Mobility scooters in Montana: pedestrian status and sidewalks

Montana is direct about mobility devices. Its traffic code counts a person on a low-powered vehicle built for a physically disabled rider as a pedestrian, and it tells that rider when to use the sidewalk and what to do where there isn't one. For a family choosing a scooter, that answers the license-and-plate worry and sets some ground rules for getting around town.

The wording matters, though, because it describes devices "designed specifically for use by a physically disabled person." Below is the statute in full, then scooters suited to Montana's cold winters and mountain weather.

What the Montana Code says about riders and devices

The traffic chapter defines "Pedestrian" as "any person on foot or any person in a manually or mechanically propelled wheelchair or other low-powered, mechanically propelled vehicle designed specifically for use by a physically disabled person" (MCA 61-8-102(19)). The same section's "Motorized scooter" is something else: "a vehicle without a seat," so a seated mobility scooter does not fit that definition.

The motor vehicle chapter agrees. "Motor vehicle" does not include "a motorized wheelchair or other low-powered, mechanically propelled vehicle that is designed specifically for use by a physically disabled person and that is used as a means of mobility for that person," and "Vehicle" leaves out the same devices (MCA 61-1-101(41)(b) and (86)(b)).

Montana also gives these riders a specific rule of the road. MCA 61-8-506(3) says: "A person using a wheelchair or other vehicle designed specifically for use by a physically disabled person shall use sidewalks if use of sidewalks is practicable. If use of sidewalks is unsafe or not practicable, the person may use the wheelchair or other vehicle on a highway, as far as practicable from the center of the roadway."

At crossings, drivers "shall yield the right-of-way, slowing down or stopping if necessary, to a pedestrian crossing the roadway within a marked crosswalk or within an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection" (MCA 61-8-502). Crossing anywhere else reverses that: "Every pedestrian crossing a roadway at any point other than within a marked crosswalk or within an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection shall yield the right-of-way to all vehicles upon the roadway" (MCA 61-8-503).

In practice: stay on the sidewalk where it is usable, keep far from the center line on a road shoulder where it is not, and cross at intersections. We could not confirm how Montana courts apply "designed specifically for use by a physically disabled person" to every scooter model; your local police can tell you how they apply it.

Scooters for Montana ground

• Pride PX4: Pride built it for outdoor riding, with full suspension and 13 in pneumatic tires, and says it is made for "asphalt, concrete, gravel and any hard-packed surface"; it is rated for 500 lbs and up to 23.4 miles per charge.
• Golden Eagle All-Terrain 4-Wheel: 13-inch pneumatic turf tread tires, adjustable front and rear suspension and a 200 Amp controller for climbing; it carries 500 lbs and goes up to 34 miles on its 75 AH batteries.
• Pride BAJA Bandit: an outdoor scooter with full suspension and 4.5 in of ground clearance, carrying 400 lbs, with up to 22.5 miles at 400 lbs on the 40Ah lithium battery.
• Golden Buzzaround CarryOn: a travel scooter that comes apart into two pieces and weighs 65.5 lbs in all, with a lithium pack that Golden describes as airline friendly, for trips where the scooter rides in the trunk or on a plane.

Figures are from each product's page on our site, which restates the maker's numbers.

What Montana's climate means for a battery

NOAA's Montana climate summary says the east "can experience bitterly cold temperatures, occasionally lower than −30°F," and that July temperatures range "from less than 64°F in the western mountains to greater than 72°F in the southeastern plains." Precipitation runs from under 7 inches in southern valleys to more than 35 inches in the mountainous northwest.

Cold is the scooter battery's main enemy. Expect less range in winter than the listed figure, charge and store the scooter indoors, and plan shorter outings when temperatures drop. In snow, the sidewalk rule in section 61-8-506 still asks you to use the sidewalk where that is practicable, and lets you use the road edge when it is not, so a scooter with good clearance and traction gives you more options.

MonTECH: borrow, try, exchange

The AT3 Center lists MonTECH as the Montana Assistive Technology Program, offering device loans, demonstrations, reutilization and financial loans. MonTECH's site says people can "Sell, give away, exchange, or list a need for assistive technology or adaptive equipment free of charge," borrow items "for 30, 90, or 180 days," and compare devices at demonstrations in Missoula, Billings or online. It notes that "Some loan items are too large to ship and must be picked up at our Missoula location."

Scooter delivery to Montana

Scooters arrive ready for you to set up at home. We deliver to the lower 48 states and DC; orders over $500 ship free, orders under $500 ship for $15, and we cover the sales tax on every order. Most products are processed in 2-5 business days, though some brands differ. The shipping to Montana page has the details, and the scooter fit check narrows the choices.

Questions about mobility scooters in Montana

Is a mobility scooter rider a pedestrian in Montana?

Montana's traffic code, MCA 61-8-102, defines a pedestrian to include any person in a wheelchair "or other low-powered, mechanically propelled vehicle designed specifically for use by a physically disabled person." A scooter built for that purpose fits the wording. Montana's "motorized scooter" is a separate definition for vehicles without a seat.

Do I need a license or plate for a mobility scooter in Montana?

MCA 61-1-101 excludes a motorized wheelchair or other low-powered vehicle designed specifically for a physically disabled person, and used as that person's means of mobility, from the definitions of motor vehicle and vehicle. If you are unsure whether your model qualifies, ask your local police department.

When can I ride on the road instead of the sidewalk in Montana?

MCA 61-8-506(3) says a person using a wheelchair or other vehicle designed for a physically disabled person "shall use sidewalks if use of sidewalks is practicable." If sidewalks are unsafe or not practicable, the person may use the highway, staying as far as practicable from the center of the roadway.

Which scooter handles gravel roads in Montana?

Choose pneumatic tires and suspension. Pride says the PX4 is made for asphalt, concrete, gravel and any hard-packed surface, on 13 in pneumatic tires with full suspension. Golden's Eagle All-Terrain uses 13-inch turf tread tires with adjustable suspension. Both are rated for 500 lbs.

Can I borrow a scooter in Montana before buying?

MonTECH lends assistive technology for 30, 90 or 180 days depending on the item, holds demonstrations in Missoula, Billings and online, and runs a free exchange where people list equipment to sell, give away or swap. Some large loan items must be picked up in Missoula, so ask what is available first.

Browse the mobility scooter collection, answer the scooter fit check, or take the full assessment. Questions? Email us at info@faithmobility.com.

Sources

• Montana Code Annotated 61-8-102, traffic definitions
• MCA 61-1-101, motor vehicle definitions
• MCA 61-8-506, pedestrians on roadways, wheelchair use
• MCA 61-8-502, right-of-way in crosswalk
• MCA 61-8-503, crossing at other than crosswalks
• NOAA NCEI State Climate Summaries: Montana
• AT3 Center: Montana Assistive Technology Program
• MonTECH
• Pride PX4 product page
• Golden Eagle All-Terrain product page
• Pride BAJA Bandit product page
• Golden Buzzaround CarryOn product page