(1) (a) Except as provided in subsection (1)(b), an owner of a motor vehicle that is registered and operated in Montana by the owner or with the owner's permission shall continuously provide insurance against loss resulting from liability imposed by law for bodily injury or death or damage to property suffered by any person caused by maintenance or use of a motor vehicle in an amount not less than that required by 61-6-103, or a certificate of self-insurance issued in accordance with 61-6-143.
(b) Notwithstanding the mandatory motor vehicle liability insurance protection provided for in subsection (1)(a), nothing in this part may be construed to prohibit the exclusion from insurance coverage of a named family member in a motor vehicle liability insurance policy.
(2) It is unlawful for a person to operate a motor vehicle on ways of this state open to the public as defined in 61-8-102 without a valid policy of liability insurance in effect in an amount not less than that required by 61-6-103 unless the person has been issued a certificate of self-insurance under 61-6-143 or is operating a vehicle exempt under 61-6-303.