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How to Find Yellowstone County, MT Court Records (2026)

Official search portals, clerk contact details, fees, and the request process for Yellowstone County, Montana (county seat: Billings).

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Yellowstone County court records at a glance
Clerk of District Court Yellowstone County Clerk of District Court
Clerk address Yellowstone County Courthouse, 217 N 27th St, Rooms 702–704, Billings, MT 59101 (Clerk of District Court, 7th floor)
Phone (406) 256-2851
Hours Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. (standard Yellowstone County office hours), 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)

Yellowstone County, home to Billings, is Montana's most populous county and the seat of the Thirteenth Judicial District. The Clerk of District Court keeps every felony, civil, family, and probate file from the district court, along with marriage licenses. As of this writing, the office does not publish its own online case-search index; the county's "record search" service is separate from the district court's case files, so the fastest way to check whether a case has moved onto Montana's statewide system is the District Court Public Access Portal, and otherwise a call or visit to the clerk's office itself.

Misdemeanors, small claims, evictions, and traffic tickets written outside Billings city limits go to one of Yellowstone County's Justice Courts, while tickets and ordinance violations inside Billings go to the Billings Municipal Court — neither is part of the Clerk of District Court's index. Each keeps a separate file and has to be contacted separately.

Requests for copies, certified or plain, are handled by email through the clerk's dedicated record-search address, or in person at the Yellowstone County Courthouse in downtown Billings.

Clerk of District Court

Yellowstone County Clerk of District Court

Official Free search
Cost
Free to inquire; per-page fee for copies, $2.00 for certification
Coverage
District Court felony, civil, family, and probate case files for the Thirteenth Judicial District
Records
Civil, Criminal, Family, Probate

The office does not offer a self-service online case search as of this writing; requests for record searches go to DC-RecordSearch@yellowstonecountymt.gov and case-status questions to (406) 256-2851. If the District Court has converted to Montana's statewide system, cases may also appear on the District Court Public Access Portal.

Other courts

Montana Courts of Limited Jurisdiction Public Access Portal (Yellowstone County Justice Courts)

Official Free search
Cost
Free
Coverage
Justice Court cases for courts that have converted to the statewide case management system
Records
Civil, Criminal, Traffic

Yellowstone County has multiple Justice Court divisions; confirm with the portal or the courthouse whether a specific case is on the system yet.

Other courts

Billings Municipal Court

Official
Coverage
City ordinance violations and misdemeanor/traffic tickets issued within Billings city limits
Records
Criminal, Traffic

A City of Billings court at 316 N 26th St, Billings, MT 59101, (406) 657-8433, open Monday–Friday 8:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m. Records are requested on the court's public record request form (linked from its page); no online case search is offered, though fines can be paid online.

What is available online

The Clerk of District Court's own website lists office contacts by task (record search, case filing, fines and fees, jury duty) rather than a public case-lookup tool, so most record searches start with an email to the office rather than a self-service database. If the Thirteenth Judicial District's cases have been migrated to Montana's Full Court Enterprise system, they will also be searchable on the statewide District Court Public Access Portal; check that portal first before contacting the clerk. Yellowstone County's separate document-index system (crdocs.yellowstonecountymt.gov) is run by the Clerk and Recorder for land and recorded documents, not district court case files, so it will not show court cases.

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.

CourtTypical casesRecords 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 $15,000Clerk of District Court of the county
Justice CourtsMisdemeanor 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 CourtsCity ordinance violations; Misdemeanors and traffic tickets within city limits; Small claims within some citiesCity Court clerk or Municipal Court clerk for that city

Request records in person or by mail

Yellowstone County clerk offices

Yellowstone County Courthouse, 217 N 27th St, Rooms 702–704, Billings, MT 59101 (Clerk of District Court, 7th floor)

Phone: (406) 256-2851

Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. (standard Yellowstone County office hours), closed county holidays

District Court records. Email DC-RecordSearch@yellowstonecountymt.gov with the case number, or the party names and approximate filing year, and specify whether you need a plain or certified copy. You can also visit the Clerk of District Court's office on the 7th floor of the Yellowstone County Courthouse, 217 N 27th St, Billings, during business hours. Copy fees follow the statewide Clerk of District Court schedule: $1.00 per page for the first 10 pages, $0.50 per page after that, plus $2.00 for certification.

Justice Court records. Contact the specific Yellowstone County Justice Court division that heard the case; the courthouse switchboard can direct you to the right precinct.

Billings Municipal Court records. Complete the court's public record request form and deliver it to the Municipal Court at 316 N 26th St, Billings, or call (406) 657-8433. It is a City of Billings office and is not searchable through the county's district-court channels.

Fees

ItemTypical 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 copySame 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 Yellowstone County District Court cases online?

The Clerk of District Court's own site does not offer a self-service case search; you request a record search by email or in person. If the Thirteenth Judicial District has converted to Montana's statewide case system, the case may also show up on the District Court Public Access Portal.

Where do Billings traffic tickets go?

A ticket written by Billings police for a city ordinance or traffic violation goes to Billings Municipal Court. A ticket written by a Yellowstone County deputy outside city limits goes to a county Justice Court instead — they are separate systems.

How do I get a certified copy of a Yellowstone County court record?

Email the Clerk of District Court's record-search address or visit the office in the courthouse with the case number and the documents you need. Certification costs $2.00 in addition to the per-page copy fee.

Who keeps Yellowstone County probate records?

The Clerk of District Court, since probate is heard in Montana's district courts. There is no separate probate court or county clerk office in Montana.

Sources

  1. Yellowstone County Clerk of District Court — https://www.yellowstonecountymt.gov/clerk_court/
  2. Yellowstone County Clerk of District Court — Fee Schedule — https://www.yellowstonecountymt.gov/clerk_court/fees.asp
  3. Yellowstone County Clerk of District Court — Case Types — https://www.yellowstonecountymt.gov/clerk_court/case.asp
  4. Billings Municipal Court — https://www.billingsmt.gov/115/Municipal-Court
  5. Billings Municipal Court — Hours of Operation — https://www.billingsmt.gov/2275/Hours-of-Operation
  6. Yellowstone County — Office Hours — https://www.yellowstonecountymt.gov/officehours.asp
  7. Montana Courts of Limited Jurisdiction Public Access Portal — https://coljportal.pubcourts.mt.gov/
  8. Montana Judicial Branch — General Public — https://courts.mt.gov/GeneralPublic
  9. Montana Judicial Branch — Court Links (portals and docket search) — https://courts.mt.gov/courtlinks
  10. Montana Judicial Branch — Public Access Portals — https://courts.mt.gov/Courts/portals
  11. Montana Judicial Branch — Courts of Limited Jurisdiction — https://courts.mt.gov/Courts/lcourt/
  12. Montana Supreme Court Public View Docket — https://supremecourtdocket.mt.gov/
  13. Montana DOJ Criminal History Online Public Record Search — https://doj.egovmt.com/choprs/
  14. Montana DOJ — Conviction Expungement Process — https://dojmt.gov/dci-home/conviction-expungement-process/
  15. Montana DOJ — Non-Conviction Removal and Sealing — https://dojmt.gov/dci-home/non-conviction-removal-and-sealing/
  16. 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
  17. 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
  18. 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
  19. United States District Court for the District of Montana — https://www.mtd.uscourts.gov/

See also: all Montana counties.

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