23.3.127    FULL LEGAL NAME, NAME COMBINATION AND LENGTH

(1) Except as provided in (3) , an applicant's full legal name is required on a driver's license application, including a renewal application, and on the license itself.

(2) For driver licensing and identification card purposes, an applicant's full legal name is deemed to be the individual's name as shown on the primary document presented by the applicant under ARM 23.3.131 unless:

(a) the applicant submits one or more documents as specified in ARM 23.3.128 that verify a name change;

(b) the applicant wants to replace a middle name with the applicant's last name prior to marriage; or

(c) the name has been truncated in accordance with (3) .

(3) The space provided for recording a name on a driver's license or identification card may not exceed 31 characters, including up to three field delimiters.

(a) If the name exceeds 31 characters on an original or renewal application, the name will be truncated by the department in a manner that will permit proper printing on the license or card.

(i) If the name of an applicant must be shortened, each middle name will be truncated through the second letter of the middle name.   Each middle initial must be recorded.

(ii) If, after truncating the middle name(s) , the name still exceeds 31 characters, the first name will be truncated through the second letter of the first name.   The first initial of the first name must be recorded.

(b) If an individual has only one name, that name must be recorded as the individual's last name.

(c) If the individual's first name is unknown, no first name may be recorded.

(d) Multiple middle names must be recorded without a space separation and, if necessary, truncated according to (3) (a) (i) .

(e) No titles of address, such as "Ms" or "Dr", may be recorded unless such title actually appears on the primary document presented by the applicant.

(f) If an individual has more than one middle name or more than one last name, the last name must be recorded in combination separated by a hyphen only if that is how it is recorded on the presenting primary document.

(4) A license renewal applicant will not be required to present a primary document to verify the applicant's full legal name unless the driver record maintained by the department for the applicant needs to be updated because the applicant's name changed after the prior license was issued.

History: Sec. 61-5-125, MCA; IMP, Sec. 61-5-107, 61-5-111, MCA; NEW, 2000 MAR p. 2524, Eff. 9/22/00; AMD, 2002 MAR p. 1316, Eff. 4/26/02.