61-5-232. Restricted-use driving permit — conditions — definitions. (1) A person who, pursuant to 61-5-105(2), may not be issued a driver‘s license due to an ineligible status reported by another state to the national driver register may petition the district court of the county in which the person resides for a restricted-use driving permit for use only within the state of Montana if:

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Terms Used In Montana Code 61-5-232

  • Commercial motor vehicle: means a motor vehicle or combination of motor vehicles used in commerce to transport passengers or property if the vehicle:

    (i)has a gross combination weight rating or a gross combination weight of 26,001 pounds or more, whichever is greater, inclusive of a towed unit with a gross vehicle weight rating of more than 10,000 pounds;

    (ii)has a gross vehicle weight rating or a gross vehicle weight of 26,001 pounds or more, whichever is greater;

    (iii)is designed to transport at least 16 passengers, including the driver;

    (iv)is a school bus; or

    (v)is of any size and is used in the transportation of hazardous materials. See Montana Code 61-1-101

  • 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
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • 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
  • register: means the act or process of creating an electronic record, maintained by the department, of the assignment of a license plate or a set of license plates to and the issuance of a registration decal for a specific vehicle, the ownership of which has been established or is presumed in department records. See Montana Code 61-1-101
  • Revocation: means the termination by action of the department of a person's driver's license, privilege to drive a motor vehicle on the public highways, and privilege to apply for and be issued a driver's license for a period of time designated by law, during which the license or privilege may not be renewed, restored, or exercised. See Montana Code 61-1-101
  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories. See Montana Code 1-1-201
  • Suspension: means the temporary withdrawal by action of the department of a person's driver's license, privilege to drive a motor vehicle on the public highways, and privilege to apply for or be issued a driver's license for a period of time designated by law. See Montana Code 61-1-101
  • Traffic: means pedestrians, ridden or herded animals, vehicles, streetcars, and other conveyances either singly or together while using any highways for purposes of travel. See Montana Code 61-1-101

(a)the person has maintained continuous residence in Montana for at least 5 years and is not otherwise ineligible for a license under 61-5-105;

(b)the person submits a certified driving record from the licensing agency of each state that has reported the person’s status as ineligible to the national driver register that shows that at least 5 years have elapsed from the effective date of the most recent withdrawal of the person’s driver’s license or driving privileges by the other state or states;

(c)for the 5-year period immediately preceding application for a restricted-use driving permit, the person has not been convicted in any jurisdiction of a felony or misdemeanor offense;

(d)the person certifies that no traffic citations or alcohol-related or drug-related criminal charges are currently pending against the person;

(e)the person certifies that a good faith effort was made to resolve the person’s ineligible status through the licensing agency of each state or states that reported the person’s status as ineligible to the national driver register, including the payment of any pending fees or fines; and

(f)the person provides any other information required by department rule.

(2)The department may issue a restricted-use driving permit only to a person who satisfies all of the requirements of this section as determined by a district court pursuant to subsection (1). A person who is issued a restricted-use driving permit may use it only for an essential driving purpose as defined by the department.

(3)For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:

(a)”Most recent withdrawal” means the suspension, revocation, or denial of a driver’s license or driving privilege underlying a current ineligible status report made by another state’s licensing agency to the national driver register.

(b)”National driver register” means the registry established under 49 U.S.C. § 30302.

(c)”Restricted-use driving permit” means a paper document authorizing a person to drive within this state for essential driving purposes only and that is issued by the department to a person whose status on the national driver register is reported as ineligible to operate a motor vehicle other than a commercial motor vehicle.