Montana Forms

Yellowstone County Certificate of Trust Form

Yellowstone County Certificate of Trust Form

Yellowstone County Certificate of Trust Form

Fill in the blank form formatted to comply with all recording and content requirements.

Document Last Validated 8/5/2025
Yellowstone County Certificate of Trust Guide

Yellowstone County Certificate of Trust Guide

Line by line guide explaining every blank on the form.

Document Last Validated 5/19/2025
Yellowstone County Completed Example of the Certificate of Trust Document

Yellowstone County Completed Example of the Certificate of Trust Document

Example of a properly completed form for reference.

Document Last Validated 7/16/2025

All 3 documents above included • One-time purchase • No recurring fees

Immediate Download • Secure Checkout

Important: Your property must be located in Yellowstone County to use these forms. Documents should be recorded at the office below.

Where to Record Your Documents

Yellowstone County Clerk / Recorder
Address:
217 North 27th St, Rm 401 / PO Box 35001
Billings, Montana 59107

Hours: 8:00 to 5:00 M-F

Phone: (406) 256-2785

Recording Tips for Yellowstone County:
  • Documents must be on 8.5 x 11 inch white paper
  • Check that your notary's commission hasn't expired
  • Verify all names are spelled correctly before recording
  • Make copies of your documents before recording - keep originals safe

Cities and Jurisdictions in Yellowstone County

Properties in any of these areas use Yellowstone County forms:

  • Acton
  • Ballantine
  • Billings
  • Broadview
  • Custer
  • Huntley
  • Laurel
  • Molt
  • Pompeys Pillar
  • Shepherd
  • Worden

View Complete Recorder Office Guide

Hours, fees, requirements, and more for Yellowstone County

How do I get my forms?

Forms are available for immediate download after payment. The Yellowstone County forms will be in your account ready to download to your computer. An account is created for you during checkout if you don't have one. Forms are NOT emailed.

Are these forms guaranteed to be recordable in Yellowstone County?

Yes. Our form blanks are guaranteed to meet or exceed all formatting requirements set forth by Yellowstone County including margin requirements, content requirements, font and font size requirements.

Can I reuse these forms?

Yes. You can reuse the forms for your personal use. For example, if you have multiple properties in Yellowstone County you only need to order once.

What do I need to use these forms?

The forms are PDFs that you fill out on your computer. You'll need Adobe Reader (free software that most computers already have). You do NOT enter your property information online - you download the blank forms and complete them privately on your own computer.

Are there any recurring fees?

No. This is a one-time purchase. Nothing to cancel, no memberships, no recurring fees.

How much does it cost to record in Yellowstone County?

Recording fees in Yellowstone County vary. Contact the recorder's office at (406) 256-2785 for current fees.

Questions answered? Let's get started!

The certification of trust in Montana is an affidavit containing sworn statements made by the trustee or trustees of a trust.

In a trust arrangement, a settlor entrusts property to a trustee for the benefit of a beneficiary. The trustee is the administrator of the trust's assets.

Instead of furnishing the trust instrument (an unrecorded document containing the trust's provisions, including the designation of the trust's beneficiary) the certificate is an abstract supplying only the relevant information required of the trustee in order to prove his authority to enter into a transaction on the trust's behalf.

Codified under the Montana Uniform Trust Code at 72-38-1013, the certification of trust contains basic information, such as the trust's name, date, settlor, and each trustee's name and address. The certificate verifies that the trust exists and that the trustee is authorized to act by providing a description of the trustee's powers relating to the pending action.

For example, a trustee may furnish a certificate when conveying real property held in a living trust. When used in real property transactions, a recorded certificate fulfills the requirements under Mont. Code Ann. 72-38-1111 for a valid transfer of real property by a trustee. When used for transactions involving real property, the certificate should also include the legal description of the parcel subject to the transaction.

The certificate must also designate whether or not the trust is revocable, and who, if any, has authority to revoke the trust. For trusts with multiple trustees, the document also specifies which trustees have signing authority, and how many are required in order to execute the trustee's powers. The certificate also cites the governing law under which the trust was formed.

Mont. Code Ann. 72-38-1013 provides that the certificate can be signed by any trustee, and signatures must be acknowledged if the document is recorded. When used in real property transfers under 72-38-1111, each acting trustee must sign before the document is recorded, and the certificate should meet all requirements of form and content for recording documents in Montana under 7-4-2636.

