Montana’s minimum non-owner policy is not a business coverage quote
Montana requires liability insurance on registered vehicles operated by owners or permitted drivers, and its statutory operator policy covers the named insured’s liability while using a non-owned vehicle. The legal operator policy’s minimum limits and employee/property exclusions do not establish what a business HNOA contract covers, so confirm both the named insureds and the protection needed for business trips.
What Is Hired and Non-Owned Auto Insurance?
Hired and non-owned auto (HNOA) liability protects the business when rented cars or employees’ own cars are used for work. It does not pay for damage to those vehicles, and it is not a substitute for commercial auto on vehicles the business owns. Read the national Hired and non-owned auto guide.
Montana Hired and Non-Owned Auto Insurance Requirements
What to Watch for With Hired and Non-Owned Auto in Montana
A vehicle owner must maintain liability security for permitted operation
Montana requires an owner to continuously provide liability insurance or an approved self-insurance certificate for a registered vehicle operated by the owner or with the owner’s permission, subject to the law’s exceptions. That vehicle-level duty is separate from whether the business’s HNOA contract covers the company or employee. 1
The statutory operator policy covers a named person using non-owned vehicles
Montana’s required owner-policy form covers described vehicles and permitted users; a separate operator policy must cover the named insured’s liability while using any vehicle the operator does not own. Do not treat the operator-policy rule as proof that an employee’s individual policy insures the employer. Ask for the business policy’s actual insured-person and use definitions. 2
The minimum limits are modest and do not set your business limit
Section 61-6-103 sets financial-responsibility limits of $25,000 for one person’s bodily injury, $50,000 for bodily injury to multiple people and $20,000 for property damage per accident. The statute permits additional or excess coverage beyond its required portion; compare the quoted HNOA limit with the company’s chosen exposure rather than assuming the legal minimum is adequate. 2
The minimum motor-vehicle policy can exclude employee and carried-property claims
Montana’s statutory policy need not insure workers’ compensation liability, bodily injury to an employee while working or operating, maintaining or repairing a vehicle, or damage to property owned by, rented to, in the charge of or transported by the insured. Those are exceptions in the statutory minimum policy definition, not a statement about every commercial contract; check the HNOA policy and any separate property protection. 2
Which Hired and Non-Owned Auto Providers Have Montana License Records?
These providers publish a national listing for Hired and non-owned auto; the state records document licenses for the entities and roles shown below. Some records rely on company-reported information rather than independent regulator verification. A national listing does not confirm the product is available in Montana. Check the regulator’s license lookup and confirm state availability for your business when requesting a quote.
Corgi
Corgi Insurance Services, Inc.
Corgi’s company producer-license table lists 50 jurisdictions: 49 states and the District of Columbia, including DC license 3003091619. New Mexico does not appear in the table and is not included here; the omission does not establish that Corgi is unlicensed there. The company-reported table has no stated as-of date and does not establish product availability. 20
Corgi lists hired and non-owned auto liability for employees using rented or personal vehicles for company business.
Who Regulates Insurance in Montana?
Montana Commissioner of Securities and Insurance
The Commissioner of Securities and Insurance regulates Montana insurers and producers and acts as a consumer advocate. The office accepts written or online complaints about insurers and insurance professionals. 3,4,5
Surplus-Lines Tax and Stamping Office in Montana
Reported tax rate. 2.75% of total premium (0.75% for legal professional liability) + 2.50% fire tax on applicable fire premium + 0.175% SLIP+ transaction fee on total premium 6,7,9,10
Montana requires an eligible surplus-lines insurer and a statutory placement path when it is the insured’s home state. Before placement, the producing producer must advise you that the insurer is unauthorized in Montana and is not subject to the same supervision as an authorized insurer, and that if the surplus-lines insurer becomes insolvent, Montana’s property-and-casualty guaranty fund will not pay losses under the surplus-lines coverage. Confirm the applicable placement route and tax and fee bases with the producer.
- Montana surplus-lines placement routes: When Montana is home state, §33-2-302 generally calls for an eligible insurer and evidence that the line or full amount is unavailable from authorized insurers (or, at renewal, has not become available). The evidence routes are a diligent search of at least three insurers actually writing that line in Montana (or the smaller actual market), the kind appearing on the current Approved Risk List, or natural-disaster multiperil coverage. The list names kinds and classes; it does not prove that a particular business or BOP qualifies. Section 302 separately waives search requirements for an authorized quote with a premium rate at least 10% above the eligible unauthorized quote, if commissioner-approved disclosure is provided; and for a qualifying exempt commercial purchaser (ECP), after disclosure that coverage may or may not be available from an authorized insurer that may provide greater protection with more regulatory oversight, followed by the purchaser’s later written request. Under §318, an ECP must employ or retain a qualified risk manager as defined in §319, have paid over $100,000 in nationwide commercial P&C premiums in the prior 12 months, and meet one additional §318(1)(c) criterion. Some financial thresholds adjust every five years. 9,10,8,12,15,16
- Check the fire-tax allocation on a commercial package: Section 33-2-311 generally requires the surplus-lines producer to collect and pay the tax when Montana is home state, subject to §33-2-323. For a single-state risk with Montana as home state, §33-2-323(4) requires submission to the Commissioner, who collects the tax. Ask the producer which filing and payment route applies. CSI’s July 2026 guide lists code 1005, Commercial Package (Property & Casualty), with a 50% presumptively reasonable allocation and a 1.25% effective fire-tax rate. Treat this as an example: verify the code and allocation used for the policy; do not assume every BOP is classified as code 1005. CSI’s current schedule sets annual tax due dates (quarterly tax payments are accepted) and separate quarterly SLIP+ transaction-fee deadlines. 11,14,13,17
Questions to Ask Before You Buy Hired and Non-Owned Auto in Montana
- Does the business policy cover the company’s liability arising from employee-owned and rented vehicle use in Montana?
- Are employees insured too, or is only the business named as an insured?
- What liability limit does the business want above Montana’s required vehicle-policy minimum?
- How are employee bodily injury, workers’ compensation liability and property in the company’s care handled across the relevant policies?
Hired and Non-Owned Auto Insurance in Montana: FAQ
Does Montana’s non-owned operator-policy rule automatically cover an employer?
No. Section 61-6-103(2) describes liability insurance for the named operator using a vehicle they do not own. It does not establish that the operator’s employer is an insured under a separate HNOA policy. 2
Hired and Non-Owned Auto Insurance Guides for Other States
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Other coverage in MontanaEvery coverage guide for Montana, plus the regulator and surplus-lines details.24 documents, numbered as cited. Open the sources