Montana Criminal Records

This guide explains how to find Montana criminal records, arrest records, court records, inmate information, and the public sex offender registry, and how Montana's background-check and record-clearing laws work. It was last reviewed in June 2026 using official Montana sources, and it points you to the state and county agencies that hold each type of record. You can also start a name search using the tool on this page.

How do I look up a criminal record in Montana?

There are three main ways to look up a Montana criminal record:

• Online name search through the Montana DOJ. The Montana Department of Justice (DOJ) Division of Criminal Investigation runs the Criminal History Online Public Record Search (CHOPRS). Both public and registered users can search the state's public criminal history database. You must supply the person's full name and date of birth; a Social Security number is optional but encouraged for accuracy. Public users pay $20 per search by credit card or eCheck.
• Mail-in or in-person request. You can also submit a name-based request by mail ($15) or a fingerprint-based check by mail ($10), to: Montana Criminal Records, P.O. Box 201403, Helena, MT 59620-1403. The office is open in person at 2225 11th Avenue, Helena, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• An online people-search tool like the one on this page, which compiles public-record data from many sources into one report. These tools are for personal knowledge only and are not a substitute for an official background check or an FCRA-compliant employment screening.

A fingerprint-based check is the only way to confirm that a record truly belongs to a specific person; a name-and-date-of-birth search can return records belonging to someone with a similar name.

Are criminal records public in Montana?

Partly. Montana's privacy laws limit what the general public can receive. Public users can access arrest and court information for felony and misdemeanor charges, but deferred sentences that were later dismissed are not available to the public. Law enforcement agencies conducting criminal-justice checks can access the complete criminal history. There is no single public statewide rap sheet available to everyone the way some states provide; what the DOJ releases to members of the public is a filtered view governed by the Montana Criminal Justice Information Act (Title 44, Chapter 5, Montana Code Annotated).

Where can I look up arrest records in Montana?

Arrest records are held by the agency that made the arrest, typically a city police department or a county sheriff. County sheriffs often publish an online jail roster showing recent bookings. Remember that an arrest record is different from a criminal conviction: it shows a person was taken into custody, not that they were found guilty. Dismissed charges and deferred prosecutions that were later dropped are not available to the general public in Montana's statewide system, so the arresting agency or the court is often the best source for arrest-level information.

How do I find court records in Montana?

Montana is transitioning to a centralized case management system. The Montana Judicial Branch public access portals provide free online access to district-court and courts-of-limited-jurisdiction records. The District Court portal covers records filed since 1999; the Montana Supreme Court Docket Search covers closed cases going back to 1979. Free public terminals are also available in local courthouses. To pull a specific case file, contact the clerk of the District Court in the county where the case was filed. Yellowstone County District Court, the court in Montana's most populous county, maintains its own online search at crdocs.yellowstonecountymt.gov.

How do I look up warrants in Montana?

Warrants are issued by the courts, and the easiest place to verify one is usually the clerk of the District Court in the county where charges would be filed, or the county sheriff's office. Some county sheriffs post warrant information online. Active warrants can also appear on third-party background reports, but the issuing court or county is the authoritative source. A warrant does not appear in the DOJ's public CHOPRS system, so the court or local law enforcement is the place to check.

Do arrests show up on background checks in Montana?

For employment, tenant, and credit screening run through a consumer reporting agency, the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) sets the baseline rules. Montana's state law on "obsolete information" adds additional restrictions: the state applies a seven-year limit with no salary exception (unlike the federal FCRA's $75,000 carve-out). Under Montana law, arrests that did not lead to a conviction are subject to the seven-year reporting limit. Dismissed charges and deferred sentences that were later dismissed are excluded from Montana's public criminal history database entirely, so they typically will not appear in a name-based DOJ search at all.

How far back does a background check go in Montana?

Montana is one of a handful of states that caps background-check reporting more strictly than federal law. The state's obsolete-information rule limits most adverse criminal items to seven years and, unlike the federal FCRA, Montana does not lift that cap for higher-paying jobs. Key points:

• The seven-year window applies to arrests, indictments, and convictions.
• Montana has no $75,000 salary exception, so the cap applies regardless of the position's pay.
• Deferred and dismissed records are excluded from the public database regardless of age.
• Fingerprint-based checks for law enforcement and authorized agencies are not subject to the same public limits.

