2026 Season

Montana DRIVE News

2026 Montana DRIVE Summer Workshops

The 2026 season is gearing up and getting ready for participants with a NEW self-registration system! Spend one day on the closed racetrack in Lewistown, Montana, and learn life-saving skills to respond safely to driving risks. Since 1979, more than 18,000 drivers have participated in a Montana DRIVE Workshop.   Download the 2026 Montana DRIVE Calendar for all workshop dates.  Montana DRIVE Adult Workshop Registration Opens: Monday, February 2nd at 8 AM Mountain Standard Time. Our new self-registration website will be live Monday, January 26th for you to view tickets and familiarize yourself with the registration process. Before you register, you will need to have a few things ready. Once you have chosen your dates, you will need your billing contact information, driver names, driver email addresses, driver occupation, and credit card. Once you add tickets to your cart, you will have 30 minutes to complete the form and check out. Your tickets will be held until you get your driver information entered or until the timer runs out, whichever comes first. Adult Workshops are scheduled from June 2 to August 14, 2026. Teen Week Workshop Registration Opens: Monday, March 2nd at 8 AM Mountain Standard Time. Teen registration will utilize the same registration website but the Teen Tickets will be open for selection. Parent information will be entered for the billing contact. You will need an email to send the student tickets to. State Farm Grant is pre-applied to all teen tickets. Teen Workshops are scheduled from July 6 to July 11, 2026. You can visit the new website by clicking the link on our site at https://montanadrive.mt.gov or directly at https://www.eventcreate.com/e/mtdrive2026.  To those of you who have taken a Montana DRIVE Workshop, we would love to hear about your experience and how the training may have helped you in a risky situation. Email us at MontanaDRIVE@mt.gov.

Workshop Fees

Due to rising operating costs and inflationary pressures, we find it necessary to implement a modest adjustment in our fees while continuing to provide a professional and educational experience to our participants. 

Adult Workshops: $410 

Teen Workshops: $390 ($210 after the State Farm Grant is applied) 

Cost of teen workshops are subsidized by a State Farm Grant that brings family cost down to $210 out-of-pocket per participant. How do you sign up for the grant? Complete the Teen Workshop Registration form; all applicants will benefit from this gracious gift of safety to Montana teen drivers. 

Professional Development Credits

Some professions recognize this workshop for professional development requirements. Consult with your profession’s state office to verify if they will credit this workshop.

Renewal Units: Teachers can obtain renewal units for licensure renewal upon successful completion of the One-Day Workshop.

College Credit: One semester of graduate or undergraduate credit can be earned through Montana State University-Northern (MSUN) for a fee of $200 payable to MSUN. In addition to the One-Day Workshop, to earn one college credit, the driver must return the next day to student-teach an exercise and write and submit a short paper. Please contact our office directly, before you register, to secure your second date for student teaching. 

Montana DRIVE CDL 

Montana DRIVE CDL is a federally recognized and approved program designed to provide comprehensive training for becoming new school bus drivers in Montana, holding a Class B License. Located in Lewistown, MT, Montana DRIVE CDL ensures that attendees acquire the necessary knowledge, skills, and certification to safely transport students for various school-related activities. The upcoming training classes for 2026 are scheduled for May 2-11 and August 15-24. Cost for the 10-day training is $2995. This fee does not include travel or per diem. Given the high demand, it's advisable to secure your spot promptly.

For registration details and to address any inquiries you may have, please reach out to Mike Houghton at 406-465-1970. 

Contact us at (406) 444-4432 or by email: MontanaDRIVE@mt.gov

The OPI is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to people with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation, require an alternate format, or have questions concerning accessibility, contact the OPI ADA Coordinator, 406-444-3161, opiada@mt.gov, Relay Service: 711.