Flathead County Recorder Information, Montana

Recorder Office

Contact the recorder's office directly for its records, copies, and recording requirements.

Flathead County Clerk / Recorder

800 S. Main Street, Room 114, Kalispell, Montana 59901

Monday - Friday 8:00AM - 5:00PM

+1 (406) 758-5526 fax +1 (406) 758-5865

Checked September 2026 against the office's own page.

Official website

Search recorded documents

Property fraud alert sign-up

About the Flathead County Clerk & Recorder

Land records in Flathead County are recorded by the Clerk & Recorder. The office is held by Debbie Pierson.

Documents recorded in 1984 or later are on iDocMarket; documents recorded before 1984 are on County Record Archives (archives.flatheadcounty.gov). Both require an account and charge access fees. Records can also be researched in person at the Public Research Library, Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

Checked September 2026 against official publications. Sources: Clerk & Recorder | Flathead County, MT · Public Records :: Flathead County

Recording Fees

These government fees are separate from any Deeds.com service fees. Confirm current charges with the recorder's office.

All documents	$20.00 first page, $10.00 each additional page (standard document meeting 7-4-2636)

Other charges

Document that does not meet the formatting standards	$10.00 per document when document does not meet the requirements of 7-4-2636
Certification	$2.00

Fee schedule effective October 1, 2025.

StatewideCopies of a record or paper: 50 cents for the first page of any document and 25 cents for each subsequent page (MCA 7-4-2631(1)(e)(i)). Of each page recorded, $2 goes to the records preservation fund, 75 cents to the county land information account, and $2.25 to the Montana geospatial information account (MCA 7-4-2637(3)). Beginning July 1, 2027, the Department of Revenue sets the recording fee by administrative rule to adjust for inflation, every two years.

The county schedule lists fixed fees for certain permanent-file documents (for example Certificate of Sale, Lien/Lien Release, Lis Pendens, Writ of Attachment at $5.00 each), and $25.00 for a Certificate of Survey or Subdivision/Townsite Plat plus per-lot and per-page additions. Index Search (per year) $0.50. Certificate of Survey full-size map $3.00; Plat full-size map $5.00.

Paying the office

Accepted	Credit card, Debit card
Card fee	Credit and debit cards accepted with a 3% surcharge.

Transfer tax

No transfer tax. None is collected when a document is recorded. (statewide, Mont. Const. Art. VIII, Sec. 17 (CI-105, 2010))

Checked September 2026 against official publications. Sources: 7-4-2637. Fees for recording documents -- rulemaking, MCA · 7-4-2631. Fees of county clerk, MCA · Section 17. Prohibition on real property transfer taxes, MCA · Clerk and Recorder Fee Schedule (Revised 10/01/2025)

Document Requirements

Confirm current requirements with the recorder's office before submitting documents.

Paper size	8 1/2 x 11 inches or 8 1/2 x 14 inches (statewide, MCA 7-4-2636(1)(a))
First page top margin	3 in (statewide, MCA 7-4-2636(1)(e)(i))
Ink and paper	Blue or black ink on white paper; all signatures, initials, dates, or handwriting in blue or black ink (statewide, MCA 7-4-2636(1)(a),(d))
Return address required	Yes (statewide, MCA 7-4-2636(1)(f))

StatewideAt least 1 inch at the top of the second and subsequent pages, at least 1 inch on the bottom of each page, and at least 1/2 inch on the sides of each page. Page numbers, the return name and address, and other administrative information may appear in the margins.

StatewideNames of the parties to the conveyance appear on the first or second page of any document with more than one page, and a document conveying an interest in real property includes a description of the property. Notary acknowledgments are exempt from the color and margin requirements, and an embossed notarial seal is exempt from the margin requirements. Officially certified court or government documents are exempt. Documents acknowledged as executed before April 28, 2007 are accepted as standard documents.

A document that includes highlighting is a non-standard document. A whole document written in cursive is non-standard. A street address or deed reference is not a legal description; the full metes and bounds description, subdivision with lot number, or certificate of survey number must be included.

Forms filed along with a transfer

Realty Transfer Certificate (Form RTC) Statewide Montana Department of Revenue
An instrument or deed evidencing a transfer of real estate may not be accepted for recordation until the certificate has been received by the county clerk and recorder.

Submitting documents

In person	Accepted
Electronic recording	Accepted
eRecording through Deeds.com	Available for this office
How recorded documents come back	Recorded documents are mailed back to the party listed in the upper-left corner of the document.
Processing time	Documents are typically mailed back two to four weeks after recording.

In most cases, a document must be fully filled out, signed, and notarized. If it includes a legal description, the Plat Room must approve that description on the same day the document is recorded.

Checked September 2026 against official publications. Sources: 15-7-305. Realty transfer certificate required, MCA · 7-4-2636. Standards for recorded documents -- exemptions, MCA · Document Standards 7-4-2636 MCA (standardsdoc_2025.pdf) · clerk and recorder (old domain) · Document Recording | Flathead County, MT · Help & Common Questions :: Flathead County

Deeds.com Resources & Services

Using Deeds.com is optional. Contact the recorder's office directly for its services and submission options.

How to Get a Copy of Your Deed

Read Deeds.com's guide to requesting document copies from the recorder's office.

Read the Guide

Deeds.com eRecording

Available through Deeds.com

Use Deeds.com's paid service to submit documents electronically to the recorder's office. Deeds.com service fees are separate from government recording fees and taxes.

Use Deeds.com eRecording