How do I find someone in jail or prison in Montana?

It depends on where the person is held:

• State prison or community supervision. Use the Montana Department of Corrections' free Offender Search tool. You can search by name or DOC ID number. Results show facility placement, conviction details, parole or probation status, and physical descriptors for convicted felons under DOC supervision.
• County jail. People awaiting trial or serving shorter sentences are typically held in a county jail. Check the sheriff's office in the relevant county for an online inmate roster.
• Federal custody. For federal cases, use the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator rather than the Montana DOC system.

How do I find out if someone is on probation or parole in Montana?

Montana has roughly 10,500 offenders under community supervision at any given time, supervised by the Montana Department of Corrections Probation and Parole Bureau. An offender's supervision status may appear in the DOC's Offender Search tool. Probation is imposed by a district court and lets a person serve a sentence in the community under court-set conditions instead of being incarcerated. For details about a specific person's supervision, contact the Montana DOC Probation and Parole division or the sentencing court.

What crimes are felonies in Montana?

Montana law (MCA 45-1-201) defines a felony as any offense for which the authorized sentence includes imprisonment for more than one year in a state prison. Unlike some states, Montana does not use a lettered class system (Class A, B, C) for felonies; instead, each offense statute specifies its own sentencing range. Serious crimes such as deliberate homicide, sexual intercourse without consent, robbery, arson, and aggravated assault are charged as felonies. A felony conviction affects civil rights, firearm eligibility, and can make it much harder to find employment or housing even after the sentence is served.

What crimes are misdemeanors in Montana?

A misdemeanor in Montana is any offense whose maximum authorized sentence does not exceed one year of incarceration in a county jail (MCA 45-1-201). Common misdemeanors include a first-offense DUI (driving under the influence), petty theft, simple assault, and disorderly conduct. Some misdemeanors carry no jail time at all and result only in a fine. Montana also recognizes infractions (such as routine traffic violations), which are not classified as crimes, carry only a fine, and generally do not appear on criminal background checks.

Are traffic violations crimes in Montana?

Routine traffic tickets in Montana are infractions or civil violations, not criminal offenses. They carry a fine only, no jail time, and generally do not appear on a criminal background check. More serious driving offenses are a different matter: a first-offense DUI is a misdemeanor; a fourth or subsequent DUI offense is a felony (MCA 61-8-731). Serious traffic crimes such as vehicular homicide or negligent vehicular assault are also felonies and create a permanent criminal record.

Is the sex offender registry public in Montana?

Yes. Montana's Sexual or Violent Offender Registry (SVOR), maintained by the Montana Department of Justice, is free and publicly searchable. Under MCA 46-23-508, the public is entitled at minimum to the name and address of any registered offender. The registry allows name searches and displays an interactive map, and you can sign up for free daily email alerts when a registered offender moves into or out of zip codes you select. The registry is available through the Montana DOJ SVOR search portal. Some lower-risk violent offenders have limited public information unless they are non-compliant with registration requirements.

Can someone be removed from the Montana sex offender registry?

It depends on the person's tier level. Montana registers both sexual and violent offenders and assigns tier levels that reflect risk:

• Sexual offenders, Level 1: may petition the District Court for removal after 10 years of compliant registration.
• Sexual offenders, Levels 2 and 3: must register for life but may petition the court after 25 years.
• Violent offenders: must register for 10 years; after that period without a new felony conviction, they may petition for removal.

Certain offenders are ineligible to petition, including those convicted of sexual intercourse without consent involving force or a victim under 12 years old, and those designated as Sexually Violent Predators. The court may grant a petition only if the person has maintained a clean record and continued registration is not necessary for public protection (MCA 46-23-506). The Montana DOJ provides petition forms and instructions on its website.

How do I expunge or seal my criminal record in Montana?

