Phillips County Background Information
Phillips County is based in Montana. Back in 2020, Phillips County had a total population of 4,217. The current county seat is Malta.
It was formed in 1915.
It was named for the rancher and state senator Benjamin D. Phillips.
Phillips County Arrest Records
Arrest records are kept on all crimes within the Phillips County area. Crimes in Phillips County are broken into two major categories, violent crime and property crime. Property crimes can include things such as burglary, vehicle theft, and larceny. Robbery, aggravated assault, murder, and forcible rape make up the four main violent crime categorizations. 23 violent and 37 property crimes occurred in Phillips County back in 2021. Phillips County Sheriff’s Office can be contacted at:
Phillips County Sheriff’s Office
Sheriff: Jerry Lytle
314 South 2nd Avenue West
Malta, MT 59538
Phone: (406) 654-2350
Email: sheriff@phillipscountysheriff.org
Phillips County Criminal Records
Phillips County records its criminal activity in the form of criminal records. These records cover murders, rapes, burglaries, arson, motor vehicle theft, assaults, and crimes of a sexual nature. The records of criminals in Phillips County are consistently updated. In order to get access to the records in question, Phillips County residents can use a search tool. Anyone on release or in jail can be searched for using this tool. Phillips County legally keeps current sex offender registers. These consist of any offender living, attending school, working, or imprisoned in the Phillips County area. This up-to-date register is then made available to the public, as is the fundamental right of anyone living in Phillips County.
Citizens of Phillips County can search for any sex offenders within a certain distance of their homes. A given zip code acts as the focal point of a resident's search. All offenders within those coordinates will then be revealed to the Phillips County resident. People may also use the tool to search for specific offenders. These include any imprisoned or non-compliant offenders in Phillips County.
Phillips County Court Records
The courthouse supervises all civil, family, and criminal cases in Phillips County. All Phillips County court records are maintained by the court clerk. Montana's 56 District Courts, including in Phillips County, maintain general jurisdiction for both civil and criminal cases and appeals from select lower courts’ decisions. The District Courts also have limited appellate jurisdiction over cases arising in the Courts of Limited Jurisdiction in their respective districts as may be prescribed by law and consistent with the Constitution. Phillips County residents can obtain copies of court records in-person at:
Phillips County Courthouse
Clerk: Tami Christofferson
314 South 2nd Avenue West
P.O. Box 530
Malta, MT 59538
Phone: (406) 654-1023
Email: clerkofcourt.phillips@mt.gov
NOTE - Standard records in Phillips County can be delivered by mail, email, or fax. Having said that, official Phillips County records may only be delivered via mail.
Phillips County Public Records
Every resident in the state of Montana has vital records kept on them. These records refer to a person's most crucial life events. These records can contain anything from births and deaths to marriages and divorces. Phillips County, and other counties in Montana, assist in the collection of these vital records. The state requires some counties to collect and send copies of the records.
Marriage records are collected by the county clerk Phillips County. Phillips County records are held at the Montana Office of Vital Records. The key vital records compiled by the state are birth certificates, death certificates, divorce decrees, marriage licenses, divorce certificates, marriage certificates, and more. All vital state records, including those from Phillips County, are stored in one central registry. These records can then be used for statistical analysis.
Phillips County residents can access and copy all public records. The 1895 Montana Public Records Act gave all citizens of Phillips County the fundamental right to access these public records. Citizens of Phillips County can apply for public records at:
Phillips County Clerk’s Office
Clerk/Recorder: Lynnel LaBrie
314 South 2nd Avenue West
Malta, MT 59538
Phone: (406) 654-2423
Fax: (406) 654-1650
Email: clerkrecorder@phillipscounty.mt.gov
Then again, to obtain a record copy, requesters must also pay a fee. First copies of birth records cost $12. Death certificates in Phillips County cost $15 for the first copy.
NOTE - Phillips County has a variety of rules that must be followed with regard to obtaining records. The office has opening times of 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. from Monday to Friday. In Phillips County, some form of photo ID is needed to get hold of records. Both driver's licenses and state IDs would suffice. In Phillips County, a requester must also put their public record requests in writing.
