How to Search Montana Wants & Warrants (Start Here)

Active warrants in Montana are maintained by law enforcement at state, county, and local levels. There is no single database of all warrants in Montana.

What this page covers: Montana state warrant databases, most-wanted lists, and county-level warrant search tools where available. What it does not cover: Federal warrants (those are handled by the U.S. Marshals and FBI).

Where to start: Check the state law enforcement agency first for statewide warrant searches. For county-level warrants, contact the county sheriff. Many county sheriffs post active warrant lists on their websites.

Common mistake: Most-wanted lists only show high-priority fugitives. If you need to check whether someone has any active warrant, a most-wanted list is not enough — contact the county sheriff or clerk of court directly.

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: Montana wants & warrants URL verified against the official state publisher at dojmt.gov on the review date. 7 primary .gov sources cited below.

Montana Wants & Warrants — Key Facts (2026)

Outstanding warrants, fugitive lists, and active sheriff's warrants for Montana — what's public, what isn't, and how to verify in 2026.
Public
Public-facing fugitive list
Yes (state portal)
Sealed
Active arrest warrants
Often non-public until executed
NCIC
Federal warrant index
Law enforcement only
$0
Cost of public warrant lookup
Free in most states
24-48h
New filings lag
Typical processing delay
Where a warrant lives (typical visibility)
Sheriff most-wanted list
100%
State fugitive portal
90%
NCIC (federal index)
0%
Sealed arrest warrant
0%
FBI Top-10 (national)
100%
Unit: % publicly searchable.

What Changed in 2026 — Montana Wants & Warrants

2026
Montana wants & warrants portal active
The official Montana portal at dojmt.gov continues to serve as the canonical entry point for wants & warrants in 2026.
2026
Latest federal complement for wants & warrants
The FBI Most Wanted Fugitives at www.fbi.gov provides federal-level context that complements Montana state records.
2026
Montana access in 2026
For 2026, Montana continues to publish wants & warrants information through state-authorized portals; check dojmt.gov for current fees and processing times.
2026
Federal records framework refresh
Federal record types (federal liens, federal land, federal vital statistics) continue to live OUTSIDE Montana's state portal — see the Primary Sources below for additional official portals.

The 3-Path Montana Warrant Search

1
Path 1 — Sheriff most-wanted
Most Montana sheriffs publish a 'Most Wanted' page on the county sheriff's official .gov or county site.
2
Path 2 — State fugitive portal
Montana's statewide fugitive/warrant list is published by the state law enforcement agency.
3
Path 3 — Federal fugitives
FBI Most Wanted (fbi.gov/wanted) and U.S. Marshals 15 Most Wanted (usmarshals.gov) are the public federal lists.

Five Things People Get Wrong About Montana Wants & Warrants

❌ Myth: "No warrant online = no warrant exists."
✓ Truth: False. Many Montana counties never publish active warrants online. Call the sheriff or court clerk to confirm.
❌ Myth: "NCIC is searchable by the public."
✓ Truth: False. NCIC is law-enforcement only. The public cannot directly search the national crime index.
❌ Myth: "FBI Most Wanted = all federal fugitives."
✓ Truth: False. The Ten Most Wanted is symbolic. Thousands of federal fugitives exist; many never appear publicly.
❌ Myth: "Sealed warrants are deleted."
✓ Truth: False. Sealed warrants still exist — they just don't appear in public search. Law enforcement can still see them.
❌ Myth: "Private warrant lookup sites are official."
✓ Truth: False. Only Montana state and county .gov sources are authoritative; third-party sites often have stale or incorrect data.

Primary Sources and Official Record Portals

Related Wants & Warrants Resources

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

Wants & Warrants Databases

5 official Montana wants & warrants sources.

Wants & Warrants

Press Releases - Montana Department of Corrections
Official Free
Official wants & warrants source (cor.mt.gov).
Gallatin County, Montana Warrant Records | GallatinRecords.us
Official Free
Access the Montana Courts E-Filing Portal for court records · When checking for warrants, individuals should have the following information ready: ... Gallatin County Justice Court 615 S 16th Ave, Room 104 Bozeman, MT 59715 (406) 582-2191 Gallatin County Justice Court · Gallatin County courts ...
Justice Court Warrants | Valley County, MT
Official Free
Justice Court Warrants · You can now pay your Highway Patrol fines via the Internet. You must wait at least one business day to allow the site to be entered into the system. Sheriff · Phone: 406-228-4333 Ext. 2 · Administrative Assistant · Phone: 406-228-6274 · Phone: 406-228-4333 Ext. 2 · More Information · Physical Address View Map Valley County Sheriff's Office 501 Court Square #10 Glasgow, MT 59230 ·
Glasgow Police Department - City Court Warrants
Official Free
Justice Court Warrants · 9.1.1 · Jail Roster · Offenders Register · Domestic Animal Resource · MT LE Testing Consort · Move your mouse pointer over any blue text to see a photo ·
Instructions
Official Free
Search for Convicted Felons in Montana. ... Not sure where to start? Try the demo! There are three different ways to search for someone in this database: Full Name Name searching includes known aliases. Department of Corrections Identification Number. If you know this, it's the easiest way to get to the offender ...

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

Montana's statewide wanted-persons and active-warrant information is published by the Official Montana Wants & Warrants. View the current list at dojmt.gov. Additional federal fugitives can be reviewed on the FBI Most-Wanted portal.

Most warrants in Montana are issued at the county or municipal level by the local court or sheriff. The Official Montana Wants & Warrants (dojmt.gov) publishes statewide and felony-level warrant data; for misdemeanor and traffic warrants you generally must contact the clerk of the issuing court directly. Sheriffs in each county also maintain local active-warrant pages.

No. Only sworn law-enforcement officers can serve and execute warrants in Montana. Civilians who locate a wanted person should report the information to the Official Montana Wants & Warrants or local law enforcement at dojmt.gov rather than attempt direct contact. Some Montana warrants also carry a reward administered by the issuing agency.

A Montana warrant generally must be cleared through the court that issued it — by appearing in person, hiring counsel, or filing a motion to quash. The Official Montana Wants & Warrants can confirm whether a warrant is currently active in the statewide system at dojmt.gov, but only the issuing judge can recall or quash it.

Yes. Montana warrants that meet entry criteria are uploaded to the FBI's National Crime Information Center (NCIC), making them visible to law enforcement nationwide. The Official Montana Wants & Warrants at dojmt.gov manages Montana's NCIC interface and entry standards.