Missing Persons

The Missing Children Act of 1985 established a Montana Missing Persons Clearinghouse within the Department of Justice.

In March 2008, the department implemented a searchable online database that, for the first time, is updated in real time and includes any photos provided by law enforcement. It is our hope that having up-to-date information available to teachers and community members throughout the state will increase the likelihood that someone will identify a missing person and contact the Clearinghouse or law enforcement.

The Missing Persons Clearinghouse:

• Assists law enforcement agencies in entering the necessary information into state and national databases, and in identifying missing and unidentified persons
• Provides general assistance and information to the public concerning missing persons in Montana
• Works closely with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and other state clearinghouses to aid in locating children who have been unlawfully taken out of Montana or brought into Montana
• Maintains an online database of missing persons in Montana to ensure that elementary and secondary schools throughout the state are aware of school-age children who are missing.

Artwork by Montana’s 2021 Missing Children’s Poster Contest winner, Claire Swanson, Townsend Elementary.

Available Information 

Click here to print the Missing School-Age Children PDF (text only)

Click here to print the Missing School-Age Children PDF (with photos)

Click here to view the Missing Persons Forms and Other Documents

The Missing Persons List displays each individual’s:

• Name
• Aliases (including nicknames)
• Gender
• Date of birth
• Date of last contact – this is usually, but not always, the date the individual was reported missing

The list also indicates:

• investigating agency – the law enforcement agency with primary responsibility for the case
• “Alert: SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCE” – while all missing persons are potentially endangered, this notation indicates that a case may involve one or more specific threatening circumstances such as:
  • the person has a known physical or mental disability or illness like diabetes or senility, that places the subject or others in immediate danger
  • the person’s physical safety may be in danger. Examples include someone with a drug or alcohol problem, or who associates with individuals who are violent or have criminal records.
  • the disappearance may not have been voluntary, such as in an abduction or kidnapping

Missing Person Details typically provides a description of the individual. It may also state where he or she was last seen and include photos of other individuals the missing person was believed to be with. In situations in which a young child has been missing for a long period, there may be an “age-progressed” photo that shows what the child may look like now.

A missing person’s information may include other dates of birth if the individual used more than one birth date, or if family or friends provided differing birth dates.

Contact the Missing Persons Clearinghouse
If you have any information about an individual listed on this site, please call:

[Montana Missing Persons Clearinghouse
Phone: (406) 444-1526
E-mail: [email protected]

If you cannot reach the Clearinghouse or need guidance on reporting a person as missing, contact your local law enforcement agency.