Montana Death Records

Are Death Certificates Public in Montana?

According to Montana law on disclosure of information from vital records, death certificates in Montana can be accessed by anyone regardless of whether they are related to the owner of the record.

There are no restrictions on who can order death certificates in Montana, but complete copies of a certified death certificate will be provided to anyone who submits a completed application, proves their identity, and specifies why they need one. The requestor must still present the proper identification, such as an ID card, military ID, or driver's license. According to Montana law, a certified copy of the death certificate will be issued without the cause of death information if the cause of death is listed as "pending autopsy" or "pending investigation".

What Shows Up on Death Records in Montana?

Death records in Montana are vital records prepared to register deaths in the state. A death record is a document that establishes the death of the named individuals and provides brief details about them as well as the circumstances of their death. In Montana, death records are death certificates. A typical Montana death certificate contains the following details:

• Full name of the decedent
• Names of the decedent’s parents
• Age, gender, race, and other identifying biodata of the decedent
• The decedent’s last known address
• Date and place of birth of the decedent
• Date and place of death of the decedent
• Cause of death
• Name and signature of medical officer or physician certifying the cause of death
• Name and signature of the funeral director making final arrangements for the deceased
• Death record registration number

Montana records every death reported within its borders to understand population trends better. Along with other Montana vital records, these data are helpful for calculating population growth and age distribution within the population. These records are useful for planning public policies and allocating resources. They are handy for public health initiatives such as vaccinating residents of the state.

Montana allows genealogists access to death records to use in establishing lineages and constructing family histories. Social and medical scientists may also require these records in their studies. Medical researchers can gather a number of insights from death records during epidemiological studies. These records help them see, confirm, and understand mortality rates and morbidity trends in different populations.

Surviving relatives of the decedent also need death certificates to certify the passing of their loved ones. In Montana, certified death certificates are legally binding documents that can be presented in court to establish parentage, settle estate matters, and execute the wills of deceased persons. Those inheriting the estates of a decedent also need this document to claim insurance and pension benefits.

How are Death Records Created in Montana?

The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) provides blank death certificates to funeral homes and other establishments tasked with handling the remains of deceased individuals. The director of the funeral home, crematorium, or other approved establishments is responsible for filling out a certificate for each death the facility processes.

The funeral director completes the sections requiring personal information after meeting with the family of the deceased. A coroner, medical officer, or physician provides a cause of death and signs the document to certify their conclusion. After completing the document, the funeral director signs it and returns it to the Montana Office of Vital Records, a division of the DPHHS. The state’s Vital Records office registers the document and then seals it. Thereafter, those deemed eligible to obtain copies of this death record can request it.

How to Find Death Records Online in Montana

Montana does not have an online database of its death records. Therefore, there is no way to look for death records online for individuals who died in the state. It is, however, possible to order Montana death certificates online. The state’s Office of Vital Records partnered with a third-party vital records provider to process requests submitted online. Find the link to this third-party processor on the Vital Records order page on the DPHHS website.

Considered open to citizens of the United States, public records are available through traditional government sources and third-party websites and organizations. In many cases, third-party websites make the search easier as they are not limited geographically or by technological limitations. They are a good place to start when looking for specific or multiple records. To gain access to these records, interested parties must typically provide:

• The name of the person listed in the record. Juveniles are typically exempt from this search method.
• The last known or assumed location of the person listed in the record. This includes cities, counties, and states.

While third-party sites offer such services, they are not government-sponsored entities and record availability may vary on these sites when compared to government sources.

Death Record Search by Name in Montana

The State Vital Records Office processes requests for public death records search by name in Montana. This will require requesters to fill out the death certificate request form with the name of the deceased person and the name of the parents of the deceased. Death records search by name can also be performed by the staff of any county clerk's office by submitting the name of the decedent to the office. Anyone born in the state of Montana may print these records, which are pulled from a statewide database. With identification, anyone can get a certified copy of a death record.

Death Record Search by Address

By providing both the deceased's place of death and their place of birth, the state vital records office or county clerk/recorder's office can conduct death records search by address. Any Montana death records searched by address must also have the requestor's mailing address as a condition.

