Vital records, as their name suggests, are connected with central life events: birth, marriage, and death. Maintained by civil authorities, they are prime sources of genealogical information; but, unfortunately, official vital records are available only for relatively recent periods. These records, despite their recent creation in the United States, are critically important in genealogical research, often supplying details on family members well back into the nineteenth century. The Source: A Guidebook of American Genealogy, by Loretto Szucs and Sandra Luebking.
Montana State Vital Records Office
Department of Public Health and Human Services
P. O. Box 4210
111 North Sanders Rm 201
P.O. Box 4210
Helena, MT 59604-4210
(406) 444-4228
Both from the standpoint of cost and efficiency, the Montana researcher will usually find the Montana County Courthouse Records to be the best source for all variety of Montana genealogy records. There are times, however, when you might not know the county in which an ancestor resided. In that event, the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, Vital Records Division is a good place to start.
- Ancestry.com Montana State Database
A large collection of databases of births, deaths, marriages, census, obituaries, directories, estate records, and service records. Get 14 Days Free Access!!!
Birth Records
Birth and Death $10.00 Since late 1907
Fee is for a 5-year search. Copies of death and birth records that are less than thirty years old can be obtained only by the Mother, Father, Spouse or Child of the individual for whom the record is requested.
Marriage and Divorce $10.00 Since July 1943
Fee is for a 5-year search. Certified copies are not available from the State office; however, some items may be verified. Inquiries about certified copies will be forwarded to the appropriate office. Apply to Clerk of District Court in county where license was issued or divorce granted.