How to Search Montana Court Records (Start Here)

Montana court records are filed with the Clerk of District Court. The District Court / Justice Court handles trial-level cases. Montana offers a statewide court search through Montana Courts, which covers most case types across all counties courts.

What this page covers: Montana state court case records — criminal, civil, family, and probate filings. What it does not cover: Federal court cases (those are on PACER) or sealed/juvenile records.

Where to start: Use Montana Courts for online case search. If you need documents beyond docket information, contact the Clerk of District Court in the specific county where the case was filed.

Common mistake: Montana Courts covers state courts only. Federal cases filed in Montana (bankruptcy, federal criminal, federal civil) require PACER — a separate federal system.

Trial court of general jurisdiction
View the Court's Docket, Daily Orders/Opinions, Calendar and more, Link to live Web Stream
Highest court
Montana Supreme Court
Statewide civil case search
Public records available through the Montana District Court Public Access Portal
Statewide criminal docket search
Public records available through the Montana District Court Public Access Portal
Federal courts
Montana District Court | PACER: Federal Court Records
Number of counties
56 counties
Population
1,132,812
Households
461,800
Median Income
$70,804
Median Home Value
$305,700
SearchSystems Editorial
Edited by — Editor & Owner, SearchSystems.net. Public records professional since 1999. NAPBS founding member. Full bio & credentials.
Last reviewed: June 04, 2026 · Methodology: all Montana court URLs verified against the official .gov / state-judiciary publisher on the review date. 6 primary .gov / .uscourts.gov sources cited below.

Montana Court Records — Key Numbers (2025)

Montana publishes 2025 Statewide Case Processing Measure Annual Report and quarterly reports.
Montana Judicial Branch
Court system
Statewide
2025
Latest fiscal year
Official .gov data
.gov
Primary source
Never data brokers
Free
Public access
Most case records
June 04, 2026
Last reviewed
By SearchSystems editorial
How to access court records — typical costs
Search online
$0
View docket entry
$0
Download document
$1
Certified copy
$5
Expungement filing
$50
Unit: USD typical fee. Fees and access policies vary by court; see Primary Sources below.

What Changed in 2026 — Montana Court Records

2026
Montana 2025 caseload report active
The Montana Judicial Branch publishes its current 2025 case filings, dispositions, and trends on the official statistics portal.
2026
Montana statewide case-access portal live
Montana Judicial Branch's public case-access portal continues to operate at courts.mt.gov with statewide coverage.
2026
Latest Montana judiciary annual report
The most recent annual report from the Montana Judicial Branch is publicly available with full statistical addenda.
2026
Montana courts main directory
Montana's primary judicial-branch directory at courts.mt.gov continues to be the canonical entry point for all state court matters.

The 4-Step Montana Court Records Pathway

1
Step 1 — Identify the court level
In Montana, civil and criminal trial cases sit in Montana Judicial Branch trial courts. Appellate matters go to the state's appellate courts.
2
Step 2 — Use the state case-access portal
Start at https://courts.mt.gov/courts/court_help/court_records — the official public case-access for Montana.
3
Step 3 — Federal cases are separate
Federal cases involving Montana parties live on PACER (pacer.uscourts.gov), not the state system.
4
Step 4 — Sealed / expunged records
Records sealed or expunged under Montana law are NOT searchable on public portals. To verify, contact the originating court clerk directly.

Five Things People Get Wrong About Montana Court Records

❌ Myth: "Montana court records are on PACER."
✓ Truth: False. PACER only has federal cases. Montana state court records live on courts.mt.gov.
❌ Myth: "All Montana case files are free."
✓ Truth: Partly true. Searching and viewing dockets is usually free. Downloading full documents or certified copies often costs $1-$5 per item.
❌ Myth: "Sealed = deleted in Montana."
✓ Truth: False. Sealed records still exist — they're just hidden from public search. The court clerk and law enforcement can still access them.
❌ Myth: "Third-party search sites are official."
✓ Truth: False. Only courts.mt.gov and the linked official portals are authoritative for Montana.
❌ Myth: "Same-day filings show online immediately."
✓ Truth: False. Most Montana courts have a 24-48 hour processing lag before new filings appear in public search.

Primary Sources (All .gov / Official)

Related Court Records Resources

Related Public Records
National view of this topic: All states: Court records
Sample Montana counties: Beaverhead · Big Horn · Blaine · Broadwater · Carbon

Court Records Databases

6 official Montana court records sources.

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

Court Records

Montana Court Locator
Official Free
If you have a question about which court would hear your case, you can call the Clerk of Court. Obtain the contact information for the Clerk of Court below by selecting from the drop-down either the county or city that the clerk resides in. To find Address and Phone Number of the Montana Court.
🌐 courts.mt.gov
MT Supreme Court Docket Search
Official Free
MT Supreme Court Docket Search
🌐 supremecourtdocket.mt.gov
Montana Public Access Portal(s)
Official Free
As Montana courts transition to a new centralized case management system, certain public records will become available through the Montana District Court Public Access Portal and the Montana Courts of Limited Jurisdiction Public Access Portal.
🌐 courts.mt.gov
MT Supreme Court Docket Search
Official Free
MT Supreme Court Docket Search
🌐 supremecourtdocket.mt.gov
USBC District of Montana CM-ECF (Live Site)
Official Paid
Welcome to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Montana. This is a restricted government system for official judiciary business only. All activities on this system for any purpose, and all access attempts, may be recorded and monitored or reviewed by persons authorized by the federal.
🌐 ecf.mtb.uscourts.gov
Uscourts
Official Paid
This site is maintained by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts on behalf of the Federal Judiciary. PACER Service Center (800) 676-6856 pacer@psc.uscourts.gov
🌐 ecf.mtd.uscourts.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 trial courts publish case lookups through the Montana Judicial Branch. Start at courts.mt.gov — most case dockets, filings, and hearing calendars are searchable by name, case number, or filing date. County-level clerks publish additional searches; see the cards below for direct county court links.

The Montana Judicial Branch operates Montana's official statewide judicial portal at courts.mt.gov. Basic case lookups are typically free of charge; certified copies and bulk-data exports may incur a per-document or per-search fee. Federal cases for Montana residents are searched separately through PACER.

Trial courts in Montana handle the original filing of civil, criminal, family, probate, and traffic matters. Appellate courts review questions of law from trial-court decisions. The Montana Judicial Branch publishes the full court structure, judge rosters, and jurisdiction maps at courts.mt.gov.

Online coverage varies by court and case type. Most Montana county courts have digitized records from approximately the late 1990s or early 2000s forward; older case files may require an in-person clerk visit or a written record request. Check the Montana Judicial Branch portal at courts.mt.gov for each court's coverage window.

No. Montana courts redact or remove sealed, expunged, juvenile, and certain confidential records from public-facing searches as required by state statute and court rule. If a record was previously visible and has since been sealed, it will no longer appear in the Montana Judicial Branch portal. For verification you can contact the county clerk where the case was filed.