Montana · 56 counties
When someone dies in Montana
Two things matter first: getting certified death certificates, and, if money is short, reaching the burial assistance program in the county where the death happened. Pick your county below for exact contacts.
The paperwork
Death certificates in Montana
Certified copies come from the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, Office of Vital Records, or any County Clerk and Recorder office (official site).
You can walk into ANY County Clerk and Recorder office in Montana and buy a death certificate, no matter which county the death happened in, which is usually the fastest route. Copies are $16. Mail goes to Montana Vital Records, PO Box 4210, Helena, MT 59604. Your application needs an enlarged, legible photocopy of BOTH SIDES of your signed photo ID, or the application must be notarized. VitalChek and VRO are the only approved third-party online vendors and add service fees. Questions go to 406-444-2685 option 2 or HHSVitalRecords@mt.gov.
Planning ahead
Nobody has died yet? Set up a power of attorney
If someone you love is aging or ill, the cheapest protection your family can get is a power of attorney, and it must happen while they can still sign. We cover Montana's exact rules and official forms.
Montana power of attorney rulesPick your county
Montana counties (56)
Beaverhead CountyBig Horn CountyBlaine CountyBroadwater CountyCarbon CountyCarter CountyCascade CountyChouteau CountyCuster CountyDaniels CountyDawson CountyDeer Lodge CountyFallon CountyFergus CountyFlathead CountyGallatin CountyGarfield CountyGlacier CountyGolden Valley CountyGranite CountyHill CountyJefferson CountyJudith Basin CountyLake CountyLewis and Clark CountyLiberty CountyLincoln CountyMadison CountyMcCone CountyMeagher CountyMineral CountyMissoula CountyMusselshell CountyPark CountyPetroleum CountyPhillips CountyPondera CountyPowder River CountyPowell CountyPrairie CountyRavalli CountyRichland CountyRoosevelt CountyRosebud CountySanders CountySheridan CountySilver Bow CountyStillwater CountySweet Grass CountyTeton CountyToole CountyTreasure CountyValley CountyWheatland CountyWibaux CountyYellowstone County