| Clerk of District Court | Missoula County Clerk of District Court |
|---|---|
| Clerk address | Missoula County Courthouse, 200 W Broadway, 2nd floor, Missoula, MT 59802 |
| Phone | (406) 258-4780 |
| Hours | Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., closed major 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) |
Missoula County, home to the university city of Missoula, is the seat of the Fourth Judicial District. The Clerk of District Court, based on the second floor of the Missoula County Courthouse, keeps felony, civil, family, probate, and involuntary-commitment files and issues marriage licenses — more than 5,000 new district-court cases a year. The Missoula Self-Help Law Center, in the same courthouse, gives self-represented parties forms and information (not legal advice) for civil district-court matters.
Misdemeanors, small claims, evictions, and county-level traffic tickets go instead to the Missoula County Justice Court, which runs its own separate online case-search tool. Tickets and ordinance violations written inside the City of Missoula go to the Missoula Municipal Court, a city office not covered by either county system.
Whether a district-court case is searchable online depends on whether the Fourth Judicial District has been migrated to Montana's statewide case management system; check the statewide District Court Public Access Portal before assuming a case doesn't exist.
Search Missoula County court records online
Clerk of District Court
Missoula County Clerk of District Court
- Cost
- Free to inquire; per-page fee for copies
- Coverage
- District Court felony, civil, family, probate, and involuntary-commitment cases for the Fourth Judicial District
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Family, Probate
The department page does not itself provide a self-service case search; contact the clerk's office by phone or visit in person. Check the statewide District Court Public Access Portal for online search if the Fourth Judicial District has converted to that system.
Other courts
Missoula County Justice Court
- Cost
- Free
- Coverage
- Misdemeanor, small-claims, eviction, and traffic case records for the two Missoula County Justice of the Peace departments
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Traffic
On the search screen, choose "Missoula County Justice Court of Record" and search by the party's name.
Other courts
Missoula Municipal Court
- Coverage
- City ordinance violations and misdemeanor/traffic tickets within Missoula city limits
- Records
- Criminal, Traffic
A City of Missoula court at 435 Ryman St, Missoula, MT 59802, (406) 552-6180, open Monday–Friday 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. (closed noon–1:00 p.m.). Record searches: (406) 552-6169 or recordrequest@ci.missoula.mt.us. Separate from the county's district and justice courts.
What is available online
The Clerk of District Court's own page does not list a public case-search database; it points readers to the courthouse and the Self-Help Law Center for civil matters. The Justice Court, by contrast, runs its own searchable web tool covering misdemeanor, small-claims, eviction, and traffic cases. Whether Fourth Judicial District cases are also on the statewide District Court Public Access Portal depends on that court's conversion status; check the portal before assuming a case must be requested in person.
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
Missoula County clerk offices
Missoula County Courthouse, 200 W Broadway, 2nd floor, Missoula, MT 59802
Phone: (406) 258-4780
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., closed major holidays
District Court records. Call (406) 258-4780 or visit the Clerk of District Court's office on the second floor of the Missoula County Courthouse, 200 W Broadway, with the case number or party names and approximate filing year. Copies follow the statewide fee schedule: $1.00 per page for the first 10 pages, $0.50 per page after that, plus $2.00 for certification.
Justice Court records. Search the Missoula County Justice Court's own online system by party name, or call (406) 258-3470 for case status and copy requests.
Missoula Municipal Court records. Contact the Municipal Court directly for tickets and ordinance cases arising within city limits; the county's district and justice courts do not have those files.
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
Does Missoula County have an online District Court case search?
The Clerk of District Court's own page does not offer a self-service search tool; call or visit the office. If the Fourth Judicial District has converted to Montana's statewide system, the case may also appear on the District Court Public Access Portal.
How do I search a Missoula County Justice Court case online?
Use the Missoula County Justice Court's web search tool, select "Missoula County Justice Court of Record," and search by the party's name.
Where do I find a Missoula city traffic ticket?
Tickets issued by Missoula city police for in-city violations go to Missoula Municipal Court, a separate city system from the county's Justice Court and District Court.
Who keeps Missoula County probate records?
The Clerk of District Court, since Montana probate matters are heard in district court. Call the clerk's office or visit the courthouse to request a file.
Sources
- Missoula County District Court / Clerk of Court — https://www.missoulacounty.gov/departments/district-court/
- Missoula County Justice Court — https://www.missoulacounty.gov/departments/justice-court/
- Missoula County Justice Court online case search — https://justiceweb.missoulacounty.us/
- City of Missoula — Municipal Court — https://www.ci.missoula.mt.us/71/Municipal-Court
- 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.