HomeCrash reportsMontana
How to get a Montana crash report
Copies come from Montana Department of Justice, Montana Highway Patrol Records (Boulder). Request one at dojmt.gov. The fee is not stated on the official page.
Checked against the official pages on October 2, 2026
The statewide copy
| Who has it | Montana Department of Justice, Montana Highway Patrol Records (Boulder) |
|---|---|
| Where to request it | dojmt.gov |
| Covers | Montana Highway Patrol reports only (MHP does not house city or county investigated crash reports or photos) |
| What you need | Crash Release Form (PDF) mailed to MHP Records with fee and signed authorization; crash number not required but crash date, county, location and driver names help it be found |
| Who can get a copy | Entitled parties only (MCA 61-7-114): persons/businesses named on the report, anyone injured or whose property was damaged, a parent/legal guardian, an agent (attorney, insurer or anyone with written permission from the involved party), a party to a civil action, and public agencies |
| By mail | Crash Release Form to Montana Highway Patrol, P.O. Box 117, Boulder, MT 59632 (phone 406-444-3278, MHPRecords@mt.gov). Records are not processed online; mail only. |
Reports taken by city police or a sheriff
Montana Highway Patrol says it does not house city or county investigated crash photos, so reports from city police and sheriffs come from that agency's records unit; for example the City of Billings sells crash reports online and says to allow 10 business days after the crash.
The form
Officers in Montana write crash reports on the Montana Highway Patrol Vehicle Crash Report (self-report 'White Form' when no officer report exists). Most boxes on it hold numeric codes for things like contributing factors, injuries and road conditions.
After you have the report
Montana gives you three years to file a personal injury lawsuit (Mont. Code Ann. § 27-2-204(1)). Every Montana deadline and fault rule.
Montana is an at-fault state: the driver who caused the crash, through their liability insurance, pays for the injuries and damage.
1,081 people died in crashes in Montana from 2020 to 2024 (NHTSA FARS). See the record for your county.
Check your deadline and a rough claim range
A filing date and a rough value range for Montana. Both take under a minute.
Questions
Are Montana crash reports public?
Entitled parties only (MCA 61-7-114): persons/businesses named on the report, anyone injured or whose property was damaged, a parent/legal guardian, an agent (attorney, insurer or anyone with written permission from the involved party), a party to a civil action, and public agencies
Sources
- Statewide crash reports: dojmt.gov/montana-highway-patrol/crash-records/
Records of any kind are not processed online. All requests must be sent in via mail along with the appropriate documentation and fees. | Crash Report $2.00 | Photos $10.00 | We can only accept Cash, Check or Money Order. | The 10-14 day period mentioned in the MHP Crash Release Form or Crash Exchange Form given by the trooper, is not a deadline for producing records. | Most records with Montana Highway Patrol are confidential. ... If you are not an entitled party your request will be denied.
- Local police and sheriff reports: www.billingsmt.gov/2853/Order-Police-Reports
- Driver report duty (MCA 61-7-109(1)): mca.legmt.gov/bills/mca/title_0610/chapter_0070/part_0010/section_0090/0610-0070
(1) The operator of a motor vehicle that is in any manner involved in an accident within this state in which a person is killed or injured or in which damage to the property of a person in excess of $1,000 is sustained shall, within 10 days after the accident, report the matter in writing to the department unless the accident was investigated and reported by a law enforcement officer as provided in subsection (3).
- When to call police (MCA 61-7-108): mca.legmt.gov/bills/mca/title_0610/chapter_0070/part_0010/section_0080/0610-0070
The driver of a vehicle who knows or reasonably should have known that the driver has been involved in an accident resulting in injury to or death of any person, striking the body of a deceased person, or property damage to an apparent extent of $1,000 or more shall immediately by the quickest means of communication give notice of the accident to the local police department if the accident occurs within a municipality, otherwise to the office of the county sheriff or the nearest office of the highway patrol.
Read October 2, 2026. Laws and fees change; the linked page is the authority.