Montana Bill To Increase Allowable RV Length Signed Into Law

Recently, Montana Governor Greg Gianforte signed into law a bill (MT HB 83) to update the state’s definition of “motorhome” and “travel trailer.” Under the new law, the allowable maximum length of a travel trailer in Montana will be increased from 40 ft. to 46 ft. Additionally, the updated law will no longer include an outdated limit of 320 sq. ft. gross trailer area. The legislation will become effective on October 1, 2021.

“HB 83 modernizes Montana statute to match current RV standards and widely accepted RV dimensions, which is important for the health of the industry in Montana as we move forward,” said RV Industry Association Senior Manager of Government Affairs Nick Rudowich. “We would like to thank Governor Gianforte for signing HB 83 into law, and for Representative Dooling for carrying the legislation this session. Further, we would also like to thank our in-state partners who were critical to the passage of HB 83.”

This bill modernizes and aligns Montana statute to reflect the current RV industry standards and widely accepted RV dimensions. In addition to the increased length provision, the bill also updates the motorhome definition to reference NFPA 1192: Standard on Recreational Vehicles instead of the current outdated reference to ANSI A119.2.

For more information on this issue, contact Nick Rudowich at nrudowich@rvia.org.