Montana car registration and title fees

• Registration fee — $223.51. Montana charges registration by the car's age, not its value: $217 a year for a car 4 model years old or newer, plus the state's 3% administrative fee ($6.51). Due every year at renewal. (MCA 61-3-321(2)(a), 61-3-111; MVD fee estimator (2026-10-11))
• Registration fee — varies. Montana charges registration by the car's age (current year minus model year): $217 for 4 years or newer, $87 for 5 to 10 years, $28 for 11 or more, each plus the state's 3% administrative fee. A used car is registered again in the buyer's name, so the full year is due. Enter the model year; without it we assume 10 years old. (MCA 61-3-321(2)(a), 61-3-501(3), 61-3-111)
• Electric vehicle fee — varies. A yearly fee on electric cars, set by weight: $130 under 6,000 lbs and $190 from 6,000 to 10,000 lbs, plus the state's 3% administrative fee. Enter the curb weight to get your bracket; without it we assume under 6,000 lbs. (MCA 61-3-572, 61-3-571, 61-3-111; MVD fee estimator (2026-10-11))
• Plug-in hybrid fee — varies. A yearly fee on plug-in hybrids, set by weight: $70 under 6,000 lbs and $100 from 6,000 to 10,000 lbs, plus the state's 3% administrative fee. Enter the curb weight to get your bracket; without it we assume under 6,000 lbs. Hybrids without a plug pay nothing extra. (MCA 61-3-572, 61-3-571, 61-3-111; MVD fee estimator (2026-10-11))
• Title fee — $12.36. $12 for a car or a truck up to 1 ton, plus the state's 3% administrative fee. It falls to $7 on July 1, 2028. (MCA 61-3-203(1)(b), 61-3-111)
• Title fee — $7.21. $7 for a car or a truck up to 1 ton from July 1, 2028, plus the state's 3% administrative fee. (MCA 61-3-203(4), 61-3-111)
• Lien filing fee — $8.24. $8 to record a lender's lien on the title. The 3% administrative fee is assumed to apply; the state's estimator doesn't cover liens. (MCA 61-3-103(8))
• License plates — $12.36. $12 for a new set of standard plates, plus the state's 3% administrative fee. Not charged when you move plates you already have to this car. (MCA 61-3-321(13)(a), 61-3-335, 61-3-111)
• Highway Patrol salary fee — $10.30. A $10 state fee on each light vehicle registered, plus the state's 3% administrative fee. (MCA 61-3-321(20), 61-3-111)
• State parks fee — $9.27. $9 for state parks and fishing access sites, plus the state's 3% administrative fee. It is on by default; you can tell the county treasurer you don't plan to use state parks and decline it. (MCA 61-3-321(19), 61-3-111)
• Brain injury program donation — $1.03. An automatic $1 donation to the brain-injury program, plus the state's 3% administrative fee. You can opt out at the counter. (MCA 61-3-303(6)(d), 61-3-111)
• Truck weight fee — $18.03. A yearly fee on pickups set by rated capacity: $7 for a half-ton, $12.50 for a 3/4-ton and $17.50 for a 1-ton, plus the state's 3% administrative fee. The state's estimator charges $17.50 for any truck, so that is what we show. (MCA 61-10-201, 61-3-111; MVD fee estimator (2026-10-11))
• Luxury vehicle fee — $849.75. A yearly $825 fee, plus the state's 3% administrative fee, on a light vehicle with a manufacturer's suggested retail price over $150,000 that is 10 model years old or newer. We apply it when the price is $150,000 or more. (MCA 61-3-321(2)(b), 61-3-111; MVD fee estimator (2026-10-11))
• County option vehicle tax — varies. Your county's own vehicle tax, paid to the county treasurer with registration: 0.5% of the car's manufacturer's suggested retail price after the state's depreciation schedule (90% of MSRP for a current-model-year car, 80% a year later, and so on). Enter the MSRP; without it we use the price you're paying. This uses the passenger-car column; trucks, vans and SUVs have their own, slightly higher, percentages. The state's 3% administrative fee is not added to this tax. (MCA 61-3-537, 61-3-503; MVD light-vehicle fee page; MVD fee estimator (2026-10-11/12))
• County option vehicle tax — varies. Your county's own vehicle tax, paid to the county treasurer with registration: 0.5% of the car's manufacturer's suggested retail price after the state's depreciation schedule (90% of MSRP for a current-model-year car, 80% a year later, and so on). Enter the MSRP; without it we use the price you're paying. This uses the truck column of the state's schedule. The state's 3% administrative fee is not added to this tax. (MCA 61-3-537, 61-3-503; MVD light-vehicle fee page; MVD fee estimator (2026-10-11/12))
• County option vehicle tax — varies. Your county's own vehicle tax, paid to the county treasurer with registration: 0.3% of the car's manufacturer's suggested retail price after the state's depreciation schedule (90% of MSRP for a current-model-year car, 80% a year later, and so on). Enter the MSRP; without it we use the price you're paying. This uses the passenger-car column; trucks, vans and SUVs have their own, slightly higher, percentages. The state's 3% administrative fee is not added to this tax. (MCA 61-3-537, 61-3-503; MVD light-vehicle fee page; MVD fee estimator (2026-10-11/12))
• County option vehicle tax — varies. Your county's own vehicle tax, paid to the county treasurer with registration: 0.3% of the car's manufacturer's suggested retail price after the state's depreciation schedule (90% of MSRP for a current-model-year car, 80% a year later, and so on). Enter the MSRP; without it we use the price you're paying. This uses the truck column of the state's schedule. The state's 3% administrative fee is not added to this tax. (MCA 61-3-537, 61-3-503; MVD light-vehicle fee page; MVD fee estimator (2026-10-11/12))
• County option vehicle tax — varies. Granite County voters approved a 0.5% local option tax on light vehicles with a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $150,000 or more, starting January 1, 2027. It is charged on the depreciated MSRP with registration. Enter the MSRP; without it we use the price. The state's 3% administrative fee is not added. (Granite County Resolution 2026-4; Granite County unofficial 2026 primary results (Local Option Motor Vehicle Tax 2026-4, 774-491); MCA 61-3-537)

• Temporary registration permit (est.) — $24.50 (government-mandated). A 40-day permit that lets you drive until your plates are issued. The state's fee is $24.50 when a dealer issues it online and $19.50 at a county treasurer's office, and it is collected at the time of sale. We assume the dealer issues it. (MCA 61-3-224(2), (5), 61-4-112(2))

• Registration renews every year on the car's age: $217 for a car 4 model years old or newer, $87 for 5 to 10 and $28 for 11 or more, each plus 3%. A car 11 model years old or older can be registered permanently for $87.50 plus five times the county vehicle tax.
• Your county's vehicle tax is charged again at each renewal on the car's value after depreciation, so it falls every year. At 0.5% it is about $180 on a new $40,000 car and about $52 on that same car at 7 years old.

• The electric or plug-in hybrid fee is charged every year with registration, on top of the age-based registration fee.

• Registration is set by the car's age, not its value: $217 a year for a car 4 model years old or newer, $87 for 5 to 10 and $28 for 11 or more. The state adds a 3% administrative fee to each state fee.
• You pay these fees to your county treasurer, not the dealer, within 40 days of buying. The dealer sends in the title paperwork within 30 days and can issue a 40-day temporary permit ($24.50). They are in the calculator's total because you pay them either way.

Source: Montana Code Annotated 61-3-537 (Local Option Motor Vehicle Tax) · rules last verified Oct 11, 2026. Methodology.