Lake County
Lake County was established in 1923 from portions of Flathead and Missoula Counties. It was named after Flathead Lake, which plays a significant role in the region's geography and economy. The county has a land mass of 1,490.5 square miles, with a population of approximately 31,509 residents. Polson serves as its county seat.
Lake County operates under Montana's Unified Judicial System, which consists of the District, Justice, and City Courts. The District Court handles felony, probate, mental health, juvenile, domestic relations, and civil cases. It reviews cases appealed from the lower courts as well as administrative appeals. The Justice Court conducts preliminary felony hearings. It also handles misdemeanors, traffic infractions, and civil claims in which the amount in dispute is less than $7,000. It has a Small Claims Division that addresses general civil claims of $3,000 or less, exclusive of interest and costs. Meanwhile, the City Courts in Polson and other Lake County municipalities have exclusive jurisdiction over criminal violations of city and town ordinances. At the same time, they handle civil municipal ordinance violations and certain tax collection cases within city limits.
Public court records consist of documents such as hearings, dockets, exhibits, transcripts, and administrative records generated or received during court proceedings. The Clerk is required by law to keep and issue records. Under Section 2-6-202 of the Montana Code Annotated, 2013, the public may access court records with certain restrictions for sensitive or confidential information. The following are examples of court records in Lake County:
- Civil records
- Criminal records
- Traffic records
- Divorce records
- Probate records
To access District Court records, requests may be made by completing a Request Records Search Form and submitting it through mail or by visiting the Clerk's Office at:
Lake County Clerk of District Court
106 4th Avenue E
Polson, MT 59860
Phone: (406) 883-7254
Fax: (406) 883-7343
Physical copies cost $1 per page for documents up to 10 pages and $0.50 for each additional page. Certified documents cost extra, typically $2 per document.
Alternatively, Montana's Public Access Portal provides statewide access to District Court records. Record seekers can also search Lake County dockets and case details online through the Montana Supreme Court's portal.
