Montana Background Check Guide · 2025
Whether you're applying for a ranching cooperative job near Billings, a hospital position in Missoula, or a tourism role in Bozeman, the employer reviewing your application is likely to run a check through the Montana Department of Justice. The Criminal Records and Identification Services Section, part of the DOJ's Division of Criminal Investigation, maintains the state's official record, and they make it available to you, too.
This guide explains how to request your Montana criminal history, what shows up on it, and how MCA 46-18-1104 (the state's misdemeanor expungement eligibility statute) and recent non-conviction sealing rules can clean up old records.
Montana's geography means criminal records can come from any of 56 counties spread over a state larger than Japan. Whether your last brush with the law was in Yellowstone County or Hill County, the data has to make it to Helena to land in the state record. Knowing what's there, and what isn't, is worth the time and the modest fee.
Montana's Criminal History Online Public Record System (CHOPRS) draws from court and law-enforcement feeds across the state, and rural counties sometimes lag on disposition reporting. A self-check catches "open" cases that are actually closed, charges that were never refiled, and convictions tagged to the wrong person.
Montana's expungement orders need to make their way from the sentencing court to the DOJ to actually remove the record from CHOPRS. The process isn't automatic. If you've been granted expungement under MCA 46-18-1104 or non-conviction sealing under recent reforms, running a self-check verifies the record was actually cleared.
Montana's Board of Medical Examiners, Board of Nursing, Office of Public Instruction, and Gaming Control Division all run fingerprint-based checks that pull both state and federal records. Knowing exactly what they'll see, including any flagged offenses or pending matters, lets you address concerns in your application rather than reacting to a denial.
The Bozeman-Big Sky and Missoula rental markets have tightened dramatically, and landlords run criminal background checks through commercial screening services that rely on Montana DOJ data. Outdated information can cost you a lease. Fixing it at the source is faster than appealing a denial.
Felony convictions and most misdemeanor convictions handled by Montana district, justice, and municipal courts appear on the CHOPRS record unless expunged. The report shows offense, court, conviction date, and sentence.
Arrest records are included on the Montana state record. Recent reforms allow petitioners to seal arrests that did not result in conviction, but unless sealed, the arrest remains visible on the state report.
Open and pending charges that have been filed but not resolved appear on the CHOPRS record. If a case was dismissed and the disposition was never transmitted, the record will still appear "pending" until corrected.
Federal court cases, out-of-state convictions, juvenile records (sealed), most traffic offenses (excluding DUI), and civil cases are outside the Montana DOJ system. A comprehensive self-check usually pulls these from separate sources.
Go to doj.egovmt.com/choprs, create an account, enter your name and date of birth, and pay $20 per search by credit card. Results are delivered electronically within a few business days. This is the same source most Montana employers and licensing boards use for name-based checks.
Submit a Criminal History Record Request form to the DOJ Criminal Records and Identification Services Section in Helena with a $10 fee. Turnaround is 2–3 weeks. Form available at dojmt.gov/dci-home/background-checks.
For the most accurate record, and what licensed professions require, submit fingerprints to the DOJ. State portion: $30. FBI portion: additional. This is required for healthcare, education, gaming, and many other professional licenses.
Montana's online court search at courts.mt.gov provides access to district court case information statewide. This catches cases that may not yet be in CHOPRS and provides full case histories.
For a single report combining Montana DOJ data with federal courts, multi-state records, and sex offender registries, a professional service is faster than assembling the pieces yourself. Background-Check.com consolidates all of this in one report.
For nationwide coverage based on fingerprints, request an Identity History Summary directly from the FBI. Essential if you've lived or been arrested in multiple states.
Enacted in 2017 and expanded since, Montana's expungement statute allows:
Recent reforms allow petitioners to seal arrest records that did not result in conviction, dismissed cases, and certain deferred-imposition outcomes. The DOJ's Criminal Records Section processes the sealing order once the court issues it.
Montana courts can defer imposition of sentence under MCA 46-18-201, after which the case can be dismissed and the record sealed. This is especially common for first-time offenders.
Montana has not passed a statewide Ban the Box law. The city of Missoula has voluntarily removed criminal-history questions from city job applications. Most private employers still ask on initial applications.
Third-party employment background checks in Montana are governed by the FCRA: written consent required, pre-adverse-action notice required, right to dispute errors, and 7-year cap on non-conviction reporting.
The MHRA prohibits discrimination based on listed protected classes but does not specifically protect criminal history. EEOC guidance against blanket criminal-history bans applies in Montana as elsewhere, employers should conduct individualized assessments.
If you have any older conviction, any arrest that didn't lead to charges, or any expungement order you've never confirmed at the state level, yes. The $20 CHOPRS check is the easiest way to know exactly what employers, landlords, and licensing boards will see, and it gives you time to dispute errors or address concerns before they become deal-breakers.
For a complete personal report combining Montana DOJ data with federal records, sex offender registries, and out-of-state convictions, run a multi-source check through Background-Check.com.
The fastest official route is the CHOPRS online portal at doj.egovmt.com/choprs: $20 per name search, results in a few business days. For deeper coverage, submit fingerprints to the DOJ, search Montana Courts online, or request an FBI Identity History Summary.
Montana has no state cap on how far back convictions can be reported. The federal FCRA caps non-conviction records at 7 years on third-party employment reports. Convictions can be reported indefinitely unless expunged.
Records expunged under MCA 46-18-1104 or sealed by court order should be removed from CHOPRS and should not appear on FCRA-compliant employer reports. Because Montana expungement orders aren't automatic, verify yours was processed by running a self-check after the court order.
CHOPRS online: $20. Mail-in name-based: $10. Fingerprint-based: $30 state + FBI portion. FBI Identity History Summary: $18. Professional comprehensive multi-state checks: $20 to $80.
Yes, when they use a third-party background check company, the federal FCRA requires written authorization. Employers requesting records directly from the Montana DOJ must also have your authorization. You always have the right to see any report used in a hiring decision and dispute inaccuracies before final action.