Flathead County Jail Roster 2026: Inmate Search & Bookings

Flathead County, Montana • current custody and jail-service guide

Use the Live Flathead County Roster, Then Route the Next Step

For current local custody, begin with the official Flathead County Sheriff jail roster and choose the correct view: Current Inmates, Recent Bookings or Recent Releases. Then use the court, jail, warrant, NCIC, Montana DOC or federal source that actually controls your next question.

The Flathead County Detention Center at 920 South Main in Kalispell remains the current operating jail. A new Public Safety Facility is under construction, but it is not yet the place to visit, mail legal correspondence, or bring inmate funds.

Open Official Jail Roster Check Current Jail Rules

Source-reviewed: October 3, 2026

Detention phone406-758-5617

Current facility920 South Main, Suite 100

Roster viewsCurrent • Bookings • Releases

CommunicationsNCIC phone • video • messages

Start with the custody question

Current Inmate, Recent Booking or Recent Release?

Flathead County uses one official roster application with three different views. The view you choose matters because a person can disappear from Current Inmates after release or transfer while still appearing in the recent-release data.

Current Inmates

Use this first when you need to know whether a person presently appears in Flathead County Detention Center custody.

Recent Bookings

Use this when the arrest or admission happened recently and you are looking for a newer booking record.

Recent Releases

Use this when the person no longer appears under Current Inmates. The county specifically warns that a “release” can include transfer to another facility.

Do not arrange pickup from the release list alone. A recent-release entry can represent a transfer, not a return to the community. Confirm the destination with the detention center when transportation or custody location matters.

One roster cannot answer every task

Choose the Official Flathead County Source That Owns the Answer

Current local custody

Use the Current Inmates roster.

Recent booking

Use the Recent Bookings view.

Recent release or transfer

Use the Recent Releases view, then verify where the person went.

Court case

Use the Montana Public Access Portal page and choose District Court or Courts of Limited Jurisdiction based on the actual court.

Outstanding county warrant

Use the Flathead County warrant list. It is not proof of current jail custody.

Visit, mail or inmate money

Use the current Detention Center page and call 406-758-5617 when a live operational detail is not published.

Phone, video or messages

Flathead County currently identifies NCIC Inmate Communications as the provider. NCIC support is 800-943-2189.

Montana DOC custody

Use Montana Offender Search when state corrections custody or supervision is relevant.

Federal custody

Use the Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator for federal custody.

Official inmate-search workflow

How to Search the Flathead County Jail Roster

Open the official county roster. Do not start with a copied mugshot directory, an old screenshot or a paid people-search result when current custody matters.
Select Current Inmates, Recent Bookings or Recent Releases. Match the view to the question you are actually trying to answer.
Use the available sorting carefully. The roster provides sortable views such as last name, booking date or release date. Browser “Find in Page” can also help on a long list.
Compare several fields. Name, age, PIN, booking/release timing, bail, court date, charge and charge-status text can help distinguish similar names.
Save the PIN separately from court information. The jail PIN is used for the jail record and is required on personal mail; it is not a Montana court case number.
Refresh before taking action. Recheck the live record immediately before paying bail, traveling for a visit, sending cash, funding NCIC, mailing a letter or arranging transportation.

Roster freshness: Flathead County says roster information is extracted from jail-management records and may change at any time. Treat a saved screenshot as historical, not as live custody status.

Separate jail data from legal outcome

What the Flathead County Roster Fields Tell You

Roster field	What it helps confirm	What still needs verification
Name and age	A possible identity match.	Identity when multiple people have similar names or ages.
Photo	The roster can display a booking image to help distinguish identities.	A booking photo is not proof of guilt, conviction or current case outcome.
PIN	The jail identifier tied to the roster record and personal-mail routing.	Court cause/case number; the PIN is not the court number.
Booked / released date	When a local booking or release event was recorded.	Exact arrest, court, departure or pickup timing.
Total Bail	The total displayed by the roster at extraction time.	Current amount, bail form, every case, holds and actual release eligibility.
Court Date	A court date associated with the jail record.	Whether it changed and which court/case controls it.
Charge	The allegation or custody-related charge information displayed by the roster.	Filed charge, amendment, dismissal, plea, conviction or sentence in the court record.
Status text	A short roster label such as Continued, Dismissed, Sentenced, Own_recog or NotFiled.	The complete legal effect, conditions and most recent court order.

