| Clerk of District Court | Lewis and Clark County Clerk of District Court |
|---|---|
| Clerk address | Lewis and Clark County Courthouse, 228 E Broadway St, Room 104, Helena, MT 59601 (Clerk of District Court) |
| Phone | (406) 447-8216 |
| Hours | Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., closed county holidays |
| Earliest records noted | Varies by court — older files may be on paper or microfilm |
| Plain copy fee | $1.00 per page for the first 10 pages, $0.50 per page thereafter (Clerk of District Court, Mont. Code Ann. 25-1-201) |
| Certified copy fee | Same per-page copy fee plus $2.00 for certification with the court seal (Mont. Code Ann. 25-1-201) |
Lewis and Clark County is home to Helena, Montana's capital, and anchors the First Judicial District, which it shares with neighboring Broadwater County. The county's Clerk of District Court keeps every felony, civil, divorce, custody, probate, and guardianship file from the district court, and it is one of the Montana district courts that has moved onto the statewide case management system, so the case index is searchable for free on the District Court Public Access Portal — pick "Lewis & Clark District Court" from the court list before searching.
Everything below the felony line is split between two other courts in the same city. Misdemeanors, traffic tickets written by sheriff's deputies or the Highway Patrol outside city limits, small claims, evictions, and temporary orders of protection go to the Lewis and Clark County Justice Court, two doors down from the district clerk in the same courthouse. Tickets and ordinance violations inside Helena go to Helena Municipal Court, a City of Helena office at the Law and Justice Center on Fuller Avenue, and East Helena has its own small City Court. Each keeps a separate file, and only some of them are searchable online.
Copies of district court documents are ordered by form rather than over the counter: the clerk asks for a written request, processes it in order received, and calls or emails when payment is due. Plan on about ten business days.
Search Lewis and Clark County court records online
Clerk of District Court
Lewis and Clark County Clerk of District Court
- Cost
- Free index search on the statewide portal; $1.00 per page for copies (first 10 pages), $0.50 per page after; $2.00 per name per year for a clerk search
- Coverage
- District Court felony, civil, family, probate, guardianship, and conservatorship case files for Lewis and Clark County (First Judicial District)
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Family, Probate
The clerk's page directs the public to the Montana District Court Public Access Portal (select Lewis & Clark District Court) for case lookups. Copy and document-search requests go by form to cdcsearches@lccountymt.gov; allow 10 business days. Divorce decree copies are a flat $10.00 ($12.00 certified).
Other courts
Montana District Court Public Access Portal (Lewis & Clark District Court)
- Cost
- Free
- Coverage
- Case index, register of actions, and hearing dates for Lewis and Clark County District Court cases on the statewide Full Court Enterprise system
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Family, Probate
The county clerk's own page points here for online searches; choose the Lewis & Clark District Court from the court dropdown. Document images are not included — request copies from the clerk.
Other courts
Lewis and Clark County Justice Court
- Cost
- $2.00 per name per year search fee; $0.25 per page for copies
- Coverage
- Misdemeanors, traffic and animal-control citations outside Helena city limits, felony initial appearances, civil claims up to $12,000, small claims up to $7,000, evictions, and orders of protection
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Traffic
Room 102 of the courthouse at 228 Broadway; civil/small claims (406) 447-8201, criminal (406) 447-8202, justicecourt@lccountymt.gov, open 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. The court states it has no public access terminal, so record searches are submitted to the clerk and processed as time permits.
Other courts
Helena Municipal Court
- Coverage
- Misdemeanor traffic, criminal, and animal-control offenses and city ordinance violations within Helena city limits
- Records
- Criminal, Traffic
A City of Helena court at 406 Fuller Ave (Law and Justice Center), (406) 447-8466, open Monday–Friday 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. Its weekly calendar and case information are on the Courts of Limited Jurisdiction Public Access Portal, and public records requests are filed through an online form linked from the court's page.
What is available online
Lewis and Clark County District Court is on Montana's statewide Full Court Enterprise system, so its case index and register of actions are searchable for free on the District Court Public Access Portal — the clerk's own website sends the public there rather than running a separate county database. The portal shows party names, case numbers, filings, and hearing dates but not the documents themselves; copies still come from the clerk by written request. Helena Municipal Court cases appear on the Courts of Limited Jurisdiction portal, which the city uses for its weekly calendar. The county Justice Court does not advertise an online search and says it has no public access terminal, so Justice Court records are requested from that clerk by phone, email, or mail.
Which clerk has your record
In Montana, the clerk who keeps a file depends on which court heard the case. Check the court name on the case notice, citation, or order, then use the office and coverage details above to identify the record holder. Court names and responsibilities differ by state; a county clerk may not keep court case files. For federal cases, see the PACER guide. The full court structure is on the Montana page.
| Court | Typical cases | Records kept by |
|---|---|---|
| District Courts (22 judicial districts, one Clerk of District Court per county) | Felony criminal cases; Divorce, custody, and other family-law cases; Civil suits over $15,000 | Clerk of District Court of the county |
| Justice Courts | Misdemeanor criminal cases; Civil cases up to $15,000 and small claims up to $7,000; Landlord-tenant and eviction (forcible entry and detainer) | Justice of the Peace / Justice Court clerk for the county precinct |
| City Courts and Municipal Courts | City ordinance violations; Misdemeanors and traffic tickets within city limits; Small claims within some cities | City Court clerk or Municipal Court clerk for that city |
Request records in person or by mail
Lewis and Clark County clerk offices
Lewis and Clark County Courthouse, 228 E Broadway St, Room 104, Helena, MT 59601 (Clerk of District Court)
Phone: (406) 447-8216
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., closed county holidays
District Court copies. Fill out the clerk's "Request for Copies" form (or the separate divorce-decree or marriage-license request forms) and send it to cdcsearches@lccountymt.gov or mail it to Lewis and Clark County, 316 N Park Ave, Helena, MT 59623. Give the case number if you have it, or the party names and approximate year, and say whether you need certified copies. Copies are $1.00 per page for the first 10 pages and $0.50 per page after that; a divorce decree is $10.00 plain or $12.00 certified. Do not write credit card numbers on the form — the office contacts you for payment once the request is ready. Allow 10 business days. Copies of court exhibits require an in-person review or a court order.
