Mont. Code Ann. § 61-3-303 (9)

(1) A Except as provided in 61-3-324, Montana a Montana resident who owns is an owner of a motor vehicle vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, operated or pole trailer operated or driven upon the public highways of this state shall register the motor vehicle vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, or pole trailer in the office of the county county treasurer in the where county where the registering owner permanently resides or, if the vehicle is owned by a corporation or used primarily for commercial purposes, domiciled. A nonresident who has an interest in real property in Montana may register in the county where the vehicle real property is permanently assigned. located a motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, or pole trailer operated or driven upon the public highways of this state. A person serving or retired from serving aboard the USS Montana may register by mail in Lewis and Clark County or electronically using forms prescribed by the department.

(10) Revenue that accrues from the voluntary donation provided in subsection (5)(d) must be forwarded by the respective county treasurer to the department of revenue for deposit in the state special revenue fund to the credit of the account established in 2-15-2218 to support activities related to education regarding prevention of traumatic brain injury.

(10) (a) Except as provided in subsection (10)(b), the fees in lieu of tax, taxes, and fees imposed on or collected from the registration of a travel trailer, motorcycle, or quadricycle or a trailer, semitrailer, or pole trailer that has a declared weight of less than 26,000 pounds are required to be paid only once during the time that the travel trailer, motorcycle, quadricycle, trailer, semitrailer, or pole trailer is owned by the same person who registered the travel trailer, motorcycle, quadricycle, trailer, semitrailer, or pole trailer. When registered, a travel trailer, motorcycle, quadricycle, trailer, semitrailer, or pole trailer is registered permanently unless ownership is transferred or unless it was registered under 61-3-701.

(b) Whenever ownership of a travel trailer, motorcycle, quadricycle, trailer, semitrailer, or pole trailer is transferred, the new owner is required to register the travel trailer, motorcycle, quadricycle, trailer, semitrailer, or pole trailer as if it were being registered for the first time, including paying all of the required fees in lieu of tax, taxes, and fees.

(11) The department, an authorized agent of the department, or a county treasurer shall use the online motor vehicle liability insurance verification system provided in 61-6-157 to verify that the vehicle owner has complied with the requirements of 61-6-301.

(2) A Montana resident who is an owner of a motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, or pole trailer with co-owners, one or more of whom are not Montana residents, may register the vehicle regardless of the fact that one or more of the co-owners would otherwise not qualify to register the vehicle under subsection (1) if the registering Montana resident is:

(2) (a) Except as provided in subsection (3), the county treasurer shall register any vehicle for which: an individual human being; and

(i) as of the date that the vehicle is to be registered, the owner delivers an application for a certificate of title to the department, its authorized agent, or a county treasurer; or

(ii) the county treasurer confirms that the department has an electronic record of title for the vehicle as provided under 61-3-101.

(b) To register a vehicle, the county treasurer shall update principal operator of, and in whom is vested the electronic record right of title maintained by possession the and department under 61-3-101 by entering control of, the fees paid and recording any changes to the recorded data. vehicle.

(3) Except as provided in subsection (4), the county treasurer or an authorized agent shall register any vehicle for which:

(3) (a) A county treasurer shall register a as motor of vehicle for which a certificate of title and registration were issued in another jurisdiction and for which registration is required under 61-3-701 after the county treasurer examines date that the current out-of-jurisdiction registration certificate motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, or receipt and receives payment of the fees required in 61-3-701. The county treasurer may ask pole trailer is the vehicle owner to to provide additional information, prescribed by the department, to ensure that the electronic record of be registered, an owner delivers an application for a certificate of title to registration maintained by the department is complete. department, an authorized agent, or a county treasurer; or

(b) A county the county treasurer may register a motor vehicle for which or an authorized agent confirms that the new owner cannot present department has an electronic record the of previously issued certificate of title only for as the authorized motor

(4) The department or the county treasurer shall determine the amount of fees, including local option taxes or fees, to be collected at the time of registration for each light vehicle subject to a registration fee under 61-3-560 through 61-3-562 and for each bus, truck having a manufacturer's rated capacity of more than 1 ton, and truck tractor subject to a fee in lieu of tax under 61-3-529. The county treasurer shall collect the registration fee, other appropriate fees, and local option taxes or fees, if applicable, on each motor vehicle at the time of its registration.

(4) (a) A county treasurer or an authorized agent may register a motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, or pole trailer for which a certificate of title and registration were issued in another jurisdiction and for which registration is required under 61-3-701 after the county treasurer or the authorized agent examines the current out-of-jurisdiction registration certificate or receipt and receives payment of the fees required in 61-3-701. The county treasurer or an authorized agent may ask the motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, or pole trailer owner to provide additional information, prescribed by the department, to ensure that the electronic record of registration maintained by the department is complete.

(b) A county treasurer or an authorized agent shall collect fees pursuant to 61-3-203 and 61-3-220(3) and issue a 90-day temporary registration permit pursuant to 61-3-224 for a motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, pole trailer, motorboat, sailboat that is 12 feet in length or longer, snowmobile, or off-highway vehicle for which the new owner cannot, due to circumstances beyond the new owner's control, surrender a previously assigned certificate of title. The new owner shall request the 90-day temporary registration permit from the authorized agent or county treasurer that originally issued the temporary registration permit.