Three separate questions: a booking record shows jail information; a warrant list shows outstanding warrant information; a court record shows legal case activity. None should be substituted for the others.

Roster shorthand needs court context

How to Read Common Charge-Status Labels

The live roster can display short terms alongside a charge. Use them as clues to which court question you should ask next, not as a complete legal ruling.

Own_recog

This commonly indicates an own-recognizance status in the roster. Verify the actual release conditions and whether another charge or hold prevents release.

Bail/Bond

This indicates a bail/bond-related status on that charge. Confirm the latest amount and acceptable form with the jail/court before paying.

Continued

This is not a final case outcome. Check the court docket for the next event and current order.

Dismissed

A dismissed label on one charge does not prove that all charges, holds or cases are cleared. Verify the whole record.

Sentenced

This can indicate a sentenced status on the roster. It does not by itself show every sentence term, credit, transfer or DOC status.

NotFiled / Fined

These short labels need case-specific context. Use the appropriate court record rather than inferring the legal result from the jail screen.

Problem → possible explanation → next action

What to Do When a Person Is Not Listed

Problem	Possible explanation	Next action	Official verification
Arrest was very recent	Transport and intake may not yet be reflected publicly.	Recheck Recent Bookings and call the detention center if timing is urgent.	Roster + 406-758-5617
Name returns nothing	The record may use a different spelling, former name, hyphenation or suffix.	Try verified name variants and compare other known details.	Official roster
Person vanished from Current	Release or transfer may have occurred.	Check Recent Releases, then confirm the destination.	Release view + jail
Arrest happened outside Flathead County	Another county or agency may be the current custodian.	Confirm the arresting agency and actual booking facility before switching searches.	Arresting agency
Case exists but no jail result	A court case or warrant can exist without current incarceration.	Check the correct Montana court portal and warrant list separately.	Court + warrant sources
Local record ended after sentencing or transfer	Montana DOC or federal custody may now control the location.	Use Montana Offender Search or BOP only when the case/transfer points there.	DOC / BOP

No result should not be treated as proof that a person was never arrested or is free. Use the known arresting agency, court and transfer information to choose the next system instead of searching counties at random.

Displayed bail is only a starting point

Verify Bail, Holds and Release Before Paying

The roster may display Total Bail, but Flathead County’s current detention page does not publish one universal bail-payment method for every case. The safe workflow is to verify the amount, controlling court, allowed form of bail and any separate holds before money changes hands.

Ask the detention center

Is this the correct person and PIN?
Is the displayed Total Bail still current?
Are there multiple cases or charges with separate conditions?
Is there a probation, parole, federal or out-of-county hold?
Which court controls the bail decision?
What payment or bond route is currently authorized for this case?

Keep three money systems separate

Bail concerns release eligibility under the controlling case/order.

Commissary money is for eligible jail purchases.

NCIC funds are for supported communication services. Funding one does not fund the others.

Call script: “I’m verifying bail for [full legal name], PIN [number]. The roster shows Total Bail of [amount]. Is that current, are there any other holds or cases, which court controls it, and what payment or bond route is approved?”

No release-time promise: even when bail is permitted and properly posted, do not assume immediate release. Additional cases, holds, court orders and jail processing can affect whether and when release occurs.

PIN ≠ court case number

Flathead County Court Router: Justice Court, District Court and Public Portals

The jail name does not determine the court. Flathead County Justice Court handles criminal and traffic matters within its limited jurisdiction, while Flathead County District Court is part of Montana’s Eleventh Judicial District and handles felony criminal matters and other case types assigned to District Court.

Flathead County Justice Court

935 1st Avenue West
Kalispell, MT 59901
406-758-5643

Office hours are listed Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. The Justice Court documents page provides a Records Search Request for court records, background-check searches or court recordings; the page says applicable fees must be paid in advance.

Open Justice Court · Records Search Request

Flathead County District Court

920 South Main Street, Suite 310
Kalispell, MT 59901
406-758-6242

The Clerk of District Court, which manages District Court records, is in Suite 300 at the same street address and lists 406-758-5870, Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

Open District Court · Open Clerk of Court

Montana Public Access Portals

Montana Courts publishes separate public portals for District Courts and Courts of Limited Jurisdiction. Choose the portal that matches the court shown in the case or roster; do not search a limited-jurisdiction portal for a District Court case or vice versa.

