After a Crash in Montana — Official Resources
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This is general information, not legal advice.
Montana splits the duty in two. Under MCA 61-7-108, a driver who knows or reasonably should have known they were involved in a crash resulting in injury, death, striking the body of a deceased person, or property damage to an apparent extent of $1,000 or more must give notice immediately, by the quickest means of communication — to the local police department inside a municipality, otherwise to the county sheriff or the nearest Highway Patrol office. Separately, under MCA 61-7-109, if the investigating officer or agency does not produce a written report and damage exceeds $1,000, the operator must report in writing within 10 days to Montana Highway Patrol, P.O. Box 117, Boulder, MT 59632. Getting a report: a crash number is not required, photos cost $10.00, and MHP states plainly that the 10–14 day figure on the trooper’s form is not a deadline for producing records. Records: 406-444-3278. MHP Dispatch for an unreported crash: 855-647-3777. Free help: State Bar of Montana referral at 406-449-6577.
Montana asks two separate things of you, and the second one only bites if nobody in uniform writes your crash up — which on a Montana highway is a live possibility. The Highway Patrol is also unusually candid about what it can and cannot promise on turnaround, and that candour is worth reading before you start counting days. The first-steps checklist covers saving your dashcam clip before the camera loops.
Report the crash
First, immediate notice. MCA 61-7-108 requires the driver who knows or reasonably should have known they were in a crash resulting in injury to or death of any person, striking the body of a deceased person, or property damage to an apparent extent of $1,000 or more to immediately, by the quickest means of communication, notify the local police department if it happened within a municipality, otherwise the county sheriff or the nearest highway patrol office.
Then, possibly, a written report. MCA 61-7-109 requires the operator of a vehicle involved in a crash in which a person is killed or injured, or damage to the property of a person exceeds $1,000, to report the matter in writing within 10 days. The Highway Patrol’s own form states the trigger clearly: if the investigating officer or agency does not produce a written report and the damage exceeds $1,000, the operator must file. That form is the White Form, mailed to Montana Highway Patrol, P.O. Box 117, Boulder, MT 59632 — or faxed to 406-444-4169 or emailed to MHP Records.
Some older copies of the White Form circulating online give a Helena address on Prospect Avenue; the Department of Justice currently directs White Forms to the Boulder P.O. box. If you are unsure whether a crash you were in was ever reported, the Montana DOJ says to contact your local law enforcement or MHP Dispatch at 855-647-3777 to be connected to a Trooper.
Get the crash report
Request through MHP Records using the Crash Release Form. Two things the Department of Justice says that save you trouble: a crash number is not required to request a report — supply as much detail as you can instead — and the 10–14 day period mentioned on the MHP Crash Release Form or the Crash Exchange Form your trooper handed you is not a deadline for producing records. Voluminous requests and records held off-site take longer. That is an unusually straight answer from a records office, and it is worth knowing before you start chasing.
Photos are separate: a $10.00 non-refundable fee, cash, check, or money order only, delivered on a CD by mail or through the State File Transfer Service if you provide an email address. Use the Crash Release Form to request them. Report fees and other data requests go through Records and vary — confirm the current amount when you call 406-444-3278.
One limit worth knowing: Montana Highway Patrol does not house city or county investigated crash photos. If a municipal department or sheriff worked your scene, their photos stay with them.
Who can get your report
Montana restricts release, which cuts in your favour more often than against it. Reports written by an officer may be released to any driver, passenger or pedestrian involved in the crash, any person whose property was damaged, the executor or administrator of someone who died and their attorney, and a party to a civil action arising from the crash.
And the provision worth remembering if you file the White Form yourself: a White Form completed by you cannot be released to anyone without your signature. Your own account of the crash stays yours unless you release it — which is a genuine privacy protection, and also a reason to keep your own copy, since you cannot count on anyone else obtaining it for you.
Hit-and-run
Call it in immediately — the notice duty under 61-7-108 applies regardless of who caused the crash, and the “knows or reasonably should have known” standard means you cannot wait to be certain of the damage figure before picking up the phone.
Then plan for the realistic case. On US-2 across the Hi-Line or a county road in the Big Hole, a trooper may be a long way out, and if no officer produces a written report the 10-day White Form becomes your obligation — and it may be the only document that the crash happened at all. Save your clip and note the time and location while they’re exact; Montana has the emptiest highways of any state on this site apart from Alaska, so a plate that resolves on playback is often the whole investigation. Uninsured-motorist coverage on your own policy is the usual route to payment when nobody is identified, and its notice window will be far shorter than ten days.
Find a lawyer
The State Bar of Montana runs a statewide Lawyer Referral and Information Service from Helena — 406-449-6577. There is no fixed consultation fee, so ask what the attorney charges when you call, and note that participating lawyers who already offer free initial consultations must extend that policy to LRIS-referred clients.
The Bar’s participation requirements are stricter than most and worth knowing, because they are effectively a screen you get for free. A participating attorney must be in good standing, personally interview the client rather than delegating it, carry professional liability insurance of at least $100,000 per claim and $300,000 per year, enter into a written retainer agreement that clearly identifies fees and costs, and certify competence by experience, education or access in the fields of law they list.
Most crash-injury work in Montana is handled on contingency, so ask about that before assuming you need money up front.
Free legal help
Montana Legal Services Association is the state’s civil legal aid provider for low-income Montanans, and MontanaLawHelp.org carries free legal information and self-help materials. To reach the program serving your county and check eligibility, start at LawHelp.org, which routes to Montana’s providers.
Distance is the real constraint here. Montana is the fourth-largest state by area with one of the smallest populations, and legal services offices are few and far apart — phone and online intake will usually be faster than trying to reach one in person. The Montana Justice Foundation supports civil legal services statewide, and the State Bar directs financial support to it.
Insurance problems
Montana regulates insurers through the Office of the Commissioner of Securities and Insurance, which takes consumer complaints about how claims are handled. You can reach its current complaint channels through the national directory of state insurance departments.
Uninsured when it happened? Both duties above apply regardless of coverage — the immediate notice under 61-7-108 and, if no officer files a report, the 10-day written report under 61-7-109. Filing does not create the insurance problem; it just documents a crash that happened. Skipping it leaves you with no record at all, which is the worse position. Report it, then call the Bar’s referral line or start at LawHelp.org.
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Dashwatcher is a dashcam company, not a law firm, and nothing here is legal advice or a substitute for a licensed attorney. Reporting rules, deadlines, and programs differ by state and change over time; verify everything with the official source before you rely on it. Links go to government agencies, bar associations, and nonprofits. Dashwatcher receives no payment from any organization listed.
From the team at Dashwatcher.
Last verified: August 4, 2026