Dispatches From The Republic Of Montana

The Montana Supreme Court upheld the denial of non-commercial driver’s licenses to an applicant

In 2013 and 2014, Terry-Lee filed three applications with the Montana Department of Justice Motor Vehicle Division (DOJ/MVD) seeking a non-commercial Montana driver’s license. In each application, he professed that he was a “non-resident” inhabitant/citizen of the “Republic of Montana.” He declined to complete the section of the applications regarding United States citizenship but indicated that he was “not a U.S. person.” He claimed a date of “creation” rather than a date of birth and asserted that he was created in the “Washington Republic.” He further asserted that he has no Social Security number and that he is “exempt” from using postal zip codes. The DOJ/MVD rejected each of his applications, explaining that Lee did not complete the form as required and submitted insufficient or non-conforming information. Lee filed a timely appeal of his last denial to the Seventeenth Judicial District Court, Valley County

The licenses were denied.

 On appeal to this Court, Lee urges us to instruct the DOJ/MVD to issue him a driver’s license with his “true & correct Christian name” spelled “Terry-Lee” in upper and lower case letters (as opposed to all upper case letters) and to include his last known address with “‘no’ MT-zip code on the face of said license.”

On appeal

Because Lee consistently denied being a United States citizen, DOJ/MVD attempted to verify Lee’s legal status in the country by utilizing the federal SAVE system. However, without a Social Security number and other necessary identifying information, DOJ/MVD was unable to verify Lee’s status. Without such verification, the agency was required to deny Lee’s application for a license.

The record in this case indicates that for decades Terry-Lee has repeatedly declared that he is not a United States citizen; rather, he claims to be a “sovereign state citizen of the Republic of Montana.” In an affidavit that he claims to “annex” to any document on which he “places [his] autograph,” he states:

That I have no memory of accepting the dubious status of or acting in the capacity of a “U.S. citizen” or “person” within the meaning of the so-called “14th Amendment” and any purported “evidence” to the contrary is hereby Declared [sic] a deceitful falsehood.

Montana’s licensing statutes and regulations apply to all Montana residents seeking a driver’s license. The law simply does not provide for alternative or special legal status.

 (Mike Frisch)