Montana Owners Club - Keystone Montana 5th Wheel Forum - View Single Post

lightningjack11 · 07-24-2004, 05:05 AM

Unfortunately news reports may not be right. Ch13 local said that the Highway patrol will quit ticketing everybody but since the law is on the books other law enforcement agencies can ticket. Especially if your illegal and in an accident. It is your choice and a chance you take. Be advised the law is not on hold. Be advised that driving without the proper license is a crime. They may not enforce it until after the legislature meets again. Then again they may start enforcement again.

I just took my Class D test a couple of days ago. The state position is that currently a Class D is required for a Truck with a GVWR over 8000 regardless of enforcement practices. There is no plan to stop giving the test. The only people that can change that is the State Legislature when it goes back into session. DOT or FHP cannot put laws on hold.

The test consist of 20 sign questions and 20 questions from both class E and Class D sections of the Drivers Handbook. Takes about 15 minutes to take both test.

My new license is good for 6 years but I am betting that I will have to take even another test before this mess is straightened out.

My gut feeling is that FHP quit ticketing people because they were forced not to ticket people with SUVs over 8000GVWR. This meant that they were left with a discrimatory practice of partial enforcement of the law. The law (statutes) is very clear. Therefore since they can't enforce the law as written then they are choosing not to enforce it until the legislature refines the law to exclude SUV's.

07-24-2004, 05:05 AM	#10
lightningjack11 Montana Master Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Spring Hill Posts: 2,725 M.O.C. #59	Unfortunately news reports may not be right. Ch13 local said that the Highway patrol will quit ticketing everybody but since the law is on the books other law enforcement agencies can ticket. Especially if your illegal and in an accident. It is your choice and a chance you take. Be advised the law is not on hold. Be advised that driving without the proper license is a crime. They may not enforce it until after the legislature meets again. Then again they may start enforcement again. I just took my Class D test a couple of days ago. The state position is that currently a Class D is required for a Truck with a GVWR over 8000 regardless of enforcement practices. There is no plan to stop giving the test. The only people that can change that is the State Legislature when it goes back into session. DOT or FHP cannot put laws on hold. The test consist of 20 sign questions and 20 questions from both class E and Class D sections of the Drivers Handbook. Takes about 15 minutes to take both test. My new license is good for 6 years but I am betting that I will have to take even another test before this mess is straightened out. My gut feeling is that FHP quit ticketing people because they were forced not to ticket people with SUVs over 8000GVWR. This meant that they were left with a discrimatory practice of partial enforcement of the law. The law (statutes) is very clear. Therefore since they can't enforce the law as written then they are choosing not to enforce it until the legislature refines the law to exclude SUV's.