Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. The arrest counts are the ones each agency reported to the FBI, as the FBI held them on October 8, 2026. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site between September 24, 2026 and September 30, 2026.
Petroleum County, Montana, has 525 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). Its court cases are filed in the Petroleum County District Court and the Justice Court, and the file of each case, kept by the Clerk of District Court, is the public record of it. This guide says which court hears what, where to look a case up and who keeps the files.
This guide covers the courts, the records page, criminal cases, kinds of files, cities and common questions.
Related guides: Petroleum County public records, Petroleum County arrest records, Petroleum County warrants, Petroleum County inmate search, Petroleum County criminal records, Montana arrest records and Montana inmate search.
The Courts That Hear Cases from Petroleum County
Court cases from Petroleum County are filed in the Petroleum County District Court, which hears felonies, civil cases, divorces, probate and juvenile matters.
Below it, the Justice Court takes misdemeanors, traffic cases and small claims.
A city with a city and municipal court of its own tries the tickets written under its ordinances.
Divorces go to the District Court, and the file stays with the Clerk of District Court.
The Clerk of District Court keeps the files, and a copy of anything in a file comes from that office, under the court's own rules rather than the Montana Public Records Act.
Looking Up a Case from Petroleum County
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at courts.mt.gov/Courts/portals (page title: Montana Public Access Portal(s)), which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 24, 2026.
Montana has no single public index of every trial court case; each court's records are looked up through that court.
The Montana court page SearchSystems verified is at courts.mt.gov.
What Reaches the Court from Petroleum County
The Petroleum County Sheriff's Office reported 1 arrests to the FBI for 2025; the County Attorney decides which of those arrests become cases in the Petroleum County District Court or the Justice Court.
The Kinds of Court Files
Criminal cases, divorces, traffic tickets and evictions all end up as files of these courts, and the file is what the public sees of each.
The other Petroleum County guides take the kinds of file one at a time: Petroleum County criminal records, Petroleum County divorce records, Petroleum County traffic tickets and Petroleum County DUI.
Cities in Petroleum County
Wherever in the county a case arises, it is filed in the Petroleum County District Court or the Justice Court; tickets under a city's own ordinances go to its city and municipal court where it has one.
The one city in the county is Winnett.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I look up a court case in Petroleum County?
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at courts.mt.gov/Courts/portals.
Which court hears felonies in Petroleum County?
The Petroleum County District Court, which hears felonies, civil cases, divorces, probate and juvenile matters. The Justice Court takes misdemeanors, traffic cases and small claims.
Who keeps the court records in Petroleum County?
The Clerk of District Court. Copies come from that office under the court's own rules.
Is there a statewide court case search in Montana?
No. Each court's records are looked up through that court.
Is this the official Petroleum County website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.