Counties

Montana County Public Records

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Browse public records for all 56 counties in Montana. Find court records, property information, vital statistics.

Guide

How to Search County Records

Select Your County

Choose a county from the grid below to access that county's official public records portal, court system, and government offices.

Identify the Record Type

Decide what you need: court records, property deeds, vital records, business filings, or tax assessment records, each is held by a different county office.

Search Online or In Person

Montana's new public access portals on courts.mt.gov cover district and limited jurisdiction courts, county clerks and recorders keep deeds with online search in many counties, and birth and death certificates are ordered by mail, through VitalChek or VitalRecordsOnline, or in person at any county clerk and recorder.

Pay Any Required Fees

All Montana birth and death certificates cost $16, a marriage or divorce index search is $10 for five years, the DOJ name-based background check is $15, and public information fees are capped at $25 an hour.

Verify Identity if Required

Open records need no ID. A birth or death certificate request needs a copy of your valid photo ID or a notarized application, and birth records open to the public 30 years after the birth.

Guide

What Records Are Available

  • Court RecordsCivil, criminal, family court, probate, traffic cases
  • Property RecordsDeeds, mortgages, tax assessments, liens, transfers
  • Vital RecordsBirth, death, marriage, and divorce certificates
  • Business RecordsBusiness licenses, DBAs, UCC filings, permits
  • Voter RegistrationRegistered voters, party affiliation, districts
  • Tax RecordsProperty tax assessments, payment history, exemptions

Guide

Select a County in Montana

Beaverhead CountyBig Horn CountyBlaine CountyBroadwater CountyCarbon CountyCarter CountyCascade CountyChouteau CountyCuster CountyDaniels CountyDawson CountyDeer Lodge CountyFallon CountyFergus CountyFlathead CountyGallatin CountyGarfield CountyGlacier CountyGolden Valley CountyGranite CountyHill CountyJefferson CountyJudith Basin CountyLake CountyLewis and Clark CountyLiberty CountyLincoln CountyMadison CountyMcCone CountyMeagher CountyMineral CountyMissoula CountyMusselshell CountyPark CountyPetroleum CountyPhillips CountyPondera CountyPowder River CountyPowell CountyPrairie CountyRavalli CountyRichland CountyRoosevelt CountyRosebud CountySanders CountySheridan CountySilver Bow CountyStillwater CountySweet Grass CountyTeton CountyToole CountyTreasure CountyValley CountyWheatland CountyWibaux CountyYellowstone County

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How to Search County RecordsWhat Records Are AvailableFrequently Asked QuestionsSelect a County in Montana

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Straight answers

Montana County Public Records, questions

Are county records public information?

Yes. Montana's public records law, Title 2, Chapter 6 of the Montana Code, lets anyone request public information, and an agency must provide a single, readily available record within 5 working days of acknowledging the request. Court, clerk and recorder and Department of Revenue property records are open. Montana releases complete birth records to the public 30 years after the birth under section 50-15-122; newer ones go to the person named, family and legal representatives. Juvenile and sealed court files are closed.

How much do certified copies cost?

All Montana birth and death certificates cost $16, whether certified or informational, long form or abstract. The state holds only an index of marriages and divorces; a search and verification costs $10 for the first five years searched, and certified copies come from the clerk of district court in the county that issued the license. The Department of Justice name-based background check is $15 per person, and public information fees may not exceed $25 an hour for staff time.

Can I search county records online?

Montana courts are moving to centralized public access portals, one for district courts and one for courts of limited jurisdiction, through courts.mt.gov. Deeds, subdivisions and surveys are recorded by each county clerk and recorder, Jefferson and Carbon counties among them, with online searching in many counties and parcel maps from the Department of Revenue. Vital records are ordered from the Office of Vital Records by mail, through VitalChek or VitalRecordsOnline, or in person at any county clerk and recorder, not searched.

What identification do I need?

Open records need no ID. A Montana birth or death certificate request must include a copy of your valid photo ID or a notarized application; without a current photo ID you may send two alternative documents, one bearing your signature, such as a signed Social Security card, fishing license or DD214. In-person requests at a county clerk and recorder require a current photo ID.

How long does it take to receive records?

The Office of Vital Records says processing times vary with staffing and workload, and the state office is closed to walk-in service, so a county clerk and recorder is the fastest route for an in-person certificate. Marriage and divorce index searches by mail take 7 to 10 business days. Court portal and county recorder searches are immediate.