How to Find Death Records for Free in Montana

Montana does not offer vital records for free. It does not allow members of the public to view, look up, or obtain copies of death records in person or online for free. The state charges nominal fees for certified and informational copies of death certificates registered with its Office of Vital Records. It accepts payments for these copies before processing requests.

How to Obtain Death Records in Montana

Montana death records are provided by the Office of Vital Records of the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS). This office is located at:

Room 6
111 North Sanders Street
Helena, MT 59604-4210
Phone: (406) 444-2685

Montana’s Vital Records does not accept walk-in requests for death certificates. All requests for vital records must be submitted online or by mail.

To request for copies of Montana records online, visit the website of the third-party record processor approved by the state’s DPHHS. Check the Vital Record order page on the DPHHS website for instructions about placing an online order. This third-party processor also accepts orders placed by phone and provides a toll-free number for requesters to call.

When submitting a mail request for copies of a Montana death certificate, start by downloading, printing, and completing the Death Certificate Application. Montana also requires requesters to provide copies of their ID cards as well as state the reasons they need the death records requested.

Mail, along with the completed application, a check covering the cost of the total number of copies requested and photocopy of a valid ID. Send this request to:

Office of Vital Records
Department of Public Health and Human Services
111 North Sanders
Room 6
P.O. Box 4210
Helena, MT 59604

Each application must be accompanied by an enlarged photocopy of the both sides of one of these photo IDs:

• Driver’s License
• Passport
• State ID Card
• Military ID Card
• Tribal ID Card

If a requester does not have any one of these forms of IDs, they may provide photocopies of any two of the following alternative IDs:

• Social Security Card
• Credit/Debit/ATM Card
• Work ID Card
• School ID Card
• Car registration/Insurance
• Library Card
• Doctor/Medical record
• Insurance Record
• Fishing License
• Pay Stub
• US Military DD 214
• Traffic/ Pawn ticket
• Utility Bill with current address
• Court record
• Voter Registration Card
• Yearbook

Note that one of the provided ID must include the signature of the requester. A requester that cannot provide two of the forms of IDs listed above must have the application letter submitted notarized. Only actual notarized applications, and not photocopies or faxed copies, are accepted.

Can Anyone Get a Copy of Death Certificate in Montana?

Yes. Montana is an open records state. It grants access to vital records to anyone requesting them. The only conditions for obtaining certified copies of a death record in Montana are:

• Submitting a complete application
• Paying the required fees
• Presenting a valid ID
• Providing the reasons for requesting the record

Montana allows members of the public to request and obtain both certified and informational copies of death records. Informational copies are plain copies prepared simply to provide details about the deaths of the individuals listed. Certified copies are legal documents and can be used for legal purposes such as presentation in a court of law in estate and guardianship cases.

The Office of Vital Records of Montana can also issue a death certificate that does not list cause of death. If the cause of death is still pending a police investigation or an autopsy report, members of the public will obtain certified copies of the death certificate without the information for cause of death.

How Much Does a Death Certificate Cost in Montana?

Montana charges $15 for each certified copy of a death certificate issued by its Office of Vital Records. The fee for an informational copy of a death certificate is $13. It can also provide certified copies of documents filed with death records. Such documents include affidavits. The cost of each certified copy of such documents is $12.

All fees are non-refundable. Only checks are accepted for payment for requests submitted by mail. Make the check enclosed with your request payable to Montana Vital Records.

The cost of ordering Montana death records online or by phone is the same as for mail requests. However, the third-party document processor approved to handle these request charges extra for the convenience of ordering online or by phone. Requesters can pay the total fees for online orders with their credit cards.

How Long Does It Take to Get a Death Certificate in Montana?

It takes 2 - 3 weeks from the date of receipt for Montana Vital Records to process a request for a death certificate. This processing time applies for requests submitted online and by mail and phone. The actual processing time will depend on the volume of applications currently being processed at the time of request as well as the number of available staff members.

After processing, it may take another week to deliver prepared copies of the requested death certificate. Requests with missing information or rejected identification will be returned and take longer to complete.

