Montana Background Checks

Montana Criminal Records

Montana criminal records are maintained by the Montana Department of Justice and are available to the general public, as well as criminal justice agencies and other government agencies. The Department of Justice collects criminal record information from local law enforcement and criminal justice agencies and submits it to the state central criminal history repository, ensuring all the information is located in one place.

The Department of Justice records all felony offenses and misdemeanors, provided a fingerprint card is submitted. However, public Montana criminal records withhold information that is protected by privacy laws, such as physical identifiers and dismissals resulting from a deferred imposition of sentence. Confidential Montana criminal records are only available to authorized agencies and include all the information excluded from public records.

The public may request a name-based or fingerprint search for Montana criminal records. The more detailed information you provide, including full name, date of birth, social security number and up to four aliases, the higher your chances will be of receiving the correct Montana criminal record.

Fingerprint searches will give you a more complete criminal history because it searches for results in Alaska, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Wyoming. Fingerprint searches are always advised because name-based searches are inherently unreliable. You can get a false negative even when the individual has a criminal record under an alias. You might also get a false positive, wherein the criminal record received is not the individual in question.

Fingerprint search requests must be submitted by mail and include a completed fingerprint card, a SASE and payment of $10. A name-based search also costs $10, and if submitting the request by mail, will need to include the individual’s full name and date of birth, although a social security number along with any aliases or maiden name is also preferred. Name-based searches can also be performed online as a public user or registered user. A registered user pays an annual fee for access and is usually a business or agency who performs routine Montana criminal record checks.

To conduct a search online do the following:

Step 1: Visit the Montana Criminal History Online Public Record Search webpage. Click Here.
Step 2: Click “Start Service” then fill out all required information fields.
Step 3: Provide processing payment of $11.50 with credit card or eCheck to view results.

For additional information on obtaining Montana criminal records, please contact the office at the address or phone number below:

Montana Criminal Records
303 North Roberts
P.O. Box 201403.
Helena, MT 59620
(406) 444-3625

Resource Links
Montana Background Checks
Record Search Service

Montana Court Records

Montana court records are mostly available online. Montana Supreme Court opinions and briefs are continuously published online as they become available, and you can search back as far as the 1980s. These opinions and briefs can be searched by docket number, party names or topic. If you require specific Montana court records, these are filed at the district court where the case was heard or filed. The Montana Water Court holds Montana court records pertaining to water cases, and the Montana Workers’ Compensation Court holds those relevant records. The best way to find your local district courthouse is to use the online court locator map.

To search for court records do the following:

Step 1: Visit the Montana Judicial Branch webpage. Click Here.
Step 2: Contact the Clerk of Court where the case was originally filed.
Step 3: Submit a request by phone or in writing which details your case record needs.

For additional information on obtaining Montana court records, please contact the following relevant offices at the address or phone number below:

Montana Water Court
601 Haggerty Lane
P.O. Box 1389
Bozeman, MT 59771
(406) 586-4364

Montana Workman’s Compensation Court 1625 11th Ave.
P.O. Box 537
Helena, MT 59624
(406) 444-7794

Clerk of the Montana Supreme Court
Room 323, Justice Building
215 N. Sanders
P.O. Box 203003
Helena, Montana 59620
(406) 444-3858

Resource Links
Montana Court Case Information

Montana Jail Records

Montana jail records are maintained by the Montana Department of Corrections, and they offer an online inmate locator feature. You can search using the inmate’s first and last name, gender, date of birth, race and active offender type (by filling in all the known information), or enter the inmate’s ID number for the most accurate results.

It is important for victims of crimes to register with the Montana Department of Corrections to ensure you receive timely updates via phone, email or letter regarding the current status of the offender. This includes his or her current location and any transfers, any custody changes, upcoming parole hearings and results, furloughs, estimated release date, if he or she is released to community corrections, escapes or dies. VINE (Victim Information and Notification Everyday) is also available, but registering with VINE does not register you with the Department of Corrections. Therefore, to receive these updates, you must register with both.

To search for jail records online do the following:

Step 1: Visit the Montana Inmate Search webpage. Click Here.
Step 2: Search for inmates by DOC number, name, or date of birth.
Step 3: Click “Search” to view all available results.

For additional information on locating Montana jail records, please contact the Montana Department of Corrections at the address or phone number below:

Montana Department of Corrections
1539 11th Ave.
P.O. Box 201301
Helena, MT 59620
(406) 444-3930

Victim Information Hotline
(888) 223-6332

VINE Hotline
(800) 456-3076

Resource Links
Montana Offender Network Search

Montana Driving Records

Montana driving records include personal driving information, any speeding tickets or moving violations, convictions, accident history and any sanctions. You may request a Montana driving record for yourself or another individual in person by mail or online. Simply fill out the release of driving records form and pay the $4 fee (it costs $7.25 online). You will need to include the person’s full name, driver’s license number and date of birth with your request, along with a copy of a government-issued picture ID, or have the form notarized.

For additional information on obtaining Montana driving records, please contact the office at the address or phone number below:

Motor Vehicle Division
Department of Justice
Scott Hart Building, 2nd Floor
303 North Roberts
P.O. Box 201430 Helena, MT 59620
(406) 444-3933

Resource Links
Montana Driving Record Information

Additional Resources

Montana Sexual Offender Registry
Montana Attorney General