Open Montana Public Access Portal(s)

Deadline warning: if a hearing date, appearance requirement or filing deadline could affect a warrant, bail or legal right, verify directly with the assigned court. A jail roster is not a certified court calendar.

Warrant ≠ current incarceration

Flathead County Warrant Search and Phone-Scam Warning

Official warrant list

The Sheriff’s Office describes the Flathead County warrant list as a public service and says it is not an official court record. Use it to check listed outstanding warrants, not to infer that a person is currently inside the county jail.

Open Flathead County Warrant List

Do not pay a caller claiming you have a warrant

The Sheriff currently warns about callers impersonating officers or judges and demanding payment for a supposed warrant or missed jury duty by gift card, Bitcoin/cryptocurrency or wire transfer. The Sheriff says law enforcement and judges will not call and demand payment this way.

If you receive such a call, hang up and verify independently through the Sheriff’s published number, 406-758-5585.

Safety: never try to detain, confront or locate someone in person because of an online warrant entry. Contact law enforcement.

Current onsite rules from the county jail page

Flathead County Detention Center Visiting Hours

Day	Visiting hours	Sign-in	Lunch break
Saturday	12:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m.	Begins 11:45 a.m.	1:00–2:00 p.m.
Sunday	9:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m.	Begins 8:45 a.m.	1:00–2:00 p.m.

Published visitor limits

A maximum of two people may visit an inmate at one time.
Each inmate may have one visit per day.
Visitors must be over 18 years old.

ID caution: the current county visitor-requirements section reviewed for this refresh does not publish a photo-ID rule. Because older or third-party pages may add different requirements, call 406-758-5617 before a long trip if you need to confirm identification, check-in or current operational restrictions.

Recheck the live Detention Center page before visiting.

Current provider: NCIC

Phone Calls, Remote Video Visits and Messages

Flathead County currently identifies NCIC Inmate Communications as the provider for phone, video and messaging services. Inmates receive telephone access after booking is complete, with private-use phones located in housing areas.

Service	County-published detail	Practical note
Phone calls	Billed per minute; county states there are no connection fees.	Three-way calls are prohibited.
Incoming calls	Ordinary incoming calls are not accepted.	Voicemail may be available to approved inmates.
Video visits	$0.30 per minute.	Confirm the correct inmate and facility before funding.
Messages	$0.25 per message.	Use the NCIC account tied to the correct facility/inmate.
Picture/video messages	$0.35 each.	Only facility-approved content is delivered.

NCIC customer support: 800-943-2189, listed by the county as available 24/7 for billing or account-access questions.

Create or manage an NCIC account

Provider check: if another website names a different communication provider, return to the current Flathead County detention page before creating or funding an account. The county page reviewed for this refresh identifies NCIC.

Personal mail is scanned; legal mail uses Kalispell

Flathead County Inmate Mail Rules

Personal mail

Inmate Name / Inmate PIN
Flathead County Detention Center
P.O. Box 591
Long View, TX 75606

Beginning June 1, 2024, ordinary personal mail must go to this scanning address instead of directly to the detention center.

PIN is required.
Maximum five pages per letter.
Write on the front side only.
Maximum page size: 8.5 × 11 inches.
Maximum one photo per letter.
No legal or medical mail.
No books, magazines or packages.
No cash, money orders or cashier’s checks.

Do not send irreplaceable originals. The county says original letters and contents are destroyed after processing and are not held, forwarded or returned.

Legal mail

[Inmate Name]
Flathead County Detention Center
920 S. Main St., Suite 100
Kalispell, MT 59901

Legal mail must come directly from the inmate’s attorney or a court.
It must be labeled or stamped “LEGAL MAIL.”
Address it to the inmate by name.
The return address must identify the sending attorney, law firm or court.
Include a sender telephone number for verification.

Personal or third-party correspondence does not become legal mail simply because “legal” is written on it.

Cash rule needs a live procedural check

Inmate Money and Commissary

Flathead County says commissary is offered twice each week and may include hygiene products and selected food items. The current detention page also states that cash is the only accepted form of money for inmates and tells users to contact the detention center before bringing funds to confirm the current procedure.

Before bringing cash

Confirm the person is still in Flathead County custody.
Have the correct legal name and PIN.
Call 406-758-5617 to confirm where and when money is accepted.
Ask whether any temporary lobby or operational restriction applies.
Keep the transaction separate from NCIC funding and bail.

