Initiate a Free Montana Probation Search: Record Access

Carry out a free Montana probation search today using this resource for guidance. All the information is online and freely accessible through state and county records, allowing the public to see details of Montanans with a criminal record, including those on probation or parole.

Probation and parole are both sentencing options, allowing offenders to serve their time under supervision in the community rather than behind bars. Parolees are those granted conditional release after serving time in prison, while probationers typically receive a suspended sentence from the judge rather than serving any time in jail.

Read on for guidance on how to perform a probation search in Montana and find vital information on individuals, such as their probation officers and any committed violations.

Conduct a Montana Probation Search (Free)

The Montana Department of Corrections website features an Offender Search.¹ This free database lets the public perform a probation search in Montana to access and view the records of convicted felons in all 56 counties.

The most efficient way to find a particular offender is with their Department of Corrections ID number, which will instantly pull up the correct individual. As this is often unknown, the database can also be searched using first and/or last names.

A name search also includes any known aliases but is restricted to 100 results. If more than 100 results are found, the searcher will be asked to narrow down the search. Results are presented as a list of individuals matching the search parameters, giving full names, whether the name is an alias, year of birth and the status of their conviction (either secured, parole or probation).

Viewing a particular offender’s record pulls up a photo and the following information:

• Department of Corrections ID
• Gender
• Address and phone number of the probation office where they’re registered
• Physical description including height, build, race and eye color
• Nationality
• Any known aliases
• Details of tattoos and other distinguishing features

Each profile also lists the probationer’s legal record which gives details of each offense, sentencing information and the name of the judge who presided over the case.

The public can also make a Victim Notification Request directly from the offender’s profile page by clicking on the link and being redirected to VINE, the national victim notification network.

Victims, survivors and concerned members of the public can call toll-free on (866)-277-7477 or register with VINE for free to receive up-to-date information on the status of convicted felons via text, phone, email or in-app notifications.

Find Probation Details & Statuses via County or Municipal Agencies (MT)

A probation search in Montana can also be conducted via county and municipal agencies. Information is often attained through county or city official websites, municipal or county courts, the county sheriff’s office or the local police department. Some examples can be found below:

Billings: A request for public records regarding criminal and legal matters can be made via the Billings City Attorney’s Office.² Applicants must complete a Public Records Request (PRR) form specifying the required documents, such as a case report.³ Completed forms can be faxed, emailed or delivered in person.

Applications can take 2-3 weeks, and the office charges a fee for all record requests which will be calculated once the request is complete. If the fee exceeds $100, applicants will be contacted prior to processing to obtain approval to go ahead with the request.

Billings City Attorney’s Office
210 North 27th Street First Floor
Billings, MT 59101

Fax: (406)-657-3067
Email: legal@billingsmt.gov

Missoula: Requests for record searches can be made via the City of Missoula Municipal Court. Searches cover citations issued through the City of Missoula Police Department and incur a $5.00 search fee plus $0.25 per page.

Applicants need to complete a Records Request Form and email it to recordrequest@ci.missoula.mt.us or mail the completed form. Record searches take up to 10 days to complete.

Municipal Court-Record Searches
435 Ryman Street
Missoula, MT 59802

Great Falls: Court records for citations issued by the Great Falls Police Department can be obtained from the Great Falls Municipal Court. Requests must be made with a Records Request Form and submitted via fax mail.⁴

Processing takes up to 30 days and requests are subject to $10.00 per name search, $1.00 per page for general copies and $2.00 per page for certified copies.

Great Falls Municipal Court
PO Box 5021
Great Falls, MT 59403

Fax: (406)-727-8069

Gallatin County: Record requests for offenders in Bozeman and Gallatin County can be made via the Gallatin County Justice Court. A $25.00 fee is payable by cash, local check or money order at the time of submitting the Records Check Request Form.

Gallatin County Justice Court
615 South 16th Avenue Room 168
Bozeman MT 59715

Fax: (406)-582-2163
Email: justice@gallatin.mt.gov

Butte: Name-based records and criminal history checks can be requested via the City-County of Butte Silver Bow. Applications should contain the person’s full name, including any known aliases and maiden name, date of birth and social security number.

Applicants also need to include a stamped self-addressed envelope and a check or postal order to cover the $10 processing fee.

Montana Criminal Records
303 North Roberts P.O. Box 201403
Helena, MT 59620-1403

View a Montana Probationer’s Violations & Contact Their Supervising Officer

Any violation of the conditions of a sentence could lead to a municipal court issuing a warrant for a probationer’s arrest. Probation violations include failure to appear in court on a given date, missing appointments with a probation officer, traveling outside of the state without permission and committing another offense.

Certain court documents and public records in Montana, including issued warrants, can be accessed through the state’s District Court Public Access Portal.⁵

To check whether someone has an active warrant for probation violations, users can select the appropriate municipal court from the drop-down list, log into the portal and carry out a probation search in Montana for an individual.

Some Montana cities, counties and municipal agencies publish lists of offenders and defendants, including probation violators, with outstanding warrants against them. All lists are available to the public. For example:

• Gallatin County’s Current Arrest Warrants
• City of Great Falls’ Warrant List
• Flathead County Sheriff’s Office’s Warrants Database⁶

Law enforcement agencies in Great Falls and Cascade County have also set up a Crime Stoppers task force to collate information and tip-offs from the public to help solve crimes and apprehend wanted criminals.⁷

Reaching out to someone’s probation officer is best done through the probation office listed on their DOC offender search profile. Contact can be made via the listed phone number or by writing to the office address.

How To Perform a Montana Parolee Search

After serving time in prison, a prisoner may be eligible for parole and allowed to serve part of their sentence in the community. Montana allows the public to view the status of convicted felons to see if they are incarcerated or have been granted parole.

A search for parolees in Montana is conducted in the same way as a probation search. Members of the public can use the state’s Department of Corrections (DOC) website to search for an individual felon.

Once on the Montana Department of Corrections Offender Search, where a record can be found using an individual’s name or DOC ID number. Anyone convicted of an offense within any of the state’s 56 counties will be listed in the database, including those on parole.

Search results are presented as a list with the individual’s name, year of birth and the status of their conviction (whether they are on parole, on probation or in prison). Clicking on a specific parolee brings up their profile containing:

• A photo
• Full name
• Physical characteristics, such as hair and eye color, height, weight and skin tone
• Known aliases
• Scars, tattoos and any other distinguishing marks
• Legal record of convictions and sentences

Montana Department of Corrections
5 S Last Chance Gulch St. P.O. Box 201301 
Helena, Montana 59601

Email: corpio@mt.gov
Phone: 406-444-3930
Fax: 406-444-4920

As all offenders are listed on the DOC website, any Montana probation search will also pull up details of parolees and other felons sentenced by municipal courts within the state.