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How much does a DUI cost in Montana?
A first DUI in Montana carries a statutory fine of $600–$1,000. This guide stacks every cost layer an official Montana source prices — the fine, court costs, the license reinstatement fee, the DUI program, ignition interlock, and the SR-22 insurance filing — and says plainly which layers no official source prices at all.
| Montana DUI costs at a glance | Figure |
|---|---|
| Statutory fine — first DUI | A first DUI violation carries a fine of $600 to $1,000, along with a jail term of 24 consecutive hours to six months. If a passenger under 16 was in the vehicle, the first-offense fine rises to $1,200 to $2,000. |
| Statutory fine — second DUI | The statute separates a second offense: $1,200–$2,000. Second offenses also carry longer suspensions and program requirements — see the sections below. |
| Court costs & fees | No single statewide court-cost figure is published in the official Montana sources reviewed, so court costs are additional and set in the individual case. |
| License suspension — first offense | Under MCA 61-5-208, the department suspends the driver's license for six months on a first DUI conviction. A restricted or probationary license may be available in limited circumstances, and the suspension remains in effect past six months if the required chemical dependency treatment has not been completed. |
| License reinstatement fee | Under MCA 61-2-107, a license suspended or revoked under the DUI provisions remains suspended until the driver pays a $200 reinstatement fee, in addition to any other fines and penalties. Half of the fee funds county drinking and driving prevention programs. |
| Ignition interlock | Conditional — restricted license / court order — An interlock is not required for every first offense. Montana law allows restricted or probationary driving during a suspension in defined circumstances, and an ignition interlock can be imposed as a condition of probation or restricted driving. The driver pays the device costs; no official price is published. |
| DUI education / treatment program | Regardless of how the case is resolved, the person must comply with the chemical dependency education course and treatment provisions of MCA 61-8-1009 as ordered by the court. No official program fee is published in the statute sections reviewed. |
| SR-22 insurance filing | Whether Montana requires an SR-22 filing after a DUI could not be verified from an official page opened in this research, so it is recorded as unverified. A conviction generally leads insurers to treat a driver as higher risk, which can raise premiums; no official source states a dollar figure. |
The fine
A first DUI violation carries a fine of $600 to $1,000, along with a jail term of 24 consecutive hours to six months. If a passenger under 16 was in the vehicle, the first-offense fine rises to $1,200 to $2,000.
Court costs & fees
No single statewide court-cost figure is published in the official Montana sources reviewed, so court costs are additional and set in the individual case.
License suspension & reinstatement
Under MCA 61-5-208, the department suspends the driver's license for six months on a first DUI conviction. A restricted or probationary license may be available in limited circumstances, and the suspension remains in effect past six months if the required chemical dependency treatment has not been completed.
Under MCA 61-2-107, a license suspended or revoked under the DUI provisions remains suspended until the driver pays a $200 reinstatement fee, in addition to any other fines and penalties. Half of the fee funds county drinking and driving prevention programs.
The national picture — which states charge the most to reinstate — is in our license reinstatement guide.
Ignition interlock
An interlock is not required for every first offense. Montana law allows restricted or probationary driving during a suspension in defined circumstances, and an ignition interlock can be imposed as a condition of probation or restricted driving. The driver pays the device costs; no official price is published.
How interlock pricing works (installation, monthly lease, calibration, removal) is in our ignition interlock cost guide.
DUI education & treatment program
Regardless of how the case is resolved, the person must comply with the chemical dependency education course and treatment provisions of MCA 61-8-1009 as ordered by the court. No official program fee is published in the statute sections reviewed.
SR-22 & insurance
Whether Montana requires an SR-22 filing after a DUI could not be verified from an official page opened in this research, so it is recorded as unverified. A conviction generally leads insurers to treat a driver as higher risk, which can raise premiums; no official source states a dollar figure.
What an SR-22 is, which states charge a filing fee, and how long it must be carried: SR-22 cost guide.
Towing, impound & other charges
No additional mandatory statewide charges beyond the fine and the $200 reinstatement fee were published in the official Montana pages reviewed.
Worked total: the verified charges stacked
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Statutory fine | $600–$1,000 |
| License reinstatement fee | $200 |
| Total of the verified state-set charges above | $800–$1,200 |
That total is deliberately incomplete: it leaves out everything no official Montana source prices statewide — court costs where they are set county by county, interlock lease payments to a private vendor, towing and storage, and the insurance increase that follows an SR-22. Add your own figures for those in the cost calculator.
Sources: Montana Code Annotated — 61-8-1007 (DUI penalties) · Montana Code Annotated — 61-5-208 (period of suspension) · Montana Code Annotated — 61-5-205 (mandatory revocation or suspension) · Montana Code Annotated — 61-2-107 (reinstatement fee). Researched October 2026 — confirm current figures with the court and the driver-licensing agency.
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