How to Get a Death Certificate in Montana
From Everendium · Last reviewed October 17, 2026
This guide covers Montana. For the general overview, see Getting Death Certificates: How Many You'll Need and Why.
Quick answer
In Montana, certified death certificates are issued by the Montana Office of Vital Statistics in Helena and the county Clerk and Recorder offices. At the state office a certified copy costs $16 each since September 21, 2024, and every copy costs the same. County Clerk and Recorder offices also issue copies and set their own fees: several county forms list $7, and some add a 3 percent card fee.
Getting a death certificate is one of the first practical steps after a death in Montana, and the details of who issues it and what it costs are specific to Montana.
Who issues death certificates in Montana?
Certified copies come from the Montana Office of Vital Statistics in Helena and the county Clerk and Recorder offices. In practice, the funeral home usually files the certificate and orders an initial batch of certified copies for you.
How much does a certified copy cost in Montana?
At the state office a certified copy costs $16 each since September 21, 2024, and every copy costs the same. County Clerk and Recorder offices also issue copies and set their own fees: several county forms list $7, and some add a 3 percent card fee.
Who can order a copy in Montana?
Montana is unusually open. A certified copy is issued to anyone who submits a completed application, proves their identity, and states the reason for the copy. If the cause of death is still listed as pending, the copy is issued with the cause removed.
How do I order more copies in Montana?
- At a county Clerk and Recorder office: most counties issue state death certificates, usually at a lower fee than the state.
- By mail to the state: to the Office of Vital Records, Helena, MT 59604-4210, with the completed application, a check payable to Montana Vital Records, and an enlarged photocopy of both sides of your photo ID (or have the application notarized).
What else should I know before I order?
Because many county offices charge less than the state, check your county’s fee before you order from Helena.
What should I do next?
Confirm with the funeral home how many copies it is ordering for you, then decide how many more you need; see how many death certificates you need in Montana and our general guide to death certificates.
Add this to your Final Day Plan: your Social Security number, birthplace, and parents’ full names - the death certificate application asks for these, and they’re often surprisingly hard for a family to track down under pressure.
Fees and rules change - confirm current details with the Montana Office of Vital Statistics or a county Clerk and Recorder before you send payment.
Sources
- Montana DPHHS - Death Certificate Application (certified copies $16 each since September 21, 2024; who can order; ID rules)(Government)
- Ravalli County Clerk and Recorder - Death Certificate Request (county fee $7 per certified copy)(Government)
- Flathead County Clerk and Recorder - Death certificate application ($7 per copy; 3 percent card convenience fee)(Government)
About this review
Everendium Editorial Team · last reviewed October 17, 2026.
Fees, eligibility rules, and ordering options were checked on October 17, 2026 against the state's own published fee information, application forms, and county government pages listed in the sources. Death certificate fees change often, and some official pages were read only as search extracts, so the current fee should be confirmed on the agency's page before paying. Recommended for periodic re-verification. This is general information, not legal advice
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