Montana E-Bike Laws 2026: No 3-Class, Trail Bans

The 30-second answer

E-bikes are legal across Montana under MCA §61-8-102(7) — but Montana is a single-tier state, not a three-class state. The definition is the original pre-PeopleForBikes model law shape: an "electrically assisted bicycle" is a two-tandem-wheeled vehicle with an electric motor that cannot propel a 170-pound rider faster than 20 mph on a paved, level surface. There is no Class 1/2/3 distinction in the statute and no separate treatment for pedal-assist vs throttle.

Three things make Montana stand out from neighboring three-class states (ID, WY, ND, SD):

1. No three-class framework. SB 387 (2025), sponsored by Sen. Greg Hertz (R-Polson), was the most serious attempt to adopt the federal three-class model. It passed Senate 2nd reading 29-21 on 5 March 2025, then FAILED 3rd reading 24-26 on 6 March 2025, missed the general bill transmittal deadline of 12 May, and died in process on 23 May 2025. Earlier attempts (HB 261 of 2023, HB 200 of 2025) also failed.
2. State trust lands classify e-bikes as motorized. Per DNRC's Bikes and E-Bikes guidance, e-bikes — including pedal-assist — are treated as motorized vehicles on Montana state trust lands. Allowed on signed-open roads only; not on trails, not off-road. Standard pedal bicycles are fine on dispersed trail riding with a Conservation License; e-bikes are not.
3. No statewide helmet rule for anyone. Montana has no statewide bicycle or e-bike helmet law for any rider, any age. Only Billings imposes an under-16 helmet ordinance. There is also no statewide minimum age.

No driver license, no DMV registration, no insurance. As a "bicycle" under §61-8-102(2), an e-bike meeting the single 20-mph definition is treated identically to a human-powered bicycle for Title 61 (Motor Vehicles) purposes — full stop.

Quick reference

Two practical reads. First, Montana's on-road statute is rider-friendly — single 20-mph definition, treated as a bicycle, no license, no helmet, no minimum age. Second, the off-road and city picture is more complicated than the headline suggests: state trust lands lock you out of all non-road riding, Missoula/Bozeman/Billings each have downtown sidewalk overlays, and Glacier/Yellowstone require pedal engagement (no throttle-only) even where they admit e-bikes. The single-tier definition is the most consequential gap — without statutory Class 1/2/3 categories, every land manager has to pick their own policy, which is why the off-road landscape is so fragmented.

The single-tier definition — MCA §61-8-102

Montana defines "electrically assisted bicycle" at MCA §61-8-102(7). The verbatim text:

"Electrically assisted bicycle" means a vehicle on which a person may ride that has two tandem wheels and an electric motor capable of propelling the vehicle and a rider who weighs 170 pounds no faster than 20 miles an hour on a paved, level surface.

And the umbrella "bicycle" definition at §61-8-102(2):

"Bicycle" means a vehicle propelled solely by human power on which any person may ride, irrespective of the number of wheels, except scooters, wheelchairs, and similar devices. The term includes an electrically assisted bicycle.

That last sentence — "The term includes an electrically assisted bicycle" — is the load-bearing language: it folds e-bikes meeting §61-8-102(7) into the broader bicycle category for all of Title 61 (Motor Vehicles). That's the statutory hook that exempts e-bikes from driver licensing, DMV registration, insurance, and motorcycle rules — exactly as a human-powered bicycle would be exempted.

Note on §61-1-101. Some secondary sources cite Montana e-bike law to §61-1-101 (the general Definitions section). That section mentions "electrically assisted bicycle" only once — inside the motorized scooter definition, which says a motorized scooter "does not include an electrically assisted bicycle." That's a useful disclaimer (it keeps e-bikes out of the motorized-scooter regime introduced by HB 442 of 2025), but it is not the definitional statute. The actual definition is at §61-8-102.

Why Montana doesn't have Class 1/2/3

Most states adopted the PeopleForBikes-drafted three-class model between 2017 and 2023 — California (2015) was the first, and Idaho (2019), Wyoming (2019), North Dakota (2017), and South Dakota (2018) all adopted it before Montana made any attempt. Montana has tried at least three times:

• HB 261 (2023) — Rep. Denley Loge's bill to define three classes and make e-bike access on bicycle paths the default. Failed amid land-manager concerns about default trail access.
• HB 200 (2025) — earlier 2025-session attempt, also failed.
• SB 387 (2025) — Sen. Greg Hertz's bill, the most advanced of the three. Passed Senate 2nd reading 29-21 on 5 March 2025, failed 3rd reading 24-26 on 6 March 2025, missed the general bill transmittal deadline of 12 May 2025, and died in process on 23 May 2025.