Do not mail inmate money

The county’s personal-mail rules prohibit cash, money orders and cashier’s checks at the Texas scanning address. Legal mail is not a deposit route either.

Do not use a third-party “inmate deposit” website unless the county itself currently directs you there.

Privacy limits what staff can disclose

Medical Privacy, Urgent Welfare and Inmate Programs

Flathead County states that inmate medical information is confidential and cannot be discussed with others because of HIPAA privacy rules. If you need to relay an urgent medical or mental-health concern, call the detention center and provide factual information, understanding that staff may be unable to disclose protected health details back to you.

Useful information to have ready: the person’s full legal name and PIN, the specific concern, medication name if relevant, known allergy or condition, when the issue occurred, and your callback number. Do not send medical documents to the Texas personal-mail scanning address because the county expressly excludes medical mail there.

Published jail programs and services

AA and NA

The county says Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous groups meet in the jail.

Book cart

Donated books and magazines are delivered weekly to housing areas for inmate use.

Outdoor recreation

The facility publishes access to an outdoor recreation area for fresh air and exercise.

Immediate danger: call 911 for an external emergency requiring immediate emergency response. For an urgent concern about a person already inside the detention center, call 406-758-5617 and ask for the concern to be routed appropriately.

Ask the custodian that owns the record or item

Court Records, Sheriff Records and Property Questions

You need	Start with	Why
Current jail custody	Jail roster / detention center	It is the current local custody source.
Justice Court record or recording	Justice Court Records Search Request	The court provides a specific request route and says fees must be paid in advance.
District Court felony case record	Clerk of District Court	The Clerk manages District Court records.
Sheriff incident/investigation information	Sheriff’s Office / responsible division	The jail roster is not the underlying incident or investigative record.
Property or evidence	Sheriff Property & Evidence / Detectives routing	Property held for safekeeping and evidence can have different release conditions.

The Sheriff’s current service page says the jail roster can include a photo. If you need a separate official copy or another booking/incident record, do not assume the roster image is a certified record; ask the responsible Sheriff/county records custodian what can be released and under which request process.

Flathead County’s public-information policy says departments accept public-document requests in writing, including email, and may provide the record, estimate the time/fees, or explain a denial. Specific statutory fees or agency rules can supersede the general county fee policy.

Property call checklist: ask who holds the item, whether the inmate must authorize release, what identification is required, whether an appointment is needed, and whether the item is evidence that cannot yet be released.

Justice Court records forms · Clerk of District Court · Sheriff Detectives / Property & Evidence

Use transfer evidence before switching systems

Montana DOC, Federal Custody and VINE

Montana Offender Search

Use Montana DOC’s offender search when the person may be a felony offender under DOC custody or supervision. DOC says the database can help confirm the offender number, correct name spelling, custody status and location.

Open Montana Offender Search

Federal BOP Inmate Locator

Use the federal locator for federal custody. BOP cautions that a “Released” or “Not in BOP Custody” result does not prove the person is free; another criminal-justice system may have custody.

Open BOP Inmate Locator

Montana VINE

Montana VINE provides supported custody-status information and notifications. The statewide number is 800-456-3076, available 24/7; DOC says users can register for phone, email, text, mobile-app or TTY notifications.

Montana VINE information

Do not search every county at random. Follow the arresting agency, court, recent-release transfer information or confirmed custody handoff to the next system.

Unique 2026 local change

New Flathead County Public Safety Facility: Do Not Confuse It With the Current Jail

Flathead County is building a new Public Safety Facility after voters approved the project. The county’s current project page says groundbreaking occurred in June 2026, site preparation followed in July, and the planned grand opening is in 2029.

The current detention center opened in 1987 with capacity for 63 and reached 154 beds after a 2018 expansion. The new design is planned for up to 260 inmates: 200 general-population beds, 42 special-housing beds and 18 inmate-worker beds. It will integrate jail, Sheriff, detective, emergency-service and court functions. The current detention center is expected to be repurposed after the transition.

For today’s jail tasks, use the current facility. The operational Flathead County Detention Center remains at 920 South Main, Suite 100, Kalispell. Do not send current legal mail, bring inmate money or plan a present-day jail visit using the future project location at 225 Snowline Lane.

Check the county’s New Public Safety Facility updates.

