2026-09-15 · Montana · Compliance

What happened. Two 2025 Montana fee bills took effect on the same day, and between them they raised the price of every step an association takes to record and enforce an assessment lien.

Recording: $8 a page became $20 plus $10

House Bill 192, introduced by Rep. J. Darling, became Chapter 480, Laws of 2025. Signed May 8, 2025, effective October 1, 2025, and it applies to documents recorded on or after that date. It amended §§ 7-4-2632, 7-4-2635 and 7-4-2637, MCA.¹

Under § 7-4-2637(1)(a) the standard document fee is now “$20 for the first page or fraction of a page and $10 a page for each additional page” — previously a flat $8 per page. Mechanical and photographic recording under § 7-4-2632 moved to the same schedule, from $7 per page.

There is also a penalty: a document that does not meet the formatting requirements of § 7-4-2636 costs the standard fee plus $10.

Foreclosure: $5 became $25

Senate Bill 103, “Revise fee for issuing an execution or order of sale on foreclosure of lien,” became Chapter 587, Laws of 2025. Signed May 13, 2025, effective October 1, 2025. It amended § 25-1-201(1)(i), MCA: the clerk-of-court fee “for issuing an execution or order of sale on a foreclosure of a lien” went from $5 to $25, with $20 of each fee routed to the county district court fund.²

1. House Bill 192 (2025), enrolled bill — Chapter 480, Laws of 2025, county clerk and recorder recording fees (Montana Legislature document store) ↩
2. Senate Bill 103 (2025), enrolled bill — Chapter 587, Laws of 2025, fee for issuing an execution or order of sale on foreclosure of a lien ↩
3. Senate Bill 373 (2025), enrolled bill — Chapter 393, Laws of 2025, amending Mont. Code Ann. § 71-3-1203 on enforcement of special liens ↩
4. Montana Legislature Bill Explorer API — chapter numbers, effective dates, and the HB 465 (2025) status history: Died in Committee May 23, 2025 ↩