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Read. Follow. Verify.Montana requires consumers to obtain a $200 marijuana identification card to purchase recreational cannabis
Last action · May 23, 2025: (S) Died in ProcessSponsor: Greg Hertz
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What This Bill Proposed
Senate Bill 255 requires adults 21 and older to obtain a $200 annual in order to purchase recreational marijuana or marijuana products in Montana, effective October 1, 2025. The measure directs the Department of Revenue to maintain a registry of cardholders, establish tracking requirements, and impose stricter purchase verification rules. Sales to adults without a card become subject to new restrictions starting January 1, 2026.
The bill creates a mandatory fee and registration barrier for adult recreational cannabis consumers, requiring them to carry a physical card and present it alongside photo identification during purchases and law enforcement stops.
Who It Would Have Affected
Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Recreational marijuana consumers
Adult consumers aged 21 and older must pay a $200 annual fee, register with the state, and carry a physical card to legally purchase recreational marijuana.
Department of Revenue
The department is tasked with establishing and maintaining the consumer registry, issuing identification cards, and processing applications within specified timelines.
Law enforcement agencies
Law enforcement personnel gain access to the cardholder registry and the authority to demand identification and card presentation from consumers.
Key Facts
- Individuals 21 years of age or older must apply for and obtain a marijuana identification card from the Department of Revenue to purchase recreational marijuana or marijuana products.
- The application or renewal fee for the marijuana identification card is set at $200, valid for 1 year from the date of issuance.
- Applicants must provide their name, street address, date of birth, and proof of Montana residency.
- Marijuana identification cards must be laminated, feature a picture of the cardholder, include a unique identification number, and be capable of tracking purchases.
Show all 9 facts
- The department must issue temporary 60-day marijuana identification cards upon receipt of an application while payment or processing is finalized.
- Cardholders must notify the department of any change in name or address within 10 days, or the card becomes void.
- Cardholders must keep their marijuana identification card in their immediate possession at all times and display it alongside valid photo identification upon demand by law enforcement or judges.
- The Department of Revenue must maintain a confidential list of cardholders, restricting disclosure primarily to authorized department employees, law enforcement, and judicial officers.
- Licensees are prohibited from conducting transactions that would cause a consumer or registered cardholder to exceed personal possession limits.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who needs to obtain a marijuana identification card under this bill?
How much does the marijuana identification card cost, and how long is it valid?
Are temporary cards available while waiting for permanent identification cards?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died in committee.
Procedural history
20 actions- May 23, 2025Senate(S) Died in Process
- Apr 7, 2025Senate(S) Missed Deadline for Revenue Bill Transmittal
- Feb 24, 2025Senate(S) Bill Withdrawn
- Feb 24, 2025Senate(S) Fiscal Note Printed
- Feb 21, 2025Senate(S) Fiscal Note Unsigned
- Feb 21, 2025Senate(S) Fiscal Note Received
Show 14 earlier actions
- Feb 20, 2025Senate(S) Fiscal Note Requested
- Feb 4, 2025SenateCommittee(S) Referred to Committee
- Feb 3, 2025Senate(S) 1st Reading
- Feb 3, 2025SenateIntroduced(S) Introduced
- Jan 31, 2025House(LC) Draft Delivered to Requester
- Jan 30, 2025House(LC) Draft Ready for Delivery
- Jan 29, 2025House(LC) Draft in Assembly
- Jan 29, 2025House(LC) Draft in Final Drafter Review
- Jan 28, 2025House(LC) Draft in Input/Proofing
- Jan 28, 2025House(LC) Draft in Edit
- Jan 28, 2025House(LC) Draft in Legal Review
- Dec 19, 2024House(LC) Draft Taken Off Hold
- Dec 11, 2024House(LC) Draft On Hold
- Nov 22, 2024House(LC) Drafter Assigned
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Transition from Open Access to Closed Registry for Recreational Users
The bill shifts Montana's recreational marijuana market from an age-verification model (21+) to a mandatory state-issued identification card system similar to medical registries.
Connected Entities
Sources
bills.legmt.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 85)
- Controversy80Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz65Current news / social attention level
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