Montana · Certified copy
Montana Birth Certificate: Order a Certified Copy Online
We prepare your application and file it with the Office of Vital Statistics, Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services. The office mails the certified copy to you.
- Secure payment
- Encrypted data
- Email support
- Private service — not a government agency
Montana at a glance
- Issuing office
- Office of Vital Statistics, Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services
- Who can order
- 13 relationships · see the list
- Standard processing
- 10–15 Business Days
- What you need
- Photo ID, names, date and place of birth, parents' names
- Expedited processing
- 5–10 Business Days
- Proof of relationship
- Required for some relationships
A certified copy is the document most agencies accept for a passport, a driver's license, school enrollment or benefits. Montana issues it for births recorded in the state.
Montana birth certificate: abstract or long form, and county clerk and recorders
Montana issues a certified birth certificate to the registrant, a spouse, children, parents, grandparents, a guardian, a caretaker relative, an authorized representative, or someone with a personal or property right. Every county Clerk and Recorder can issue the certified abstract for a birth anywhere in the state, while the long form comes only from Helena or the county of birth.
Eligible applicants, and who is left out
Montana Code 50-15-121 lists the registrant, spouse, children, parents, guardian or authorized representative, and anyone who needs the record to establish a personal or property right; the state application adds grandparents and a caretaker relative. The application is explicit about who does not qualify: stepfamily, in-laws, aunts, uncles, cousins, former spouses and the birth parent of an adopted child. County request forms in Billings and Missoula say a registrant ordering their own certificate must be at least fourteen.
Certified abstract, long form or informational copy
The everyday product is the certified abstract, a computer-generated summary of the record. The certified long form is a scan of the original record and is available only from the state office in Helena or from the Clerk and Recorder in the county of birth. An informational copy printed on plain paper and marked for informational purposes only goes to anyone once the birth is at least thirty years old, the point at which Montana releases complete birth records to the public.
Yellowstone County, Flathead County and the Helena office
Montana's county Clerk and Recorder offices can issue certified abstracts no matter which county the birth occurred in, so a Billings resident can use the Yellowstone County office for a birth in Kalispell, and someone in Flathead County can do the same for a Billings birth. The state Office of Vital Records in Helena has no walk-in service and takes orders by mail or online.
Signed photo ID or a notarized application
Montana asks for a photocopy of both sides of a signed photo ID. Alternatively, you can have the application notarized, or send two IDs, one signed, from a long list that includes a Social Security card, a work or school ID, a vehicle registration or insurance card, a medical record, a fishing license, a DD-214, a utility bill, a voter card, a bank card, a pay stub or a court record. An eligible family member with ID can also order on your behalf. Proof of the relationship, such as your own birth certificate or a marriage license, accompanies the application.
Original certificates of adoptees, and corrections
Montana's release of an adoptee's original birth certificate depends on the adoption date. For adoptions before October 1, 1985, or more than thirty years ago, a written request is enough. Adoptions from then until October 1, 1997 need a court order. For later adoptions, an adult adoptee can request it unless a birth parent filed a written objection. A father is added with the paternity acknowledgment form or a court order, corrections use an affidavit with supporting documents, and a name change needs a certified court order.
How it works when you order with BirthChek
Montana wants proof of the relationship from everyone except the registrant, and our order page asks for it before filing. You choose from the state's list, including grandparent and caretaker relative, give the mother's maiden name and the father's name, upload a signed photo ID and sign, and BirthChek files the request with the Office of Vital Records.
Facts checked October 24, 2026 against the sources below.
Sources
- Birth and death certificates — Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services – Office of Vital Records
- Birth certificate application — Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services – Office of Vital Records
- Informational certificates — Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services – Office of Vital Records
- MCA 50-15-121: certified copies — Montana Legislature
- MCA 42-6-109: release of original birth certificate — Montana Legislature
- Birth certificate request form — Yellowstone County Clerk and Recorder
- Birth and death certificates — Missoula County Clerk and Treasurer
- Where to write for vital records: Montana — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Where to get a Montana birth certificate: state and local offices
Certified copies for births recorded in Montana are issued by the Office of Vital Statistics, Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services.
We take orders for births anywhere in Montana, including Yellowstone County and Flathead County.
Who can order a Montana birth certificate
- You, the person named
- Authorized Representative · proof needed
- Child · proof needed
- Father · proof needed
- Grandparent · proof needed
- Husband · proof needed
- Legal Guardian · proof needed
- Mother · proof needed
- Wife · proof needed
- Caretaker relative · proof needed
- Person with a personal or property right · proof needed
- Other (with proof) · proof needed
- My relationship is not listed · proof needed
Relationships marked "proof needed" must send proof of the relationship with the application; we tell you what counts after you order.
If your relationship is not listed, the office may refuse the application or ask for a court order.
Reasons to request a Montana birth certificate
- Adoption (International)
- Adoption (US Only)
- Affidavit
- Driver's License
- Dual Citizenship/Immigration
- Employment
- Genealogy/Family History
- Government Assistance/Benefits
- Housing
- Identification
- Income Tax
- Inheritance/Estate Settlement
- Insurance
- Legal Purposes
- Long Form Certificate
- Marriage (International)
- Marriage (US Only)
- Passport
- Paternity
- Personal Records/Use
- Retirement
- School
- Social Security Card/Benefits
- Sports
- Travel
What you need to order a Montana birth certificate
- A photo ID: driver's license, state ID, passport or military ID
- Full name on the certificate and date of birth
- City or county of birth
- Both parents' names, including the mother's maiden name
- A debit or credit card
- Proof of your relationship, for the relationships marked above
Prefer to order directly? Find the office in the CDC directory
Ready to order your Montana birth certificate?
About ten minutes. Have your photo ID nearby.