| Clerk of District Court | Ravalli County Clerk of District Court |
|---|---|
| Clerk address | Ravalli County Courthouse, 205 Bedford St, Suite D, Hamilton, MT 59840 (Clerk of District Court) |
| Phone | (406) 375-6710 |
| Hours | Monday–Friday, 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. |
| 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) |
Ravalli County covers the Bitterroot Valley south of Missoula and is, by itself, Montana's Twenty-First Judicial District, with two district judges sitting in Hamilton. The Clerk of District Court on Bedford Street keeps the county's felony, civil, divorce, parenting, juvenile, probate, guardianship, and adoption files, along with marriage licenses and jury records. The office is explicit that it does not run searches over the phone: records are searched and copied only on a written request with the fee paid in advance.
Misdemeanors, small claims, landlord-tenant disputes, temporary orders of protection, and traffic citations written outside Hamilton's city limits go to one of Ravalli County's two Justice Courts, which sit in the same Bedford Street complex as the district clerk but keep their own files — the district clerk's page specifically tells ticket-holders to call Justice Court instead. Tickets and ordinance violations inside Hamilton are heard by Hamilton City Court on West Main Street, a city office that has concurrent jurisdiction with the Justice Courts over misdemeanors.
Ravalli County does not publish its own online case-search database. Whether a district court case is visible on Montana's statewide District Court Public Access Portal depends on whether the Twenty-First District has been converted to the statewide case system, so check the portal first and fall back to a written request to the clerk.
Search Ravalli County court records online
Clerk of District Court
Ravalli County Clerk of District Court
- Cost
- Statutory copy fee ($1.00 per page for the first 10 pages, $0.50 per page after; $2.00 certification), paid in advance with a written request
- Coverage
- District Court criminal, civil, domestic-relations, juvenile, probate, guardianship, and adoption case files for Ravalli County (Twenty-First Judicial District)
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Family, Probate
Searches and copies are provided only on written request with pre-payment of the applicable fees; the office states that telephone searches are not available. Court filings are accepted at courtfilings@rc.mt.gov. Traffic citations are not handled here — call Justice Court 1 or 2.
Other courts
Ravalli County Justice Courts (Departments 1 and 2)
- Coverage
- Misdemeanor criminal complaints, traffic citations from county and state officers, civil suits within Justice Court limits, small claims, landlord-tenant cases, and temporary orders of protection
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Traffic
Justice Court 1 is at 205 Bedford St, Suite E, (406) 375-6755; Justice Court 2 is at 205 Bedford St, Suite F, (406) 375-6765. Both are open Monday–Friday 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. The county site offers online fine payment but no case-search database; contact the court that heard the case.
Other courts
Hamilton City Court
- Coverage
- Misdemeanors, traffic tickets, and city ordinance violations within Hamilton city limits; concurrent jurisdiction with Justice Court
- Records
- Criminal, Traffic
A City of Hamilton court at 910 W Main St, (406) 363-6823. The city page lists no online case search; contact the court clerk directly.
What is available online
Neither Ravalli County nor the City of Hamilton runs a public case-search website. The Clerk of District Court's page describes searches and copies as a written-request, pay-in-advance service and does not link to an online index, and the Justice Court pages offer only online fine payment. If the Twenty-First Judicial District's cases have been migrated to Montana's Full Court Enterprise system, the district court case index will appear on the statewide District Court Public Access Portal, and Justice Court or City Court cases on the Courts of Limited Jurisdiction portal — an empty result on either portal is not proof that no case exists, so confirm with the clerk.
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
Ravalli County clerk offices
Ravalli County Courthouse, 205 Bedford St, Suite D, Hamilton, MT 59840 (Clerk of District Court)
Phone: (406) 375-6710
Hours: Monday–Friday, 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
District Court records — by mail or in person. Write to the Clerk of District Court, 205 Bedford St, Suite D, Hamilton, MT 59840, with the case number or the party names and approximate filing year, a description of the documents you need, and whether you want plain or certified copies. The office searches records and makes copies "upon written request and pre-payment" of the fees, so call (406) 375-6710 first for a fee quote if you do not know the page count. Copies follow the statewide Clerk of District Court schedule under Mont. Code Ann. 25-1-201: $1.00 per page for the first 10 pages, $0.50 per page after that, plus $2.00 for certification. The office does not run name searches over the phone and cannot give legal advice or prepare documents.
District Court records — online. Check the Montana District Court Public Access Portal for a case index and register of actions; documents themselves are not available for download and must be requested from the clerk.
Justice Court records. Contact the department that heard the case: Justice Court 1 at (406) 375-6755 (Suite E) or Justice Court 2 at (406) 375-6765 (Suite F), both at 205 Bedford St and open 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. weekdays. Justice Courts set their own copy fees, so confirm before mailing payment.
Hamilton City Court records. Call (406) 363-6823 or visit 910 W Main St, Hamilton. City Court tickets are not in the county's district or justice court 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
Can the Ravalli County Clerk of District Court look up a case for me over the phone?
No. The clerk's office states that telephone searches are not available; searches and copies are done only on written request with the fees paid in advance. Call for a quote, then mail or deliver the request.
Where do I find a Ravalli County traffic ticket?
Not at the district clerk. Citations written by sheriff's deputies or the Highway Patrol go to Ravalli County Justice Court 1 or 2 on Bedford Street; citations written by Hamilton police inside the city go to Hamilton City Court on West Main Street.
Is Ravalli County on Montana's online court portal?
The county does not run its own case-search site. Try the statewide District Court Public Access Portal for district court cases; if the Twenty-First Judicial District has been converted to the statewide system, cases will show there. If your search comes up empty, contact the clerk rather than assuming there is no record.
Who keeps Ravalli County probate and guardianship records?
The Clerk of District Court in Hamilton. Probate, guardianship, conservatorship, and adoption cases are all heard in Montana district courts; adoption files are confidential and not open to the public.
Sources
- Ravalli County Clerk of District Court — https://ravallicounty.gov/260/Clerk-of-District-Court
- Ravalli County District Court — https://ravallicounty.gov/271/District-Court
- Ravalli County Justice Court — https://ravallicounty.gov/278/Justice-Court
- City of Hamilton — City Court — https://cityofhamilton.net/government/city_court.php
- Montana Judicial Branch — 21st Judicial District court contacts — https://courts.mt.gov/CourtLocator/21stJudicialDistrict
- 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.