How Long to Keep Records After Death

Montana does not specify the amount of time surviving relatives of the deceased can keep the decedent’s records after death. Generally, it is best to keep financial records for at least 5 years. This is the duration any likely pending IRS audit into the deceased’s account should occur. Personal records may be kept for as long as needed. They may prove useful if the identity or parentage were ever contested in a court of law. Property records are usually passed on to those inheriting the decedent’s estate.

How to Expunge Death Records in Montana

Expungement refers to the permanent removal of a record. This term usually applies to criminal records erased following pardons and overturned convictions. There is no way to expunge a death record in Montana. The state does allow changing wrong details of the document but this correction and not expungement.

How to Seal Death Records in Montana

All death records in Montana are public records. To seal a death record in the state, someone with tangible interest must ask a Montana court. The person requesting this action must be able to prove to a court of law that the need to make the information contained in this document confidential outweighs the state’s need to make death records public. It is highly unlikely that a Montana court will authorize sealing a death record. However, if such an order is given, the death record will be removed from the public domain and access to it given to specific parties.

How to Unseal Death Records in Montana

Montana does not seal death records. Therefore, there is no reason to take action to unseal death records in the state. However, if a particular death record was sealed by a state court, the only way to unseal it is to apply to the court and request that it is unsealed. The individual asking for this must prove to the court that the reasons provided to seal the record are no longer valid and that it is in the public’s interest to return the record to the public domain.

How to Use the Montana Death Registry

The Montana Vital Statistics Analysis Unit can provide access to death registers in Montana. The Montana Vital Statistics Analysis Unit offers data for researchers, custom statistical requests, and files from the Montana death index. The Death Index File is frequently used to delete deceased individuals from voter registration lists, healthcare medical records, for-profit mailing lists, and banking records. For a fee that is based on the amount of information requested, individuals can request a curated index from the state death registry through the vital records office. The Montana genealogical society also provides members of the public with access to death indexes for free. The data presented here is arranged by county year of death.

How to Find an Obituary for a Specific Person in Montana

The location of the deceased is crucial while conducting an obituary search in Montana because there is a good likelihood that the local newspaper published the obituary. It's also possible that the obituary was published if the deceased passed away somewhere other than where they usually lived. It's also important to keep in mind that not all deaths are reported in obituaries in the newspaper, but rather in news pieces. The most reliable resource for obituary searches in Montana is public libraries. They frequently preserve vast newspaper records and provide help in searching for obituaries for inquirers. Many also provide online search tools that can be utilized to find the necessary document. The Missoula Public Library is one instance of this, as it offers a search engine for discovering necessary information like birth and death announcements. The database allows for keyword searches and contains data from hundreds of Montana publications.

How to Conduct a Free Obituary Search in Montana

In Montana, there are various ways to find obituaries for no cost. For online access to the library's newspaper collection and a search engine tailored to obituaries, interested parties can go to Montana State University's library. The data for the database, which covers issues from 1987 to 2007 for the first and 2006 for the second local newspapers, was obtained from the Bozeman Daily Chronicle and the Great Falls Tribune. Another way to conduct a free obituary search in Montana is through the genealogy section of resources in county libraries. For instance, the Havre-Hill County Library offers a digitized collection of historical obituaries from two regional publications, the Havre Daily News and the Havre Hill Times, that span almost a century. The local press's obituaries are also listed alphabetically in the library. Another local resource is the Billings County Public Library, which has an index of obituaries reported in the local press between 1882 and 1902.

What is Considered a Death Notice in Montana?

A brief announcement of someone's death in Montana is known as a death notice. The notice provides essential information about the passing along with specifics on any memorial or burial services that will be held in just a few phrases. One of the most popular ways to inform a community of someone's demise in Montana is through death notifications. They may appear in print newspapers or journals, internet publications, or obituary websites, among other locations.

What is the Difference Between Death Notices and Obituaries?

An obituary is more intimate and functions as a tribute to the deceased. Obituaries feature a personal feel and are typically referred to as a brief biography, in contrast to a death notice, which just contains general information such as the name and date of death. Another difference is that death notices are longer than death notices and cover a wide range of subjects, including the accomplishments of the departed, their pastimes, favorite quotations, a list of the family they left behind, and many others. Death notices are often paid for by the deceased person's family, funeral home, or both. On the other hand, obituaries are often written by journalists and published in newspapers alongside their other work.