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All state guides Montana dealer license

How to get a used car dealer license in Montana

You apply to the Montana Motor Vehicle Division for a used dealer's license in two phases. First MVD reviews form MV25 and your background. Then you file a $50,000 bond, liability insurance, zoning verification and a law enforcement inspection of the lot.

  • Sourced to MVD
  • Checked October 2026
  • Free
License
Used dealer's license
Surety bond
$50,000
State fee
$30
Pre-license course
None required
Background check
MVD background review
License term
Annual renewal, $30 filing fee
What the state asks for

Montana dealer license requirements

The figures a first-time used car dealer needs before applying to MVD. Each row shows how well it is supported.

Surety bond
$50,000Official source

A continuous dealer surety bond in the full business name, renewed every year. Motorcycle-only dealers post $15,000, and dealers selling only boats, snowmobiles or off-highway vehicles post $5,000.

State license fee
$30Official source

The statute sets a $30 application fee. MVD works out your total from the license type, renewal schedule and plate order, adds a 3% administrative fee, and tells you the amount after it reviews form MV25.

Pre-license education
None requiredOfficial source

MVD's requirements sheet (MV22) and application (MV25) do not list a pre-licensing course or exam. MVD provides its own training for temporary registration permits inside its Business Portal.

Background check
MVD background reviewOfficial source

Each owner, corporate officer, managing member and manager answers criminal, bankruptcy and lawsuit questions on MV25, and MVD reviews state and federal history records. The forms do not ask for fingerprint cards.

Insurance
General liability, 1-year termOfficial source

A general liability policy with a term of at least one year that covers vehicles carrying dealer or demonstrator plates and names the State of Montana as certificate holder. No dollar limits are published.

Business location
Nonresidential building, lot, signOfficial source

A permanent nonresidential building for sales and records, a display lot within 1,000 feet of it, a sign with letters at least 6 inches tall readable from 150 feet, phone service and posted office hours.

License term and renewal
Annual renewal, $30 filing feeOfficial source

MVD assigns each dealer an expiration quarter and you renew every year with an annual report and a $30 filing fee. A used dealer that sold fewer than 12 vehicles at retail pays $25 more.

Sales allowed without a license
No set numberOfficial source

Montana law gives no number. You need a dealer license to be in the business of buying, selling or exchanging vehicles that are not registered in your own name.

Processing time
About 3 weeksOfficial source

MVD says application review takes approximately three weeks. Plates are sent about three to four weeks after you receive the license, and licenses are not issued over the counter on the same day.

“Official source” means the state agency’s own page, form or law. Where the state’s sources did not settle a point, the row says so instead of showing a guess.

Who issues the license

Montana Department of Justice, Motor Vehicle Division, Vehicle Services Bureau

License you apply for

Used dealer's license

Official licensing page

MVD sets your total fee

The law sets a $30 application fee and a $25 annual fee for each set of dealer plates. Form MV25 prices new dealer plates at $37 a set and demonstrator plates at $17 each, says the fee is based on your renewal schedule, and adds a 3% administrative fee to every transaction. Wait for the total from the Vehicle Services Bureau before you pay.
Step by step

How to get a Montana dealer license

The order that works for a first application. Tick each step off as you finish it.

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  1. Set up the business and choose the location

    Form the business and get your FEIN or Montana corporate ID, which form MV25 requires. Pick a location with a permanent nonresidential building and a display lot, and arrange a business phone number. Read MVD's requirements sheet before you commit to a lease.

    MV22

  2. File form MV25 for the Phase I review

    Complete the Dealer License Application for the business and for each owner, corporate officer, managing member and manager. The Vehicle Services Bureau verifies your qualifications and reviews criminal and financial history. If you qualify, it tells you the total licensing fee due and you move to Phase II.

    MV25

  3. Get written zoning verification

    Ask an authorized representative of the local land-use or zoning board to confirm in writing that the business location complies with city and county zoning requirements. MVD needs this before it can issue the license.

  4. Buy the bond and liability insurance

    Get a continuous $50,000 dealer surety bond and a general liability policy with a term of at least one year. Both must show the full business name with any DBA, the physical address and the State of Montana as certificate holder. The bond must also list the license type.

    $50,000 continuous bond

  5. Have the premises inspected

    Contact the Montana Highway Patrol, local law enforcement or a Department of Justice compliance specialist to inspect the building, lot and sign and complete the inspection form. If the sign is not up yet, attach a diagram or plat and at least two photos, signed and dated by the inspecting officer.

