Can The Montana Highway Patrol Pull You Over In Town?

Can Montana Highway Patrol Officers Give You A Ticket In Town?

Ok, so I'll admit something right off the bat here. I got pulled over yesterday on my way home from work because I had a tail light out and I forgot to wear my seat belt.

However, it wasn't the city police that pulled me over but a Montana Highway Patrol officer.

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Where Do Montana Highway Patrol Officers Have Jurisdiction In Montana?

So while waiting in my car for the officer to run my information I thought back to when I was younger and was told "a hi-po can't pull you over in town," and I wondered if that was actually true or not.

When the officer came back I thought about asking him the details, but he was kind enough to let me off with a warning, so I didn't press my luck by questioning his jurisdiction in town.

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Turns Out Montana Highway Patrol Officers Have Jurisdiction Almost Anywhere

From the Montana Highway Patrol Wikipedia page it states,

"There is currently a misconception that the Montana Highway Patrol can only enforce traffic laws on highways; however, the Patrol has state wide jurisdiction with the authority to enforce all state criminal, traffic, commercial, and/or wildlife laws."

So the next time someone tries to tell you that the Highway Patrol has no jurisdiction in town, you can set the record straight.