The core controversy across all three bills was default trail access. Under three-class statutes elsewhere, Class 1 (and sometimes Class 2) is typically presumed-allowed on multi-use paths and natural-surface bike trails unless a land manager affirmatively excludes them. Montana conservation groups, state-trust-land administrators, and Wilderness Study Area advocates pushed back hard — preferring the current regime where every land manager decides independently. That tension is what kept all three bills from passing.

Bottom line: until the Legislature returns to this question (likely in the 2027 session), Montana stays single-tier. A bike that meets the 20-mph motor-output cap is a "bicycle" under §61-8-102; a bike that exceeds it is not — and falls into the moped or motor-vehicle regime instead.

Where you can ride

Roads + bike lanes

Same rights and duties as a regular bicycle under MCA Title 61, Chapter 8, Part 6 (Bicycles and Mopeds). The bicycle and motor-vehicle rules apply identically; there is no separate e-bike road code.

Sidewalks

Permitted statewide default unless prohibited by local ordinance — but the three biggest cities have all opted out of downtown sidewalk e-bike riding:

• Missoula — Ordinance 3638 prohibits e-bikes on sidewalks in the Central Business District. Outside the CBD, sidewalk riding is generally allowed.
• Bozeman — riders over 15 are prohibited from all city sidewalks. (Riders 15 and under may use sidewalks.)
• Billings — downtown sidewalk restrictions; helmet required for riders under 16 (the only Montana municipality with a helmet ordinance for any rider).

Outside these three cities, default rules apply — but check the local code before riding any city sidewalk.

Multi-use paths + bicycle paths

Per §61-8-102(2), an electrically assisted bicycle is a "bicycle" — so anywhere a bicycle is permitted on a city or county path, the e-bike is permitted too. There is no statewide path-class-overlay rule (because there are no classes). Local agencies can and do post specific exclusions; the Missoula River Front Trail, Bozeman Gallagator Linear Trail, and Billings Heritage Trail follow their respective city codes.

State trust lands — the motorized classification

This is the single biggest practical surprise for Montana e-bike riders. Per the Montana DNRC Bikes and E-Bikes page:

"Electric Bikes, aka peddle [sic] assist bikes, are considered to be motorized vehicles within the context of recreational use of trust lands."

Practical effect:

• Standard pedal bicycles — allowed for dispersed riding on most trust lands with a Conservation License (~$8/year for residents, ~$10 for nonresidents).
• All e-bikes (Class 1, Class 2, or single-tier Montana-definition) — treated as motorized. Permitted only on signed-open roads (federal, state, dedicated county roads). Not on trails, off-trail, or on gated roads.

This is despite the fact that the same e-bike is a "bicycle" under §61-8-102 for road-law purposes. DNRC's authority comes from MCA Title 77 (State Lands), not Title 61 — different statute, different agency, different default.

Montana State Parks (a different agency — Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks) does not currently have a formal eMTB policy; e-bikes are generally permitted on state-park paths where bicycles are permitted, but agency staff have discretion to restrict by trail.

Glacier National Park

Per NPS Glacier bicycling guidance:

• Motor cap: less than 750 watts (≈1 hp).
• Engagement: motor must be engaged only while pedaling — throttle-only operation is not allowed.
• Where: same as standard bicycles — paved roads, unpaved roads, and designated multi-use paths. Not on hiking trails or in backcountry.
• Going-to-the-Sun Road peak-season restrictions (when fully open through ~late September):
  • Eastbound (Apgar → Logan Pass): no biking 12 pm – 6 pm.
  • Westbound (Logan Pass → Apgar): no biking 3 pm – 6 pm.

Glacier is one of the most popular NPS units for e-bike use in the country because the Going-to-the-Sun Road climbs ~3,400 ft over 32 miles to Logan Pass — a brutal climb on a pedal bike that becomes a reasonable day ride on a pedal-assist e-bike. The seasonal vehicle-free spring window (typically late March through May, when plowing is in progress and the road is closed to motor traffic) is the best window — quiet road, climbing legs, no Going-to-the-Sun timing rules.

Yellowstone National Park — via West Yellowstone, MT

Yellowstone's primary west entrance is at West Yellowstone, Montana (US-191/US-20). The NPS rules apply uniformly to all three states bordering the park (MT, WY, ID).

Per Secretary's Order 3376 (effective 2 December 2020) and the NPS Yellowstone bicycling page:

• E-bikes are allowed wherever traditional bicycles are allowed.
• Throttle-only operation is prohibited (rider must pedal) except on roads open to public motor vehicle traffic.
• Not allowed in designated wilderness, areas managed as wilderness, or on oversnow routes in winter.