(c) A person serving or retired from serving aboard the USS Montana shall include in an application for a certificate of title, in a manner prescribed by the department, proof that the person has current orders to serve or has previously served aboard the USS Montana.

(5) A person who seeks to register Upon registering a motor vehicle, except a mobile home trailer, semitrailer, or a manufactured home as those terms are defined pole trailer for in the 15-1-101(1), shall pay to first time in this state, the county treasurer: treasurer or an authorized

(a) update the registration fee, as provided in 61-3-311 and 61-3-321 or 61-3-456; electronic record of title, if any, maintained for the vehicle by the department under 61-3-101;

(b) except as provided in 61-3-456 or unless it has been previously paid, assign a the registration motor period for the vehicle fees in lieu of tax or registration fees under 61-3-560 through 61-3-562 imposed against the vehicle for the current year of registration and the 61-3-311; immediately previous year; and

(c) a donation of $1 or more determine if the the person has indicated on the application that the person wishes to donate to promote vehicle's age, if required, under 61-3-501; awareness and education efforts for procurement of organ and tissue donations in Montana to favorably impact anatomical gifts; and

(d) a donation determine of the $1 amount of fees, including local option taxes or more if the person has indicated on the application that the person wishes fees, to donate to promote education on, support for, be paid under subsection (6); and awareness of traumatic brain injury.

(e) assign and issue license plates for the vehicle under 61-3-331.

(6) The county treasurer may not issue Unless otherwise provided by law, a registration receipt or license plates for person registering a motor the vehicle vehicle shall pay to the owner unless the owner makes the payments required by subsection (5). Except as provided in county treasurer 61-3-560 through 61-3-562, the department may not assess or impose and the county treasurer may not collect taxes or fees for a period other an authorized agent: than:

(a) the current year; and fees in lieu of tax or registration fees as required for:

(i) a light vehicle under 61-3-321 or 61-3-562, in addition to, if applicable, any local option tax or fee under 61-3-537 or 61-3-570;

(ii) a motor home under 61-3-321;

(iii) a travel trailer under 61-3-321;

(iv) a motorcycle or quadricycle under 61-3-321;

(v) a bus, a truck having a manufacturer's rated capacity of more than 1 ton, or a truck tractor under 61-3-321 and 61-3-529; or

(vi) a trailer under 61-3-321;

(b) except as provided in subsection (9), a donation of $1 or more the if immediately preceding year if the vehicle was not registered or operated on person indicates that the highways of the state, regardless of the period of time since the vehicle was previously person wishes to donate to promote awareness and education efforts for procurement of organ and registered or operated.

(c) a donation of $1 or more if the person indicates that the person wishes to donate to a program supporting cancer screening; and

(d) unless the person opts out of the donation, an automatic donation of $1 to fund activities that educate and support recovery of individuals and families, including military service personnel, living with traumatic brain injuries, promote brain injury prevention, and support the traumatic brain injury advisory council. The county treasurer or an authorized agent shall post a notice that is at least 8 1/2 x 11 inches in size in one or more locations where a person registering a motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, or pole trailer can read it. The notice must explain the donation details provided in this subsection (6)(d) in substantially similar language, including the automatic nature of the donation and the option to opt out of it.

(7) The department county treasurer or an authorized agent may make full and complete investigation of not issue a the registration registration status of receipt or license plates for the vehicle. A person seeking to motor register a motor vehicle under this section shall provide additional information vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, or pole trailer to support the registration to

(8) Revenue that accrues from The department may make full and complete investigation of the voluntary donation provided in subsection (5)(c) must be forwarded by registration status the of respective county treasurer to the department of revenue for deposit in the state special revenue fund to the credit of motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, or pole trailer. A person seeking to register a motor vehicle, an account established by the department of public health and human services to support activities trailer, semitrailer, or pole trailer under this section shall provide additional information related to awareness and education efforts for procurement of organ and tissue donations for anatomical gifts. support the registration to the department if requested.

(9) Revenue that accrues from the donations provided for in subsection (6) must be forwarded by the respective county treasurer or an authorized agent to the department for deposit as follows:

(9) (a) Except as provided in subsection (9)(b), the fees in lieu state special revenue fund to the credit of tax, taxes, an account established by and the fees imposed on or collected from the registration department of a travel trailer, motorcycle, or quadricycle or a trailer, pole trailer, or semitrailer that has labor and industry to support activities related to awareness and education efforts for procurement a declared weight of less than 26,000 pounds are required to be paid only once during organ and tissue donations for anatomical gifts if the time that revenue the is vehicle is owned by from the same person who registered the vehicle. Once registered, a vehicle described donation provided for in this subsection (9)(a) is registered permanently unless ownership of the vehicle is transferred. (6)(b);

(b) Whenever ownership to of the a vehicle described credit of in the subsection (9)(a) special revenue account established in 53-6-2210 if is the transferred, revenue the is new owner is required to register from the vehicle as if it were being registered donation provided for the first time, including paying all of the required fees in lieu of tax, taxes, subsection (6)(c);

(c) to the credit of the account established in 2-15-2218 if the revenue is from the donation provided for in subsection (6)(d).

Registration -- Original registration – process --