Driver’s Education in Montana 2026: Courses and a Study Plan

Official study materials and courses

Option	Price	Free to use	Links
Official sources
Montana Driver ManualOfficial · PDFThe MVD’s study guide for the written knowledge test, in nine chapters, with a REAL ID checklist at the back.	Free	The whole manual, with a quiz and answers for chapters 1 to 7	Download the manual (PDF) ↗
In person
State-approved traffic educationIn person · through school districtsApproved by the Office of Public Instruction and the Department of Justice. The MVD’s page for drivers under 18 links its Teen Driving Log and its Guide to Teen Driving.	Not listed	Not listed	See the MVD’s teen steps ↗
Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) Basic Rider CourseIn person · Montana-approved coursePassing a Montana-approved course and showing the card may get the motorcycle skills test waived. The motorcycle license page explains the rules.	Not listed	Not listed	Read the MVD’s motorcycle page ↗

Prices and ratings checked November 2026.

Is driver’s education required in Montana?

The sources don’t say the same thing. State law lists an approved traffic education course among the conditions for a license under 18: a traditional course with at least 50 hours of supervised driving, 10 at night, or an alternative course approved by the Department of Justice with at least 75 hours, 15 at night (Montana Code Annotated, § 61‑5‑132).

The MVD’s page for drivers under 18 describes a learner permit at 15 for teens who haven’t taken a driver training class, and it asks for the 50 hours without naming a course before the restricted license. Ask the MVD which applies to you before you plan to skip the course.

The law’s course and hours rules don’t apply if you’re under 18 and have been licensed in another state for at least six months, and the course rule doesn’t apply to Job Corps enrollees in Montana. At 18 or older, the MVD’s page for adults lists no course.

Permit rules and the driving log →

Where to find an approved course

Traffic education courses must be approved by OPI and the Department of Justice, and the manual says online and third-party courses aren’t approved. To find one, contact your local school district or high school.

What the course gets you

A state-approved course gives you a few things the exam station route doesn’t:

A traffic education permit, which lets you drive in the course with your instructor beside you, while you’re enrolled
A learner permit from your instructor, younger than at an exam station, once you’ve met the course’s attendance and testing requirements
In a course the Department of Justice certifies, the standardized knowledge and road tests, given by the course and reported to the MVD
A completion certificate, which counts as a secondary identity document at the MVD

The driving age, step by step →

A study plan for the written test

Six steps, built on the manual and on what state law says the test checks:

Read chapter 1 for the permit, license and teen license rules.
Learn the sign groups in chapter 3 by shape and color, then the signs one by one, with the signals and road markings.
Read chapter 4 for right-of-way, turning, school buses and parking.
Work through chapter 5 on speed and space, and chapter 6 on alcohol and fitness to drive.
Write down the numbers: speed limits, signaling and parking distances, following distance and the alcohol limits.
Answer the quiz at the end of chapters 1 to 7, then take the practice test.

Take the practice test →

Sources: Montana Legislature · Montana Motor Vehicle Division and 5 more. Checked November 2026.