The Montana Likeness Rights Law (HB 513, 2025 Laws Chapter 685) was passed in direct response to AI voice cloning and digital replica technology. It gives every Montana resident an exclusive, transferable, licensable property right in their own name, voice, and visual likeness, extending 20 years after death. Signed May 13, 2025, it has been in effect since January 1, 2026.
What the Montana Likeness Rights Law Prohibits
The law prohibits creating, distributing, or publishing unauthorized digital voice or visual depictions that are so realistic they could be mistaken for the genuine person, when done for commercial purposes without consent. The realism threshold is the key trigger: content convincing enough to pass as the real person requires permission when money is involved.
What It Means for Brands and Creators
Brands, agencies, and AI content producers should treat realistic synthetic recreations of any identifiable Montanan, living or recently deceased, as requiring a license. The law provides penalties and civil remedies for violations, and because the right is transferable and licensable, estates and rights holders can enforce it just as the individual could.
Source: Montana Legislature: HB 513
Report a violation: If you believe a business is violating this law, you can file a complaint with the Montana Department of Justice Office of Consumer Protection.
