A practical operator brief for Montana stores covering the vending machine ban, staff ID checks, limits on ID scan data, real-time Metrc sales entry, and the security plan and video rules that shape kiosk placement.
Reviewed November 12, 2026. Counts come from the Department of Revenue’s Licensed Dispensary Locations list for November 2026 and its local-option tax table, both viewed November 12, 2026. The list shows licensed locations, not confirmed open storefronts.
Rows on the Department of Revenue’s Licensed Dispensary Locations list for November 2026, counted November 12, 2026.
View source542locations listed as adult useThe same November 2026 list marks 542 locations as Adult Use and 8 as Medical Only.
View source28counties taxing adult-use sales locallyCounties with a local-option tax on adult-use sales in the Department of Revenue’s table, viewed November 12, 2026. Each is set at 3%.
View sourceRegulatory note: Montana isn’t licensing new premises until July 1, 2027 under MCA 16-12-201, so most hardware projects here are refits or relocations of existing stores. Several Chapter 42.39 rules changed in August and September 2026, so check the current rule text before you finalize a layout.
Montana law says a marijuana business may not dispense or sell from a vending machine, or allow one to be installed inside or outside the premises. The statute and the Chapter 42.39 rules don’t mention ordering kiosks. Plan the kiosk as an ordering and payment station, with employees completing the sale and handing over product.
MCA 16-12-207(5)A dispensary licensee and its employees must refuse to sell to any consumer who doesn’t present valid, unexpired photo ID showing age 21 or older, and must see a registry card before a medical-rate sale. An ID scan at the kiosk can assist, but the check belongs to staff, so place the kiosk where an employee handles every pickup.
ARM 42.39.409(11) and (12)A licensee that scans a driver’s license with an electronic reader may use the data only to determine age, may not transfer or sell it, and must permanently delete it within 180 days unless the chapter or the department provides otherwise. Review any scanner, kiosk, or loyalty setup against that limit before turning it on.
MCA 16-12-104(12)All dispensary sales must be recorded in real time in the state seed-to-sale tracking system, which is Metrc, and inventory must be reconciled there by 11:59 p.m. each day. Test the kiosk order, payment, and staff handoff path against the store’s own POS and reporting setup.
ARM 42.39.203(9) and 42.39.409(10)Official updates for Metrc item categories, vendor contract disclosure, video recording formats, and point-of-sale posters. Last checked November 12, 2026.
Montana CARD
The October newsletter says CARD is testing new Metrc item categories, including Unfinished Biomass and Infused Biomass. All micro categories and the Joint category will be discontinued, with timing to follow.
Why it matters: List the menu items that use the Joint or micro categories so your POS menu and kiosk catalog can be remapped when CARD sets the date.
Read official sourceMontana Department of Revenue
New ARM 42.39.116 took effect September 26, 2026. It covers agreements such as operating leases for equipment used for marijuana-related activities and arrangements that give a third party access to the licensed premises or the seed-to-sale tracking system.
Why it matters: Ask the division whether a hardware lease, install, or support agreement needs a disclosure form before the vendor starts work.
Read official sourceMontana Department of Revenue
An amendment to ARM 42.39.121, effective September 5, 2026, requires the video monitoring system to be able to give the department a recording in one of the listed baseline formats, such as .mp4 or .avi.
Why it matters: Confirm your recorder’s export formats before you add or move cameras around a new kiosk position.
Read official sourceMontana Department of Revenue
Amendments effective August 22, 2026 require every dispensary to display the department’s consumer education poster at each point of sale, clearly visible to a customer, and to use opaque exit packaging that carries the department’s QR code.
Why it matters: If a kiosk takes payment, plan poster space beside it and ask the division whether it counts as a point of sale.
Read official sourceIs the store in a county that permits adult-use sales, and does a 3% local-option tax apply to adult-use sales, medical sales, or both?
Where will an employee check photo ID or the registry card and hand over product for every kiosk order?
If the kiosk or a handheld reader scans IDs, how is scan data limited to the age check, kept from other parties, and deleted within 180 days?
Which POS or inventory provider records each sale in Metrc in real time, and who finalizes sales and reconciles inventory by 11:59 p.m.?
Does the kiosk position change the written security plan, and does the hardware or service agreement need a third-party contract disclosure?
The cash recycler is optional. Cash acceptance, change return, and reconciliation depend on the selected hardware and software configuration. Confirm those options and the staff handoff before finalizing a rollout.
Montana’s marijuana statute and Chapter 42.39 rules don’t mention ordering kiosks. The statute does bar selling or dispensing from a vending machine, and installing one inside or outside the premises. The dispensary rule also makes the licensee and its employees refuse any sale without valid photo ID. Keep the kiosk to ordering and payment, with staff checking ID and handing over product, and confirm the setup with the Cannabis & Alcohol Regulation Division.
Dispensify plans and deploys the physical checkout layer. The licensee is responsible for Metrc reporting, which runs through its selected POS, inventory platform, or third-party integrator.
The licensee and its employees must refuse a sale unless the consumer presents valid, unexpired photo ID showing age 21 or older. Digital driver’s licenses from states that authorize them are on the accepted list. If a reader scans a license, the data may be used only to determine age, may not be transferred or sold, and must be permanently deleted within 180 days unless the chapter or the department provides otherwise.
The security rule doesn’t name kiosks or points of sale. It requires a video monitoring system that records all entrances and exits, is placed to identify people and activity in limited access areas, and keeps recordings for at least 60 days. Changes to the written security plan must go to the department for approval before they’re made.
The state tax is 20% on adult-use sales and 4% on medical marijuana sales. A county can add a local-option tax of up to 3% on adult-use sales, medical sales, or both. Confirm the county rate and which sales it covers before configuring the POS and kiosk.
Not to adult-use consumers. Montana bars sales through a drive-up window, and a dispensary, its employees, or a commercial third party may not deliver to consumers. A dispensary may hand-deliver to a registered cardholder in a vehicle parked immediately outside. Dispensaries also may not operate between 8 p.m. and 9 a.m.
Last reviewed . This guide summarizes publicly available sources, and rules and figures can change after that date. Dispensify provides technology planning and deployment support, not legal or licensing advice. Confirm current requirements with the Montana Department of Revenue, Cannabis & Alcohol Regulation Division, your advisors, and the applicable local authority.
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