Montana Free Public Records Directory

Montana is known as “Big Sky Country” for its breathtaking, expansive vistas. With 147,164 square miles of land, Montana is the 4th largest state in the US, bested only by Alaska, Texas, and California. Ranking among the lowest in population ( 43rd ) and in population density (48th ), Montana offers panoramic views of its uninhabited and pristine landscape. ^[1]

Montana is one of nine Mountain States in the West region of the United States. It is the largest landlocked state, bordered by Canada to the north, Wyoming to the south, Idaho to the west, and North Dakota and South Dakota to the east.

The state is geographically split into an eastern and western region by the Continental Divide, a hydrological divide that follows the prominent mountain ranges from North America to South America. Western Montana has mountainous terrain and rich river valleys; eastern Montana has smaller ranges, surrounded by prairies, open plains, and badlands. The east region also features the Missouri Breaks, a badland area of unique rock formations, including steep bluffs, elevated buttes, and grassy plains. ^[2]

Montana is also known for its waterways of lakes, rivers, and creeks. Flathead Lake, in the northwest corner of the state, is the largest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi River in the US. Carved by glaciers over 10,000 years ago, it is nearly 30 miles long and 16 miles wide. Thousands of rivers and creeks in the state provide water for hydropower, consumption, irrigation, mining, and of course recreation. Fishing enthusiasts rank Montana as a world-class destination for trout and fly fishing. Fishing is not the only outdoor activity the state has to offer. Montana’s recreational and wilderness areas attract skiers, boaters, hikers, campers and hunters. In fact, tourism is the 2nd largest industry in the state, preceded only by agriculture. Popular tourist sites include Glacier Park, Yellowstone Park, and the Little Bighorn Battle Monument. Both parks are known for their spectacular scenery and wildlife; the Little Bighorn Battlefield Monument marks the site of the most decisive Indian victory and the worst US military defeat in the Plains Indian War. Also known as the Custer’s Last Stand, this site memorializes the battle between General Custer and his 600 soldiers, who were all killed when outnumbered by Cheyenne and Sioux warriors fighting to resist forced relocation to reservations from their land. ^[3]

The history, geography, and folklore of Montana is compelling. If you are interested in exploring Montana public records, please review our directory of sources below.

Abbreviation	MT, Mont
Capital	Helena
Population	1,042,520 (2016 est.)
Area size	147,040 sq. mi
Demonym	Montanan
Primary languages spoken	English, Official Language
Governor	Steve Bullock
Lieutenant Governor	Mike Cooney
U.S. Senators	John Tester, Steve Daines
U.S. House Delegation	1 Republican
Time Zone	Mountain: UTC -7/-6

*The map and data in the table are from Wikipedia.

Browse by Public Record Category

There are two types of public records; 1) personal public records that document major life milestones such as birth certificates, death certificates, divorce records, and marriage records, etc.; and 2) government records that are made public such as property tax records, recorded land records, voter records, crime data, jail inmate records, and court records. ^[4] The Freedom of Information Act is a national law that releases government agency public records and makes it possible to view most public records. Since there are a multitude of records available, it can be difficult to know how or where to access them. When you are ready to start your search, you’ll find our Public Records Directory website easy to use since all of the records can be searched by federal, state, county, city, town or type of record. The links provided will connect you to the best website for the record search, provide details about the record, or provide contact information for those records without search capabilities.

You will find many of the public record sources listed above for Montana, but you may also want to search a source unique to the state, the Montana Water Court. Water rights are property rights in Montana, and the Water Court hears cases involving competing water claims. ^[5] These disputes can arise from conflicting state, federal or tribal water rights, and involve access, usage, quality and quantity of Montana waters. Colorado may be the only other state to establish a Water Court. ^[6] Other states adjudicate water claims in administrative or agency hearings before seeking possible judicial review.