How to Search Montana Public Records

Montana's court, criminal, vital, property, voter, and licensing records are maintained across state agencies and the 56 counties listed below. Use the tabs to filter by record type, or jump directly to any source.

  • Courts: The Montana Supreme Court sits at the top of the system; trial-court business is handled by the District Court, Justice Court, City Court. Most courts publish dockets and case lookups online.
  • Criminal history: The state's criminal-history repository handles official background checks. Fees and procedures are set by the state agency — see the linked official source.
  • Vital records: Birth, death, marriage, and divorce certificates are issued by the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (Vital Records) and may also be available locally.
  • Property & recorded documents: Maintained at the county level by the Assessor, Recorder, or Clerk's office.
  • Business filings: The Secretary of State (or equivalent) operates the official business-entity search.
Population
1,132,812
Households
461,800
Median Income
$70,804
Median Home Value
$305,700

Voter Records Databases

3 official Montana voter records sources.

Court Records Criminal Records Wants & Warrants Vital Records Voter Records Licenses Recorded Documents Property Records

Voter Records

Yellowstone County, Montana
Official Free
To register to vote or request an absentee ballot, print out the appropriate form below, fill it out with original signature and mail to: Election Administrator Yellowstone County Election Office P.O. Box 35002 Billings, MT 59107-5002 ... * If you do not have a Montana Driver’s license or ...
🌐 www.yellowstonecountymt.gov
Instructions
Official Free
Your files are now being created. Some files are large and can take sometime to finish. Please be patient. Do not close the window. You will receive an email with a link directly to your file. It will be stored for 2 weeks at Montana File Transfer Service before being deleted.
🌐 voterportal.mt.gov
VIP
Official Free
The Secretary of State provides extracts of public information from the statewide voter registration system. Because the statewide system is a live system, data changes from hour to hour, day to day, etc. as county election officials are entering and updating information.
🌐 voterportal.mt.gov

Montana Counties

56 Montana counties are indexed on SearchSystems.net — top 28 counties shown below. Browse the full directory or click any county for local court, sheriff, recorder and assessor links.

Yellowstone Gallatin Missoula Flathead Cascade Lewis and Clark Ravalli Silver Bow Lake Beaverhead Big Horn Blaine Broadwater Carbon

Frequently Asked Questions

Montana's official criminal-history repository is operated by the state law-enforcement agency. Free public access to a complete criminal history is generally not available; an official background check typically requires fingerprints and a fee. County-level court records can be searched at no cost through individual court websites.

Montana's court system is headed by the Montana Supreme Court. Trial-court business is handled by the District Court, Justice Court, City Court. Many Montana courts publish docket searches and case lookups online — see the Court Records tab above for direct links.

The Montana Secretary of State (or equivalent agency) operates the official business-entity search. You can typically search corporations, LLCs, LPs, and other registered entities by name or registration number. See the Licenses or Business tab above.

The Assessor determines property values for tax purposes. The Recorder (or Clerk-Recorder) records deeds, mortgages, liens, and other property documents. Some county offices combine these roles, others keep them separate. Check the specific county page for details.

Montana vital records (birth, death, marriage, divorce certificates) are issued by the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (Vital Records) and, in many cases, by local county clerks. Fees and ID requirements are set by the issuing agency.

Most county-level property and recorded-document searches are free for basic information through the Assessor or Recorder website. Certified copies of deeds typically have a per-page fee. Direct links are in the Property Records tab above.

The Montana sex offender registry is maintained by the state law-enforcement agency under the Sex Offender Registration and Community Notification Act. The registry is searchable by name, ZIP code, or address.

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