Montana: titling an imported car
Montana's August 2026 title manual says a non-complying gray-market vehicle will not be titled without a DOT/EPA bond release, and applications are held until it arrives.
Sources checked 2026-10-17. Not legal advice; rules change.
At a glance
- Import ease (where verified): Process documented; 25-year treatment not stated in the sources read. The title manual requires bond release letters for non-complying vehicles and does not address HS-7 Box 1 (25+ years) vehicles.
- Kei / mini-truck: No kei or mini-truck rule found in the sources read. No kei or mini-truck rule found in the official pages read.
What the official sources say
- Montana Title Manual (August 2026), gray-market section: vehicles not in compliance with U.S. standards will not have an MCO; the importer must post a DOT bond and convert the vehicle before it can be registered and titled. A person can apply, but if the application is not accompanied by the bond release, a title will not be issued; the department holds applications until the releases arrive, which 'generally takes three to six months.'
Source: Montana DOJ MVD Title Manual 2026 - Same manual: documents are MV1, foreign registration or certificate of ownership, a bill of sale or signed invoices showing the chain of ownership, translation if needed, a VIN inspection (form MV20V), a customs entry document showing legal entry, and a DOT/EPA bond-release letter. On the HS-7, paragraph 2 requires an MCO and paragraph 3 requires a DOT/EPA release.
Source: Montana DOJ MVD Title Manual 2026 - Same manual, foreign-vehicle section: a non-conforming vehicle under 25 years old that is salvage, repaired salvage or reconstructed is not eligible to be imported; the 25-year period runs from the date of manufacture. If the date is not on a manufacturer's label, use documents such as an invoice showing first sale or a registration at least 25 years ago. Any HS-7 marked 'export only' cannot be titled or registered. Entry form 7501 is the only acceptable customs entry form there, and it must be a U.S. form.
Source: Montana DOJ MVD Title Manual 2026
Not verified (do not rely on ImportClock for these)
- The manual does not say how a vehicle imported under HS-7 Box 1 (25 or more years old) is titled; whether the bond-release requirement applies to it was not found.
- No kei or mini-truck rule and no emissions rule were found in the sections read.
- A July 2026 version of the manual URL returned HTTP 404; the August 2026 version was used.