    MV105

  6. Send the Phase II documents and fees

    Return the inspection form, bond, insurance certificate, zoning verification and fees to the Vehicle Services Bureau by email, fax or mail. Payment may be made by check or money order. The license is issued once everything is submitted and approved.

    dojdealerinfo@mt.gov

  7. Receive the license and set up the portal

    Plates are sent to the dealership's physical address about three to four weeks after you receive the license. Register for the MVD Business Portal so you can issue electronic temporary registration permits, which takes a computer, a printer and internet access. Title work goes to the buyer's county treasurer.

    MVD Business Portal

Practical advice

Plan around the two phases. Phase I is about the people and Phase II is about the location, bond and insurance. Use the three-week review to line up the zoning letter, the sign and an inspection date, so Phase II goes in as one complete package. If the sign will not be up in time, have the plat and two photos ready for the officer so the visit still counts.

Before you apply

Seven things to settle before any state application: the business, the owners, the money and the property.

Read the startup playbook
The lot and the office

Montana dealer location requirements

What the state checks at the business address.

  • A permanent nonresidential building (not in a home) where sales are made and the sales records are kept.
  • A lot where vehicles are displayed, no more than 1,000 feet from the records building. Separate display lots must be within 200 feet of each other.
  • No more than three other wholesale, broker, auction or retail vehicle dealers in the same building or at the same location.
  • A sign with the business name saying vehicles are offered for sale, in letters at least 6 inches tall, readable from the main traffic route at 150 feet.
  • Telephone service in the dealership's name listed with directory assistance, or a cell phone number posted at the place of business.
  • A posted written notice of your regular office hours.
  • Written verification from the local land-use or zoning board that the location complies with city and county zoning.

Zoning comes first

A site that meets the state’s rules can still fail local zoning. Get written approval for vehicle sales from the city or county, and ask the landlord for a lease that depends on the license being issued, before you sign.
Once you are licensed

Keeping a Montana dealer license

Renewal and ongoing duties

Renew every year on your assigned schedule with form MV25R, a copy of your liability insurance certificate and the $30 fee. The annual report is due by the 15th of the month before your expiration month. A used dealer that sold fewer than 12 vehicles at retail pays $25 more. Renew the bond every year and report name, location or ownership changes to MVD.

Federal rules that apply here too

  • The FTC Buyers Guide, posted on every used vehicle you offer for sale.
  • The FTC Safeguards Rule: a written plan for protecting customer financial information.
  • IRS Form 8300 when a customer pays more than $10,000 in cash.
  • A federal odometer disclosure on each transfer.
How each federal rule works
FAQ

Montana dealer license FAQ

The questions first-time dealers ask most.

How do I get a used car dealer license in Montana?

Apply to the Motor Vehicle Division's Vehicle Services Bureau in two phases. In Phase I you file form MV25 and MVD reviews your qualifications and background. If you qualify, Phase II is a $50,000 continuous surety bond, a general liability policy, written zoning verification and a premises inspection on form MV105 by the Montana Highway Patrol, local law enforcement or a Department of Justice compliance specialist.

How much is the dealer bond in Montana?

$50,000 for a dealer selling used cars and trucks. It must be a continuous dealer surety bond in the full business name, and state law requires it to be renewed every year. Dealers limited to motorcycles or quadricycles post $15,000, and dealers limited to boats, snowmobiles or off-highway vehicles post $5,000.

How much does a Montana dealer license cost?

The application fee is $30. Form MV25 lists dealer plates at $37 a set and demonstrator plates at $17 each, and a 3% administrative fee is added to all transactions. MVD calculates the exact total after it reviews your application. Renewal is a $30 annual report fee, plus $25 if a used dealer sold fewer than 12 vehicles at retail. Bond and insurance premiums are separate.

Do I need a pre-licensing course in Montana?

No. MVD's requirements sheet and application do not list a pre-licensing course or an exam. After you are licensed, MVD provides training on temporary registration permits inside its Business Portal.

Can I get a Montana dealer license without a car lot?

Not as a used dealer. MVD requires a permanent nonresidential building where sales are made and records are kept, and a lot where vehicles are displayed. A wholesale license is a different license: a wholesaler may sell only to licensed Montana dealers, auto auctions and other wholesalers, and cannot get dealer plates or issue temporary registration permits.

How many cars can I sell in Montana without a dealer license?

Montana law does not set a number. It says a person may not be in the business of buying, selling or exchanging motor vehicles that are not registered in that person's name without a dealer license. Selling a vehicle registered in your own name is outside that rule, but buying vehicles to resell is not.

Sources

Checked October 2026. This is general information, not legal, tax or insurance advice. Fees, bond amounts and forms change, and local zoning rules vary. Confirm current requirements with MVD or your attorney before you sign a lease or pay a fee.

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