Recipients of the certificate can request, in addition, excerpts and/or later amendments from the trust instrument which name the trustee and confer the relevant powers upon the trustee. Requesting the entire trust document exposes the person making the request to certain liabilities ( 72-38-1013(8)).

Finally, the certificate contains a statement confirming that the trust has not been modified in any way that would cause the statements made within to be inaccurate, and the recipient "may assume without inquiry the existence of the facts contained" within ( 72-38-1013(6)).

Consult a lawyer with any questions and for professional guidance regarding certifications of trust in Montana, as each situation is unique.

(Montana COT Package includes form, guidelines, and completed example)

Important: Your property must be located in Yellowstone County to use these forms. Documents should be recorded at the office below.

This Certificate of Trust meets all recording requirements specific to Yellowstone County.

Our Promise

The documents you receive here will meet, or exceed, the Yellowstone County recording requirements for formatting. If there's an issue caused by our formatting, we'll make it right and refund your payment.

Save Time and Money

Get your Yellowstone County Certificate of Trust form done right the first time with Deeds.com Uniform Conveyancing Blanks. At Deeds.com, we understand that your time and money are valuable resources, and we don't want you to face a penalty fee or rejection imposed by a county recorder for submitting nonstandard documents. We constantly review and update our forms to meet rapidly changing state and county recording requirements for roughly 3,500 counties and local jurisdictions.

4.8 out of 5 - ( 4573 Reviews )

Pamela L.

June 18th, 2023

Well this could not have been any easier for me! Deeds made this whole process very efficient, and simple. I will definitely be a return customer when needed. Thank You!

Reply from Staff

Thank you Pamela, we appreciate you!

MARILEE S.

June 24th, 2019

A very easy website....consumer friendly, which is what is so important to me. I will be using your service again. Thank you

Reply from Staff

Thank you!

Christine S.

September 14th, 2021

One stop shopping for your Deed needs. Downloaded the forms and filled them out with ease following the step by step instructions. Saved me hundreds of dollars for not having to hire an attorney to do the exact same thing.

Reply from Staff

Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. Have a great day!

Armando B.

October 23rd, 2021

This was so simple to get around your web site. Guide was easy to follow. Great experience. Would use again.

Reply from Staff

Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. Have a great day!

Deborah Anne C.

July 16th, 2024

Easy, Comprehensive and most importantly Easy!

Reply from Staff

We appreciate your business and value your feedback. Thank you. Have a wonderful day!

Joseph D.

November 14th, 2024

Easy to use and a quick turnaround Deed was recorded and retuned within 24 hours

Reply from Staff

We are grateful for your engagement and feedback, which help us to serve you better. Thank you for being an integral part of our community.

david h.

April 24th, 2020

very convenient...

Reply from Staff

Thank you!

LETICIA N.

August 23rd, 2022

I AM VERY PLEASED WITH YOUR WEBSITE. EASY AND I WAS GIVEN A SAMPLE OF THE FORM AND INSTRUCTIONS. I AM VERY PLEASED.

Reply from Staff

We appreciate your business and value your feedback. Thank you. Have a wonderful day!

Stephen B.

May 9th, 2020

They have been fabulous not only for getting me the Title and Property info I needed quickly, but also for determining which Deed (of many) that I actually needed. They are an outstanding resource for any real estate investor, property owner, Realtor, or attorney.

Reply from Staff

Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. Have a great day!

Deborah C.

July 13th, 2019

Good organization and guidance.

Reply from Staff

Thank you!

Don M.

September 9th, 2021

I find the site very difficult to nagitagte.

Reply from Staff

Sorry to hear that Don, we’ll try harder.

Laura M.

November 12th, 2023

Very easy and I appreciate that when you hover over the blank, directions pop up and tell you what to put in that blank. I also appreciated that when I lost the original password, I sent an email and Deeds.com cancelled my order, refunded my account, so that I could start over.

Reply from Staff

It was a pleasure serving you. Thank you for the positive feedback!

Brett B.

July 12th, 2022

easy to use

Reply from Staff

Thank you!

Tammy C.

September 24th, 2020

Was very easy to use and i would recommend it

Reply from Staff

Thank you!

lamar J.

January 18th, 2021

Easy to understand and work with Very pleased with the information I Received

Reply from Staff

We appreciate your business and value your feedback. Thank you. Have a wonderful day!