The Clerk of Court is the authority that issues your license and collects the license tax (through the State Bar) on behalf of the Supreme Court. Active, active military and inactive members must maintain their license each year. [Section37-61-211, MCA]

Yes-the State Bar accepts Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express and ACH. Members who pay fees and assessments by credit card will be charged a processing fee. There is no fee for an ACH transaction.

The assessment is a Court-ordered requirement for all active and active military members of the State Bar. [165 Mont. 1, 530 P.2d 765 (1975)]

During the annual renewal period, log in to your dashboard. Click the Renew Membership icon, on the Membership Renew link under the Alerts & Reminders area, or through the Invoices/Receipts icon.

Members having trouble because of financial hardship or who become disabled and unable to work may request a full or partial waiver of dues using the necessary form obtained from the State Bar. This waiver applies to dues ONLY. The State Bar does not have the authority to waive Court-ordered fees or assessments. Only attorneys who have been members for a year or more are eligible to apply. To request the form, please send a message to membership@montanabar.org.

The assessment is a Court-ordered requirement for all active and active military members of the State Bar. [MT Supreme Court Order dated January 15, 2002]

Members who fail to make their payment by the deadline will receive a second notice and be assessed a $50 late fee. If payment is not received within 30 days of the second notice, a notice of delinquency will be sent. If payment is still not made within 20 days of this notice, the member will be suspended for non-payment and will incur an additional $200 reinstatement fee. The names of suspended members will be provided to all Courts of Record in Montana. Dues, assessments, fees, and penalties will continue to accrue for each year. Members in arrears for three or more years must petition the Montana Supreme Court for their reinstatement to be considered.

A copy of your current card can be printed through the dashboard. For cards sent by mail, please allow up to fourteen business days from the date your payment is applied. To request a replacement card, please send an email to membership@montanabar.org.

An electronic version of your certificate is available through your dashboard. To obtain an original copy by mail, please order it through the online store. If you need a letter of good standing, you can request one by emailing membership@montanabar.org. Both certificates and letters will indicate your status and date of admission to the State Bar of Montana. For a statement of discipline, contact the Montana Supreme Court's Office of Disciplinary Counsel at (406) 442-1648.

Members can update their contact information by logging into their dashboard or by sending an email to membership@montanabar.org. 

The CLE reporting cycle runs from April 1 to March 31 each year. All active attorneys must complete at least 15.0 total CLE credit hours per reporting year, of which at least 2.0 CLE credit hours must be in approved Professional Fitness and Integrity (PFI – formerly called ethics) courses, as defined in Rule 5B. Of those 15.0 total CLE credit hours, 10.0 CLE credit hours must be earned through attending live interactive courses, as defined in Rule 9A1.

How do you report your CLE credits?

-Log into your Dashboard 
-Click on the "Report CLE Credits" tab, located in the left-hand menu on your dashboard.
-Click the blue "Select A Course" button and search for your course by title and/or provider name.

For more information visit https://www.montanabar.org/Membership-Regulatory/Mandatory-Continuing-Legal-Education/Attorneys

The State Bar of Montana does not oversee the E-Filing program. For instructions, rules, and other information, please visit https://courts.mt.gov/courts/efile. To reach the e-filing technical staff, you can email efilingtechsupport@mt.gov or call (800) 284-6017.

The IOLTA (Interest on Lawyer Trust Accounts) program is managed by the Montana Justice Foundation. Visit www.mtjustice.org/iolta, call (406) 523-3920 or email mjf@mtjustice.org for more information.

To report IOLTA certification during the annual renewal period, log in to your dashboard. 

The State Bar reserves the right to decline to sell mailing labels or lists to anyone and reserves the right to review all materials being mailed through the use of such labels or lists. State Bar letterhead may not be used in connection with marketing products or services endorsed by the State Bar of Montana. Labels or lists may not be sold for political purposes, fundraising, or marketing. They may be sold to commercial vendors only if the product or service is law-related, in good taste, and does not conflict with the purposes of the State Bar of Montana. Labels or lists may be sold for judicial campaigns. The Executive Director will make decisions concerning the sale of labels or lists. Only the member’s name and mailing address will be provided. Email addresses will not be provided except for requests to improve practice management or court administration. Appeals concerning the decisions of the Executive Director may be made to the Executive Committee. [Policies of the Board of Trustees, State Bar of Montana Chapter 2-117] 

All requests for a mailing list must be in writing using the required application HERE.

Usernames are the primary email address associated with your State Bar of Montana profile. If you are a new or existing member and have forgotten your password, click on “Dashboard Login" and then select the "Reset Password" button.

Please note: Passwords must be at least 12 characters long and include at least one number, one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, and one special character.

You must petition the Montana Supreme Court using the required form to regain active status. Once approved by a Court order, you will owe the difference in fees for the current year. In addition, and as might be ordered by the Court, you may be required to complete 15 or 30 hours of CLE within 6 months of the status change. At the Court’s discretion, Petitioners who maintain an inactive status for five or more years may be required to submit a character and fitness review as part of the process.

