Revise tow truck regulation laws
SB 454 proposes significant revisions to Montana's commercial tow truck regulations. It establishes new classification standards for tow trucks (Classes A-E) based on equipment capacity and chassis requirements, replacing previous ratings. The bill also mandates certification for operators (75% of employees for companies, or 1 year of experience for individuals), requires equipment to meet updated safety standards, and clarifies requirements for participating in the law enforcement rotation system. These changes directly affect tow truck operators, companies, and the Montana Highway Patrol, which oversees inspections and classification. The bill was introduced in 2025 but died in committee without becoming law.
Bill status
died
3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2025
Committee Review
Feb 2025
Senate Passage
Mar 2025
House Passage
Governor
Introduced Feb 24, 2025
Last action May 23, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison
What changed between versions
LC1996.pdf
→
SB0454_1.pdf
·
2 edits
MINOR
The bill text was updated to reflect its official Senate Bill number (SB 454) instead of the original Legislative Committee draft number (LC 1996). A new requirement was added stating that tow trucks with lapsed inspections for six months or longer must meet current classification standards before returning to commercial or rotation towing.
Scope change
The bill's scope remains focused on commercial tow truck laws, but the eligibility criteria for returning to service after an inspection lapse were tightened.
TECHNICAL
The bill's identifier was changed from LC 1996 to SB 454, and the header was updated to indicate this is the Authorized Print Version.
REQUIREMENT
A new clause requires tow trucks with lapsed inspections of six months or more to meet current classification standards before they can resume commercial or rotation towing.
Floor votes · Senate Mar 6, 2025
How they voted
41–9
Passed
Total votes 50
Mar 6, 2025
D
Democratic18
100% Yea
R
Republican32
71% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea
All Nay
Mixed
No data
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
28
Key actions
1
Committee
1
Amendments
1
Mar 6, 2025
Senate · Passed
Senate Vote: pass (41-9)
senate
Mar 3, 2025
Amended
(S) Tabled in Committee - (S) Highways and Transportation
upper
Feb 25, 2025
Committee
(S) Referred to Committee - (S) Highways and Transportation
upper
Feb 24, 2025
Introduced
(S) Introduced
upper
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Mark Noland
RRepublican
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