District Court name searches. If you do not know the case number, submit the clerk's "Search Request" form with the name(s) to be searched. The search fee is $2.00 per name per year for up to seven years and $1.00 per name per year beyond that. The free statewide portal is faster if the case was filed after the court moved onto Full Court Enterprise.
Justice Court records. Contact the Clerk of Justice Court at 228 Broadway, Room 102, Helena, MT 59601, by phone ((406) 447-8201 civil, (406) 447-8202 criminal) or email justicecourt@lccountymt.gov. Searches are $2.00 per name per year and copies $0.25 per page, plus postage for mailed copies; search fees are waived for government agencies requesting on letterhead.
Helena Municipal Court records. Use the public records request form linked from the court's page on helenamt.gov, or call (406) 447-8466. East Helena city ordinance and traffic cases are kept by East Helena City Court, (406) 227-5321.
Fees
| Item | Typical cost in Montana |
|---|---|
| Plain copy | $1.00 per page for the first 10 pages, $0.50 per page thereafter (Clerk of District Court, Mont. Code Ann. 25-1-201) |
| Certified copy | Same per-page copy fee plus $2.00 for certification with the court seal (Mont. Code Ann. 25-1-201) |
This is the statutory Clerk of District Court fee schedule; individual District Courts publish the same figures on their fee schedules. Justice Courts, City Courts, and Municipal Courts set their own copy fees locally and are not bound by this schedule, so confirm the amount with that specific court before mailing payment.
Need a copy an agency will accept? See how to get certified copies of court records.
Sealed and restricted records
Montana court records are generally open to the public, but several categories are restricted or removed from public search entirely:
The Montana guide lists every category of sealed and restricted record, and our guide to expunging or sealing a criminal record explains how to remove one from public view.
Frequently asked questions
Can I search Lewis and Clark County District Court cases online?
Yes. The district court is on Montana's statewide case management system, and the clerk's website directs the public to the free District Court Public Access Portal. Select "Lewis & Clark District Court" from the court list, then search by name or case number. You will see the case index and register of actions but not the filed documents.
How long does a copy request take at the Clerk of District Court?
The clerk asks for about 10 business days. Requests are processed in the order received, and the office calls or emails you for payment when the copies are ready rather than taking card details on the form.
Where do Helena traffic tickets go?
A ticket written by Helena police inside city limits goes to Helena Municipal Court at 406 Fuller Ave. A ticket written by a sheriff's deputy or the Highway Patrol outside the city goes to Lewis and Clark County Justice Court at the courthouse on Broadway. They are separate courts with separate files.
Does the Justice Court have an online case search?
Not as of this writing. The Justice Court's records page says the court has no public access terminal, and record searches are handled by the clerk for a $2.00 per name per year fee plus $0.25 per page for copies.
Sources
- Lewis and Clark County Clerk of District Court — https://www.lccountymt.gov/Government/Clerk-of-District-Court
- Lewis and Clark County Clerk of District Court — Copies and Document Search Requests — https://www.lccountymt.gov/Government/Clerk-of-District-Court/Copies-and-Document-Search-Requests
- Lewis and Clark County Justice Court — https://www.lccountymt.gov/Government/Justice-Court
- Lewis and Clark County Justice Court — Record Searches — https://www.lccountymt.gov/Government/Justice-Court/Record-Searches
- City of Helena — Municipal Court — https://www.helenamt.gov/Departments/Municipal-Court
- Montana Judicial Branch — 1st Judicial District court contacts — https://courts.mt.gov/CourtLocator/1stJudicialDistrict
- Montana District Court Public Access Portal — https://dcportal.pubcourts.mt.gov
- Montana Judicial Branch — General Public — https://courts.mt.gov/GeneralPublic
- Montana Judicial Branch — Court Links (portals and docket search) — https://courts.mt.gov/courtlinks
- Montana Judicial Branch — Public Access Portals — https://courts.mt.gov/Courts/portals
- Montana Judicial Branch — Courts of Limited Jurisdiction — https://courts.mt.gov/Courts/lcourt/
- Montana Supreme Court Public View Docket — https://supremecourtdocket.mt.gov/
- Montana DOJ Criminal History Online Public Record Search — https://doj.egovmt.com/choprs/
- Montana DOJ — Conviction Expungement Process — https://dojmt.gov/dci-home/conviction-expungement-process/
- Montana DOJ — Non-Conviction Removal and Sealing — https://dojmt.gov/dci-home/non-conviction-removal-and-sealing/
- Mont. Code Ann. 25-1-201 — Fees of Clerk of District Court — https://mca.legmt.gov/bills/mca/title_0250/chapter_0010/part_0020/section_0010/0250-0010-0020-0010.html
- Mont. Code Ann. Title 46, Chapter 18, Part 11 — Expungement of Records — https://mca.legmt.gov/bills/mca/title_0460/chapter_0180/part_0110/sections_index.html
- Mont. Code Ann. 44-5-103 — Confidential Criminal Justice Information, Definitions — https://mca.legmt.gov/bills/mca/title_0440/chapter_0050/part_0010/section_0030/0440-0050-0010-0030.html
- United States District Court for the District of Montana — https://www.mtd.uscourts.gov/
See also: all Montana counties.