Montana Court Summary

The Montana trial court system consists of District Courts, Justice Courts, City Courts, Municipal Courts, The Montana Water Court, and The Workers' Compensation Court.

District Courts have general jurisdiction over all civil and criminal cases, but usually only handle cases that are beyond the jurisdiction of other courts. Justice Courts, City Courts and Municipal Courts have limited jurisdiction over certain types of civil and criminal cases. The Montana Water Court and Workers’ Compensation Court are specialized trial courts that handle certain types of cases for the entire state.


First Name	MI	Last Name	State

I entered a partial first name above

Where to find court cases in Montana

The chart below gives general information on the types of cases heard in each type of court in Montana.

= Most or all cases.

= Some cases.

Case Type	Court Type
Civil	District Courts	Justice Courts	City Courts	Municipal Courts
General Civil - Unlimited
General Civil - Limited
Small Claims
Civil Equity
Complex Commercial
Foreclosures and Liens
Real Estate Title and Boundary
Landlord / Tenant
Ordinance Violations
Protection, No Contact, and Restraining Orders
Administrative Agency Appeals
Criminal	District Courts	Justice Courts	City Courts	Municipal Courts
Felony
Felony Preliminary Hearings
Misdemeanors
Ordinance Violations
Juvenile
Traffic and Infractions		$Some Traffic and Infractions cases can be found in the Justice Courts$	$Some Traffic and Infractions cases can be found in the City Courts$	$Some Traffic and Infractions cases can be found in the Municipal Courts$
Domestic Relations	District Courts	Justice Courts	City Courts	Municipal Courts
Divorce
Child Custody and Visitation
Child Support
Paternity
Domestic Violence Protection Order
Juvenile	District Courts	Justice Courts	City Courts	Municipal Courts
Adoptions
Juvenile Delinquency
Child Abuse and Neglect
Termination of Parental Rights
Children in Need of Supervision
Mental Health	District Courts	Justice Courts	City Courts	Municipal Courts
Involuntary Commitments
Other Mental Health Cases
Probate	District Courts	Justice Courts	City Courts	Municipal Courts
Wills & Estates
Name Changes
Trusts
Guardianships and Conservatorships

Note: Some courts in Montana are not included in the chart above. Please use the following links for descriptions and types of cases heard:

The Montana Water Court The Workers\' Compensation Court

Montana Courts Summary