When Montana issues your registration and title, the owner's name is taken directly from your government-issued identity document - the passport (or other ID) you submitted during Step 1a: Verify Your Identity.
This means your name on your Montana title and registration will match your identity document exactly, including all given names and middle names in full.
What if I use a shortened name or nickname in the visitor.us process?
Customers sometimes use a shorter version of their name on when moving through the visitor.us process
John Smith when creating a visitor.us account, when their passport reads Jonathan Michael Smith.
Marie Dupont on the vehicle registration lease agreement, when their passport reads Marie-Claire Dupont.
That's fine. Supporting documents may reflect the shortened or informal version of your name. But your Montana title and registration will follow your identity document - in the examples above, Montana will issue registration and title in the name of `JONATHAN MICHAEL SMITH` and `MARIE-CLAIRE DUPONT` respectively.
Why does this matter?
Having the name on your vehicle's documents align with the name on your identity document can make certain things go much more smoothly:
Vehicle sale. If you sell your vehicle to a dealership, their policies will likely require them to make payment to the owner exactly as it is written on the vehicle's title. Since the name on your home bank account almost certainly matches the name on your identity document, this should help your home bank accept payment.
Border crossings. Having your name on your vehicle's ownership documents match the name on your identity document(s) will make border crossings go much more smoothly than if they didn't match.
If you have questions about how your name will appear on your vehicle's Montana registration document or title, email us at [email protected].