration order in just a few minutes!

Registering your first vehicle? If you’re already a client and looking to register a vehicle under an existing LLC we’ve formed for you, you can follow the same steps above to register your first Montana LLC-owned vehicle! 

Import vehicles have a very different set of requirements. If you have an imported vehicle that you’re looking to have us register under a Montana LLC, please contact us. 

We understand Montana LLC formations and vehicle registrations through and through. We ARE the leader in Montana LLC formations. We file more LLCs in Montana than any other law firm or national incorporation website. Why? We provide more initial tools, great documents, and ongoing compliance tools for Montana businesses.