Use the office that owns the task

Flathead County Jail, Sheriff and Court Contacts

Office	Contact	Use it for
Flathead County Detention Center	406-758-5617 920 South Main, Suite 100 Kalispell, MT 59901	Current custody, visitation, jail procedures, inmate-money procedure and urgent facility routing.
Flathead County Sheriff’s Office	406-758-5585 920 South Main Street, Suite 100	Sheriff services, warrant-scam verification and agency routing.
NCIC Customer Support	800-943-2189	Phone/video/message account billing or access problems.
Flathead County Justice Court	406-758-5643 935 1st Avenue West	Justice Court cases and Justice Court record-search requests.
Flathead County District Court	406-758-6242 920 South Main Street, Suite 310	Eleventh Judicial District / District Court routing.
Clerk of District Court	406-758-5870 920 South Main, Suite 300	District Court records and clerk services.
Montana VINE	800-456-3076	Supported custody notifications and DOC-status information.

Current Detention Center map

Confirm current custody and the exact service you need before traveling. The future Public Safety Facility project is not the current jail location.

Public data still requires care

Use Booking, Charge and Warrant Information Responsibly

An arrest or booking is not a conviction.
A charge shown on a jail roster may later be amended, dismissed or resolved differently.
A warrant does not prove current incarceration.
A Recent Releases entry may represent transfer to another facility.
The jail PIN is not a court case number.
A saved screenshot can become stale as custody changes.
Do not use public jail information to harass, threaten, stalk or shame a person.
Use the responsible court for the legal outcome and the current custodian for custody status.

Common Flathead County questions

Flathead County Jail Roster FAQs

What is the official Flathead County jail roster?

The Flathead County Sheriff provides an official roster with Current Inmates, Recent Bookings and Recent Releases views. Use the county application for current local custody information rather than a copied third-party list.

What does the PIN mean on the Flathead County roster?

The PIN is the jail identifier associated with the roster record. Flathead County requires it on personal inmate mail. It is not the Montana court case or cause number.

Does Recent Releases mean the person went home?

No. Flathead County expressly says releases can include transfers to another facility. Confirm the destination with the detention center before arranging pickup or concluding the person is out of custody.

Why might a recently arrested person not appear yet?

A recent arrest may still be in transport or intake before a public roster entry appears. Recheck Recent Bookings, verify the arresting agency and call 406-758-5617 when current custody needs urgent confirmation.

Can I rely on the Total Bail number shown on the roster?

Treat it as a starting point, not a release guarantee. Verify the current amount, bail form, every charge or case, other holds, controlling court and approved payment route before paying.

What are the current Flathead County onsite visiting hours?

The county lists Saturday visits from 12:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and Sunday visits from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., with a 1:00–2:00 p.m. lunch break on both days. Sign-in begins at 11:45 a.m. Saturday and 8:45 a.m. Sunday.

How many people can visit a Flathead County inmate?

The current county page states a maximum of two visitors at one time, one visit per inmate per day, and visitors must be over 18. Call before travel if you need to confirm identification or an operational restriction.

Where do I send personal mail to a Flathead County inmate?

Send personal mail to Inmate Name / Inmate PIN, Flathead County Detention Center, P.O. Box 591, Long View, TX 75606. The PIN is required, and originals are destroyed after scanning rather than returned.

Which company handles inmate calls and remote video?

Flathead County currently identifies NCIC Inmate Communications for supported phone, video and messaging services. The county lists NCIC support at 800-943-2189.

Is the new Public Safety Facility already the current Flathead County jail?

No. The current operating detention center remains at 920 South Main, Suite 100, Kalispell. The new Public Safety Facility is under construction, with the county’s project timeline listing a planned grand opening in 2029.

Before paying, traveling, mailing or sharing

Final Flathead County Verification Checklist

You used the official county roster.
You chose Current Inmates, Recent Bookings or Recent Releases for the right question.
You compared more than the person’s name.
You saved the jail PIN without confusing it with the court case number.
You treated a Recent Releases entry as a possible transfer until verified.
You checked the correct court separately from the jail record.
You verified bail, other holds and the approved payment route before paying.
You checked current onsite visit rules before driving.
You used NCIC for the communication services currently identified by the county.
You used the Texas scanning address only for personal mail and the Kalispell facility address for qualifying legal mail.
You called before bringing cash for inmate funds.
You used Montana DOC, BOP or VINE only when the custody path actually points there.
You did not confuse the under-construction Public Safety Facility with the current detention center.
You did not treat a booking, charge or warrant as proof of guilt.

Primary authorities reviewed