Montana offers two main forms of record relief for past offenders:

• Misdemeanor expungement (MCA Title 46, Chapter 18, Part 11). If your most recent misdemeanor conviction is at least five years old and you have completed all fines and jail time, there is a legal presumption that the court will grant expungement. You may only petition once in your lifetime. Courts apply closer scrutiny to assault, domestic violence, stalking, sexual assault, protective-order violations, and DUI convictions. A successful expungement removes the record from public databases. The Montana courts publish official forms and instructions at courts.mt.gov.
• Non-conviction removal (MCA 44-5-202(8)). If charges were dismissed, acquitted, dropped, or resulted in a deferred prosecution that was later dismissed, you can request that the Montana DOJ remove or seal the record entirely. Sealing restricts public access; removal destroys the record. Contact Montana CRISS (Criminal Records and Information Sharing System) at dojcriss@mt.gov or (406) 444-3625.

Felony expungement is generally not available in Montana except for certain marijuana-related convictions. A 2025 legislative study (HJ 45) is examining broader felony record-clearing options, with results due to the 2027 legislature.

Do I need a lawyer to expunge my record in Montana?

You are not required to hire a lawyer to file for expungement in Montana. The Montana courts publish official forms and a step-by-step instructions packet, and Montana LawHelp (montanalawhelp.org) offers free self-help guidance. That said, expungement eligibility rules are detailed, prosecutors are notified and may object, and victims have a 14-day window to respond. Courts also apply stricter scrutiny to certain offense categories. Many people benefit from at least a consultation with an attorney or a legal-aid organization before filing, especially if the conviction involves domestic violence, DUI, or assault.

How long does a felony stay on your record in Montana?

A Montana felony conviction stays on your record permanently unless you obtain specific relief. There is no process for expunging a standard felony conviction in Montana (except for certain marijuana offenses). The seven-year background-check reporting rule described above limits what a consumer reporting agency may include in a report; it does not erase the underlying court record. The conviction will remain in the DOJ's criminal history database and in court records indefinitely, visible to law enforcement, courts, and authorized agencies regardless of time elapsed.

Are juvenile criminal records private in Montana?

Juvenile court proceedings and records in Montana are generally confidential. They are not available to the public through a standard background check or the CHOPRS online search. Access is limited to the courts, law enforcement, prosecutors, and certain authorized agencies. When a juvenile satisfactorily completes their sentence or reaches adulthood without additional offenses, their records are typically sealed and cannot be accessed by employers or the general public. This confidentiality exists to give young people the opportunity to move past early mistakes without a lasting public record following them.

Yellowstone County criminal records

Yellowstone County, home to Billings, is Montana's most populous county with more than 160,000 residents. The Yellowstone County District Court handles felonies, major civil cases, and probate matters. The clerk of court maintains an online document search at crdocs.yellowstonecountymt.gov, where you can look up case records by name. For records inquiries, you can also contact the clerk by email at DC-RecordSearch@yellowstonecountymt.gov. For statewide criminal history, use the Montana DOJ CHOPRS system rather than the county court search, as CHOPRS aggregates records from across the state. The Yellowstone County Justice Court also handles misdemeanor and civil matters; record copies require a case number and can be requested from yellowstonecountymt.gov/justicecourt.

Official Montana criminal record sources

• Montana DOJ Criminal History Online Public Record Search (CHOPRS) - online name-based criminal history search, $20 per search.
• Montana DOJ Background Checks - information on online, mail, and fingerprint background check options and fees.
• Montana Judicial Branch Public Access Portals - free online access to district court and courts of limited jurisdiction records.
• Montana DOC Offender Search - free public search for convicted felons in Montana state custody or under community supervision.
• Montana DOJ Sexual or Violent Offender Registry (SVOR) - free public registry search with name lookup, map, and zip-code alerts.
• Montana DOJ SVOR Petition for Removal - forms and instructions for petitioning to be removed from the sex offender registry.
• Montana DOJ Non-Conviction Record Removal and Sealing - how to request removal or sealing of dismissed or acquitted charges.
• Yellowstone County District Court Document Search - online case records for Montana's most populous county.

Disclosure: criminal.com may earn a commission when you use the people-search tool on this page, which is powered by a third-party background-check service. Results from such tools are for your personal knowledge only and may not be used to make decisions about employment, housing, credit, tenant screening, or any other purpose covered by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). An arrest record or mugshot is not proof of guilt. This page is general information about Montana public records, not legal advice; for advice about your situation, consult an attorney. Information was last reviewed in June 2026 and laws may change.