Montana has laws in place that allow for the searching and viewing of public records. This guide will explain and show anyone how to find basic background information on someone in Montana directly online using a first and last name. Finding criminal records in Montana is not difficult once you know what websites to access, this guide will provide just that.
Montana creates millions of searchable records each year that get documented and filed digitally that can be searched by just about anyone. From courthouses to police stations we will explain the best way to retrieve these pieces of public records.
Total Area – 147,040 square miles
Rank among states in total area – 4th
Capital – Helana
Number of counties – 56
Counties in Montana
Big Horn County
Blaine County
Broadwater County
Carbon County
Carter County
Cascade County
Chouteau County
Custer County
Daniels County
Dawson County
Deer Lodge County
Fallon County
Fergus County
Flathead County
Gallatin County
Garfield County
Glacier County
Golden Valley County
Hill County
Jefferson County
Judith Basin County
Lake County
Lewis and Clark County
Liberty County
Lincoln County
McCone County
Madison County
Meagher County
Mineral County
Missoula County
Musselshell County
Park County
Petroleum County
Phillips County
Pondera County
Powder River County
Prairie County
Ravalli County
Richland County
Roosevelt County
Rosebud County
Sanders County
Sheridan County
Silver Bow County
Stillwater County
Sweet Grass County
Teton County
Toole County
Treasure County
Valley County
Wheatland County
Wibaux County
Yellowstone County
How to find criminal records in Montana
Courthouses
Start at the courthouse, but more specifically the clerk of courts online. The clerk is responsible for many of the records that are stored within the courthouses.
Most courthouse websites have a section to search for public records. You can search by first and last name and find all kinds of public information, including criminal data.
Start your search at the Montana Judicial branch
Website: https://courts.mt.gov/
There is a wealth of information that can be found from the Courthouse websites within Montana. If you know what county the criminal records would be in then you can view the county courthouse website.
To do this simply google the county plus the courthouse. Example: Valley County Courthouse. This should bring you that county courthouse information. Searching for records search within that website.
Sheriff Websites by county
Sheriff websites can provide criminal data as well. Most sheriff websites will provide jail data, warrants, and more directly online. Finding this data is not hard.
Again, search for county sheriff website and start your search. Most sheriff websites keep up active warrants, so you should find this data easily. Larger websites will also provide inmate searching, so look for that as well. This is a great way to find Montana criminal records that not many people may know about.
Montana Sheriff Association
Website: https://www.mspoa.org/
Search Services
Search services are a way to find public records easily without spending time searching through multiple websites and pages. It works by inputting a full name and the system scans thousands of data points from federal, state, and county data sources behind the scenes.
Then, it produces an easy-to-read report in minutes. This is a great way to find more than just criminal record data in Montana.
Sex offender data
Sex offender data only takes a quick search to find, this data is provided to the public at all times in every state. Although the laws differ by state. To find sex offender data in Montana access the below link
Website: https://app.doj.mt.gov/apps/svow/default.aspx
Montana criminal statistics
The data below is provided by the FBI and it is average of crime statistics from 2010 to 2017. The data will cover violent and property crime in the state of Montana. When a crime is committed that data gets filed it is then possible if it is not expunged or sealed to view. You can see how many Montana criminal records could be found.