Montana genealogy records

Births and deaths before 1907

Before 1895, Montana had no legal requirement to keep birth records. In 1895, the Legislative Assembly passed a law requiring physicians and midwives to keep a register of all births, and the same law covered deaths, which clergymen, coroners, physicians, sextons, and undertakers were responsible for registering. All birth records before 1907 are filed with the County Clerk in the county where the child was born, so start there.

The Montana Historical Society has county birth and death records for only seven of Montana's 56 counties, on microfilm: Broadwater, Deer Lodge, Jefferson, Lewis and Clark, Missoula, Powell, and Silver Bow. Some go back further than the state records, such as Jefferson County births from 1868 and Silver Bow County deaths from 1890. These records are also digitized on Ancestry, which you can use free in the Society's Reference Room.

Birth and death certificates from 1907

Montana began recording births and deaths at the state level in 1907. Coverage grew slowly. Death registration reached about 90 percent by 1910 and was reasonably complete by about 1915. Birth registration became more complete around 1915, and by 1922 about 90 percent of births were registered.

Death records give the date and place of death and sometimes the names of the mother and father and the attending physician; certificates often add the place of residence and the mother's maiden name.

Access rules, as of 2026: birth records are closed to the public for 30 years except to immediate family. After 30 years, informational copies are available to anyone, while certified copies are still only for family. Death certificates are available to anyone if the person has been dead 30 or more years; before that, only close relatives can apply. All certificates, certified or informational, cost $16 from Montana Vital Records. You can buy a birth or death certificate at any county Clerk and Recorder's office in Montana, whatever county the event happened in, except a long form birth certificate, which comes only from the state office in Helena or the county of birth. If you do not know the year, a $10 search covers up to five years, plus $1 for each extra year.

Marriages and divorces

The best source for a marriage record is the Clerk of District Court in the county where the license was purchased, which is not always the county where the wedding took place. Montana Vital Records does not issue marriage or divorce certificates, but it keeps an index of marriages and divorces from 1943. As of 2026, a search of that index costs $10 for up to five years plus $1 for each additional year, and it tells you which county holds the record.

For older marriages, the Montana Historical Society holds marriage indexes and records for counties on microfilm in its Montana District Court Clerks Records, 1864 to 1993. Its staff ask that you consult them before submitting a research request.

Census records

Montana Territory was organized from the northeastern part of Idaho Territory on May 26, 1864, and Montana became a state on November 8, 1889. Census data for Montana begin with the 1870 census. In 1860, people living in present-day Montana were counted as part of unorganized Dakota, although the land was legally in Nebraska and Washington territories, so search there for an 1860 ancestor.

Montana never took a state census. Most of the 1890 federal census was destroyed as a result of a 1921 fire in Washington, DC, but the special 1890 schedules of Union veterans and their widows survive for Montana. The Montana Historical Society has the 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930 federal censuses on microfilm, all indexed, and visitors can search any census through its Ancestry subscription.

Land, homesteads, and probate

Montana counties hold most property records, including deeds, tax records, and mortgage records, so start with the county Clerk and Recorder and Treasurer. The Montana Historical Society has deeds for some counties on microfilm but no homestead records.

For homesteads, search land and homestead patents on the Bureau of Land Management's General Land Office records website. The BLM Montana/Dakotas State Office in Billings holds serial register books, historical indexes, and tract book information for each township, and the National Archives keeps the homestead case reports, which may describe buildings, improvements, and crops. Probate records are held by the District Court in each county; contact the Clerk of District Court.

Naturalization

Start with the Clerk of District Court in the county where the person lived. The Montana Historical Society has naturalization records for some counties on microfilm, digitized on Ancestry and free in its Reference Room, plus indexes arranged by Territorial Court District for 1868 to 1929. Naturalization was not required: of foreign-born people in the 1890 to 1930 censuses, 25 percent never became citizens or made only a declaration of intention. From 1855 until the Cable Act of 1922, the wife of a male citizen automatically became a citizen.

Newspapers and other sources

The Montana Historical Society gives free, searchable access to many digitized Montana newspapers, a good place to find obituaries and marriage and birth announcements. If you know the name, place, and date of death, staff can look for an obituary through a research request. The Society also holds city directories, some burial and funeral records, mostly from Helena, church records, voter lists, and records of the State Orphans' Home and the Montana Children's Center, where access to children's records is limited to the individual or the closest living relative.