Montana Permit Test Cheat Sheet (2026)
The Montana rules and numbers to know for the MVD knowledge test, on one page. Every line was checked against the official Montana driver's handbook. It is a study sheet: you cannot use notes during the real test.
The Montana test at a glance
- Questions on the test
- Not published by the MVD
- To pass
- a pass mark the MVD does not publish (our practice tests use 74%)
- Time limit
- We found no published time limit for the Montana knowledge test.
- Minimum permit age
- 15½ years old
- Hold the permit for
- 6 months for applicants under 18 (MCA 61-5-132(1)(a)); no statutory hold for 18+
- Alcohol limit under 21
- 0.02% BAC
Montana rules and numbers
From the official Montana handbook (Revised April 2024 (per cover; file uplo); PDF page numbers in brackets.
Rules of the road
- Montana: rural interstates can be posted up to 80 mph. [p.48]
- Montana two-lane highways: 70 mph by day, 65 mph at night. [p.48]
- Montana: the urban interstate speed limit is 65 mph. [p.48]
- Montana restricted license, year 1: no driving 11 p.m.-5 a.m., passenger limits. [p.18]
- Railroad crossing: stop no closer than 15 feet from the nearest rail. [p.43]
- Stop at a rail crossing when a train is within 1,500 feet. [p.43]
- Stopped school bus with red lights: stop at least 30 feet away. [p.50]
- No parking within 30 feet of a stop sign, yield sign, or signal. [p.56]
- No parking within 50 feet of a railroad crossing. [p.56]
- Parked vehicles must be within 18 inches of the curb or shoulder. [p.54]
- Fire station driveway: 20 feet same side, 75 feet across the street. [p.56]
- Turn signal: 100 feet before turning in town, 300 feet on rural roads. [p.47]
- Roundabout speeds are 15 mph or less. [p.42]
- School zone speed limits can be as low as 15 mph; fines doubled. [p.39]
- Work zone fines are doubled in Montana. [p.38]
- Move over, or slow to 20+ mph under the limit (roads posted 50+ mph). [p.90]
- U-turn only with a clear 500-foot view both ways and no traffic coming. [p.49]
- Slow vehicles must turn off when 4 or more vehicles are held up. [p.72]
- Yield to animals being led, ridden, or driven; stop if they cross your path. [p.77]
- File a required crash report within 10 days. [p.90]
- Pulled over: signal right, stop on the right shoulder, stay inside. [p.91]
- Teen permit holders need 50 supervised hours, 10 of them at night. [p.17]
- Teens must hold the permit at least 6 straight months. [p.18]
Safe driving & emergencies
- Headlights on when you cannot see people or vehicles 500 feet away. [p.65]
- Dim high beams within 1,000 feet of an oncoming vehicle. [p.65]
- Dim high beams within 500 feet when following another vehicle. [p.24]
- Passing a bicyclist: leave about 5 feet of space. [p.53]
- Packed snow: cut your speed in half. Wet road: about 10 mph slower. [p.70]
- No studded tires from June 1 through September 30. [p.70]
- Illegal to honk when approaching or passing a horse. [p.78]
- No time to stop for an animal: do not swerve sharply. [p.71]
- Headlights fail: brake, try the switch and high beams, then flashers. [p.87]
Rules learners miss most
The rules behind the most-missed questions on our practice tests. Some details, such as parking distances, can differ by state - your handbook has the final word.
- At 60 mph a car travels about 88 feet per second.
- Measure following distance in seconds, counted from a fixed roadside object.
- Most states: no parking within 20 feet of a crosswalk at an intersection.
- A yellow curb signals a stopping or parking limit - check signs and local rules.
- Uncontrolled T-intersection: the terminating road yields to the through road.
- Uphill with a curb: turn wheels away from the curb; downhill: toward it.
- Most states: no parking within 15 feet of a fire hydrant (a few use 10 feet).
- KEEP RIGHT: pass to the right of the island, median or obstruction.
- Point of no return: past it you cannot stop safely on yellow, so proceed.
- Zipper merge: use both lanes up to the merge point, then alternate.
- In heavy rain use low beams, slow down and increase following distance.
- Parallel park close to and parallel with the curb, within your state's limit.
- Yellow pennant on the left side of the road: a no-passing zone begins.
- Car with skid marks: the road is slippery when wet.
- Diamond-shaped signs are warning signs.
- 4-way stop tie: the driver on the left yields to the driver on the right.
- ABS keeps wheels from locking in hard braking so you can still steer.
- A round yellow sign warns of a railroad crossing ahead.
- Merging onto a highway: yield to traffic already on the highway.
- An upward-pointing pentagon marks a school zone or school crossing.
- Steady yellow: the light is about to turn red - stop if you can do so safely.
- Basic speed law: never drive faster than is safe for conditions, even under the limit.
- Use high beams on open roads; dim them for oncoming or followed vehicles.
- Arrows pointing up and down warn of two-way traffic ahead.
- Orange diamond signs warn of construction and work zones.
- Adult (21+) BAC limit is 0.08% in most states.
- Implied consent: by driving you agree to chemical tests if arrested for DUI.
Now test yourself
Reading rules is a start; answering questions is what makes them stick.