Montana Permit Test PDF: Practice Questions & Answers (2026)
Reviewed by Chad HenryAfter 25 years of teaching driver education
What we know - and don't - about the Montana test
Montana's written test is run by the Motor Vehicle Division (MVD) of the Montana Department of Justice. Unlike most states, the MVD does not publish how many questions the knowledge test has or the exact pass mark, and we don't repeat the unofficial numbers that circulate online. Our Montana simulator uses a 33-question, 74% target so you prepare with a margin, but check with the MVD for the exact rule when you book.
What the MVD does publish: your license receipt is valid for one year and allows three attempts at the required exams. After the third failure you have to re-apply, so it pays to arrive well prepared.
Montana knowledge test - verified facts
- Questions on the test
- Not published by the MVD
- To pass
- a pass mark the MVD does not publish (our practice tests use 74%)
- Permit
- Learner License (MCA 61-5-106); a separate instructor-issued Traffic Education Permit exists for students enrolled in traffic education
- Minimum age
- 15½ years old
- If you fail
- No specific waiting period published; the license receipt (valid 1 year) allows 3 attempts to pass all required exams, after which you must re-apply
- Online test
- No - the knowledge test must be taken in person.
The MVD does not publish the number of questions or the pass mark for the Montana knowledge test. Our 33-question simulator uses 74% (25 correct, so 8 misses) as a safe target - check with the MVD for the exact rule.
Official source: Montana MVD driver handbook (edition checked: Revised April 2024) · facts last reviewed 2026-09-28
5 Montana-specific questions from the PDF
The maximum speed limit on Montana rural interstates is:
- A. 80 mph
- B. 70 mph
- C. 75 mph
- D. 65 mph
Show answer
A. 80 mph - Montana posts speeds up to 80 mph on rural interstates. Always obey the posted limit, which may be lower.
Source: Montana handbook, PDF p.48 (manual p.38), 'Speed Limits' table, cars day/night
On Montana two-lane public highways, the daytime speed limit is 70 mph and the nighttime limit is:
- A. 65 mph
- B. 70 mph
- C. 55 mph
- D. 60 mph
Show answer
A. 65 mph - Montana sets a 70 mph daytime and 65 mph nighttime limit on two-lane public highways unless posted otherwise.
Source: Montana handbook, PDF p.48 (manual p.38), 'Speed Limits' table, cars day/night then trucks
In Montana, it is illegal for a driver under 21 to drive with a BAC of:
- A. 0.02 or more
- B. 0.05 or more
- C. 0.08 or more
- D. 0.10 or more
Show answer
A. 0.02 or more - Montana makes it illegal for a driver under 21 to operate a vehicle with a BAC of 0.02 or more.
Source: Montana handbook, PDF p.81, alcohol section
Montana's speed limit on urban interstates (in cities of about 50,000+) is:
- A. 65 mph
- B. 80 mph
- C. 70 mph
- D. 55 mph
Show answer
A. 65 mph - Montana caps urban interstate speeds at 65 mph, lower than the 80 mph allowed on rural interstates.
Source: Montana handbook, PDF p.48 (manual p.38), 'Speed Limits' table and footnote; MCA 61-8-303
Montana's GDL Restricted License includes one-year restrictions on:
- A. Night driving and the number of passengers
- B. Highway driving only
- C. Engine size
- D. Vehicle color
Show answer
A. Night driving and the number of passengers - Montana's first-year restricted license requires everyone in the vehicle to wear a seatbelt, bars driving between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. (with limited exceptions), and limits unrelated passengers under 18 (one for the first six months, three for the second six months) unless a licensed adult is supervising.
Source: Montana handbook, PDF p.17, 'GDL Step 2: First-Year Restricted License'
Montana's own rules on the test
Montana questions lean heavily on its distinctive speed limits, which are in the Driver Manual's speed-limit table:
- Rural interstates: a higher limit than most states, with separate day and night limits on two-lane highways.
- Urban interstates: a lower limit in urbanised areas of about 50,000 people or more.
- Under-21 BAC: 0.02.
- GDL first-year restrictions on passengers and night driving.
Montana permit route
- Minimum age: 15½ for a learner license. Students enrolled in traffic education use a separate, instructor-issued Traffic Education Permit.
- Traffic education is required under 18.
- Supervised driving: 50 hours (10 at night) after a traditional traffic education course; 75 hours (15 at night) with an alternative course approved by the Department of Justice.
- Holding period: 6 months for applicants under 18.
With only three attempts per receipt, treat the PDF as your baseline check: take it on paper, read the explanation for every answer, look up anything unfamiliar in the Montana Driver Manual, and then use the online Montana tests until you are consistently above 85%.