Montana Code 61-5-122. Low-speed restricted driver’s license
61-5-122. Low-speed restricted driver‘s license. (1) The department may issue a low-speed restricted driver’s license to a person who is physically or otherwise impaired in a manner and degree that prevent the person from safely operating a motor vehicle across the range of speeds permitted or required on a public highway.
Terms Used In Montana Code 61-5-122
- Department: means the department of justice acting directly or through its duly authorized officers or agents. See Montana Code 61-1-101
- Driver: means a person who drives or is in actual physical control of a vehicle. See Montana Code 61-1-101
- Golf cart: means a motor vehicle that is designed for use on a golf course to carry a person or persons and golf equipment and that has an average speed of less than 15 miles per hour. See Montana Code 61-1-101
- Low-speed electric vehicle: means a motor vehicle, on or by which a person may be transported, that:
(a)has four wheels;
(b)has a maximum speed of at least 20 miles an hour and no greater than 40 miles an hour as certified by the manufacturer;
(c)is propelled by its own power, using an electric motor or other device that transforms stored electrical energy into the motion of the vehicle;
(d)stores electricity in batteries, ultracapacitors, or similar devices, which are charged from the power grid or from renewable electrical energy sources;
(e)has a wheelbase of 40 inches or greater and a wheel diameter of 10 inches or greater;
(f)exhibits a manufacturer's compliance with 49 CFR, part 565, or displays a 17-character vehicle identification number as provided in 49 CFR, part 565; and
(g)is equipped as provided in 61-9-432. See Montana Code 61-1-101
- Motor vehicle: means :
(i)a vehicle propelled by its own power and designed or used to transport persons or property on the highways of the state;
(ii)a quadricycle if it is equipped for use on the highways as prescribed in chapter 9; or
(iii)a golf cart only if it is equipped for use on the highways as prescribed in chapter 9 and is operated pursuant to 61-8-391 or by a person with a low-speed restricted driver's license. See Montana Code 61-1-101
- person: means an individual, corporation, partnership, limited partnership, limited liability company, association, joint venture, state agency, local government unit, another state government, the United States, a political subdivision of this or another state, or any other legal or commercial entity. See Montana Code 61-1-101
- public highway: means the entire width between the boundary lines of every publicly maintained way when any part of the publicly maintained way is open to the use of the public for purposes of vehicular travel. See Montana Code 61-1-101
- Vehicle: means a device in, on, or by which any person or property may be transported or drawn on a public highway, except devices moved by animal power or used exclusively on stationary rails or tracks. See Montana Code 61-1-101
(2)(a) To qualify for a low-speed restricted driver’s license, an applicant shall submit to the department a medical evaluation or statement from a treating physician that attests to the person’s impairment and resulting inability to safely operate a motor vehicle across the range of speeds permitted or required on a public highway.
(b)The applicant must be otherwise qualified for a driver’s license under this chapter and shall apply for a driver’s license under 61-5-107, pay the fees required in 61-5-111, and pass the vision test, the knowledge test, and the road test required under 61-5-110. The road test must be modified to conform to the operational limitations of the vehicle.
(3)The department may issue a low-speed restricted learner license, valid for 30 days from the date of issuance, to a person who qualifies for a low-speed restricted driver’s license under this section and who passes the vision test and knowledge test required in 61-5-110. A licensee may operate a low-speed electric vehicle or golf cart pursuant to 61-8-378 while in the immediate possession of the license and accompanied by a licensed driver seated beside the licensee.