The original petition, along with two copies, must be mailed to the Montana Supreme Court Clerk’s Office, P.O. Box 203003, Helena, MT 59620. A copy should also be sent to the State Bar of Montana office, and sending it electronically to membership@montanabar.org is acceptable.

Members who were transferred to inactive status for non-compliance with CLE requirements, please refer to Rule 13 - Rules for Continuing Legal Education.

Requests to elect inactive, senior, or active military status must be submitted in writing. You can send your notice electronically to membership@montanabar.org or mail it to the State Bar of Montana, P.O. Box 577, Helena, MT 59624. Members requesting active military status must provide documentation of their service requirements using the designated form. Unless stated otherwise in your request, it will be considered effective immediately upon receipt.

Requests to resume active status must be submitted in writing. You can send your notice electronically to membership@montanabar.org or mail it to the State Bar of Montana, P.O. Box 577, Helena, MT 59624. You must also make payment of the difference in dues, fees, and assessments for the current year. Unless stated otherwise in your request, it will be considered effective immediately upon receipt.

You must petition the Montana Supreme Court using the required form to regain active status. Once approved by a Court order, you will owe the difference in fees for the current year as well as all license tax fees waived during senior status in compliance with Section 37-61-211, MCA. In addition, and as might be ordered by the Court, you may be required to complete 15 or 30 hours of CLE within 6 months of the status change. At the Court’s discretion, Petitioners who maintain an inactive status for five or more years may be required to submit a character and fitness review as part of the process.

The original petition, along with two copies, must be mailed to the Montana Supreme Court Clerk’s Office, P.O. Box 203003, Helena, MT 59620. A copy should also be sent to the State Bar of Montana office, and sending it electronically to membership@montanabar.org is acceptable.

You must petition the Montana Supreme Court using the required form to regain active status. Once approved by a Court order, you will owe the difference in fees for the current year, including payment of all license taxes waived during emeritus status in compliance with Section 37-61-211, MCA. In addition, the member shall complete any CLE requirements as might be ordered by the Court and in accordance with the Rules for Continuing Legal Education. 

The original petition, along with two copies, must be mailed to the Montana Supreme Court Clerk’s Office, P.O. Box 203003, Helena, MT 59620. A copy should also be sent to the State Bar of Montana office, and sending it electronically to membership@montanabar.org is acceptable.

To officially resign, a written notice must be submited electronically to membership@montanabar.org or mailed to the State Bar of Montana, P.O. Box 577, Helena, MT 59624. Unless stated otherwise in your request, it will be considered effective immediately upon receipt. Resigning from membership will result in relinquishing your license, and you will no longer be considered a member of the State Bar of Montana. To apply for reinstatement, you must petition the Montana Supreme Court. This process may involve undergoing a character and fitness investigation, submitting supporting documentation, and paying an application fee. Unless the Supreme Court specifies otherwise, resigned members will not be required to retake any part of the bar examination. Reinstatement also requires meeting the same CLE requirement as inactive members seeking to return to active status. Resigning from membership does not eliminate any ongoing disciplinary matters before the Court.

To apply for reinstatement, you must petition the Montana Supreme Court using the required form. This process may involve undergoing a character and fitness investigation, submitting supporting documentation, and paying an application fee. Unless the Court specifies otherwise, you will not be required to retake any part of the bar examination. Reinstatement also requires meeting the same CLE requirements as inactive members seeking to return to active status. 

The original petition, along with two copies, must be mailed to the Montana Supreme Court Clerk’s Office, P.O. Box 203003, Helena, MT 59620. A copy should also be sent to the State Bar of Montana office, and sending it electronically to membership@montanabar.org is acceptable.

Qualifying members can request judicial status by filing a written notice. Requests can be sent electronically to membership@montanabar.org or mailed to State Bar of Montana, P.O. Box 577, Helena, MT 59624.

Judicial members include elected or appointed individuals in the Montana judicial system who serve full-time as judges, including retired judges eligible for temporary assignments and not practicing law. The Montana judicial system encompasses Supreme Court justices, district court judges, the chief water judge, the workers’ compensation judge, attorneys serving as justices of the peace or city judges, standing masters, federal administrative law judges residing in Montana, and federal trial, appellate, and bankruptcy judges residing in Montana. Judicial status also extends to members of the State Bar who are justices or judges of other courts of record in the United States or in the several states, tribal court judges not engaged in practicing law, or those retired from such courts and not practicing law.

Requests for active, inactive, or senior status must be submitted in writing along with the payment of applicable dues, fees, and assessments for the current year. If a member transfers to active status, they must complete and file the required 15 Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credit hours in the year following the status change. Requests can be sent electronically to membership@montanabar.org or mailed to State Bar of Montana, P.O. Box 577, Helena, MT 59624.

Membership in the Section is open to eligible individuals who have submitted an application for membership as outlined by the State Bar of Montana and have paid the required Section dues. All members must be residents of Montana. Additionally, membership is not available to any non-attorney who provides legal services directly to the public without the supervision of an attorney. To apply visit the online store.

Please contact the State Bar of Montana at membership@montanabar.org  to determine reinstatement requirements.