Montana Legislature Passes Bill To Increase Allowable RV Length

On March 16, 2021, the Montana State Senate passed a bill (MT HB 83) to update the state’s definition of “motorhome” and “travel trailer.” Once signed into law, the allowable maximum length of a travel trailer in Montana state law will be increased from 40 ft. to 46 ft. Additionally, the updated law will no longer include an outdated limit of less than 320 sq. ft. gross trailer area.

“We expect the Governor to approve HB 83 and for it to become law,” said RV Industry Association Senior Manager of Government Affairs Nick Rudowich. “This is a great result for the RV industry. We are grateful for our in-state partners that worked with us to amend House Bill 83 early in the legislative process, they were a critical component in the success of House Bill 83.”

This bill will modernize and align Montana statute to reflect 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also updates the motorhome definition to reference NFPA 1192: Standard on Recreational Vehicles instead of the current outdated reference to ANSI A119.2.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.