Practical read: Class 1 (pedal-assist ≤20 mph) is the cleanest fit; Class 2 (throttle) is allowed on motor-vehicle roads but you cannot use throttle-only on paved bike paths inside the park. Class 3 (pedal-assist ≤28 mph) is allowed under the same framework but Yellowstone's park-road speed limit (45 mph max, often 25-35) makes the 28-mph Class 3 distinction practically irrelevant.

Route of the Hiawatha — Montana side

The Route of the Hiawatha starts in Montana at the East Portal trailhead, climbs through the 1.66-mile St. Paul Pass (Taft) Tunnel under the Bitterroot Mountains, and descends 15 miles into Idaho. It's administered by Lookout Pass Ski & Recreation under a USFS special-use permit; the e-bike policy is permit-driven, not state-law-driven:

• Class 1 e-bikes — allowed.
• Class 2 e-bikes — allowed only with throttle physically disabled and inspected by Hiawatha Trail staff to fit the USFS Class 1 definition.
• Class 3 e-bikes — prohibited at all times.
• E-bikes pay an additional shuttle fee (heavier and bulkier than standard bikes; don't always fit shuttle racks).

Note that the trail itself is in Idaho for most of its length, but the start, the parking, and the ticket office are in Montana — and the East Portal is technically on the Montana side of the state line.

USFS lands (Custer-Gallatin, Flathead, Lolo, Helena-Lewis & Clark)

Per the USFS national e-bike policy, the default rule on USFS lands is:

• All three classes generally allowed on motorized roads and trails.
• Non-motorized singletrack: only where specifically designated as e-bike-permitted by the Forest Supervisor or Ranger District.

Montana hosts five of the largest National Forests in the lower 48 — and each Forest Supervisor sets its own designation policy. Always check the USFS Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM) for the specific district before riding.

Helmet, age, license, registration

The single-tier definition removes the most common helmet-age trigger (Class 3 operator/passenger helmets under 18) that other states impose. Combined with no statewide minimum age and no statewide helmet, Montana's on-road rules are among the most permissive in the country — comparable to neighboring Idaho.

Pending + recent legislation

• SB 387 (2025) — Sen. Greg Hertz, R-Polson. Would have adopted the three-class framework and folded e-bikes into the standard bicycle path-access regime. Passed Senate 2nd reading 29-21 (5 Mar 2025), failed Senate 3rd reading 24-26 (6 Mar 2025), missed the general bill transmittal deadline (12 May 2025), died in process 23 May 2025.
• HB 200 (2025) — earlier 2025-session companion attempt; failed.
• HB 261 (2023) — Rep. Denley Loge. Would have defined Class 1/2/3 and made e-bike trail access the default. Failed amid land-manager concerns.
• HB 442 (2025) — separate bill on motorized scooters (e-scooters), enacted. Added the §61-1-101 motorized-scooter definition that explicitly excludes electrically assisted bicycles — keeping e-bikes outside the new e-scooter regime. Does NOT change e-bike classification.

Current law remains: MCA §61-8-102 (single-tier definition + bicycle inclusion), with no driver license, registration, or insurance required. Watch the 2027 session for a fourth three-class attempt — the political math is close (the 2025 SB 387 lost by 2 votes on 3rd reading).

Bottom line

Montana is one of the most permissive on-road e-bike states in the West — single 20-mph definition, treated as a bicycle, no license, no registration, no insurance, no helmet, no minimum age. The catch is off-road: Montana DNRC classifies all e-bikes as motorized on state trust lands (roads-only, no trails), and the failed adoption of the federal three-class framework means there's no clean statutory baseline for path access. National Park access is good (Glacier, Yellowstone both admit e-bikes on roads and multi-use paths), the Route of the Hiawatha is open to Class 1 and disabled-throttle Class 2, and USFS lands follow the standard motorized-roads-only default.

Sources

• MCA §61-8-102 — Uniformity of interpretation and definitions (bicycle + electrically assisted bicycle)
• MCA §61-1-101 — General definitions (motorized scooter excludes e-bike)
• Montana Free Press — SB 387 Capitol Tracker
• LegiScan — Montana SB 387 (2025)
• Montana HB 261 (2023) — three-class attempt
• DNRC — Bikes and E-Bikes on Montana Trust Lands
• DNRC — Public Use of Trust Lands
• Glacier National Park — Bicycling
• Yellowstone National Park — Bicycling
• Secretary's Order 3376 — DOI federal lands e-bike policy
• Route of the Hiawatha — e-bike policy
• USFS — National e-bike policy
• Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks — Conservation License
• PeopleForBikes — State Electric Bike Laws (Montana row)
• Montana Transportation Interim Committee — E-Bikes and Scooters briefing (Sep 2019)
• Flathead Beacon — Bills to expand e-bike use on trails elicit access concerns (Feb 2023)