Missoula Jail Roster: Inmate Search, Bookings & Mugshots

Missoula, Montana • county jail custody and booking guide

Missoula Jail Roster: Choose Current Inmates, Court Schedule or Recent Releases

The City of Missoula does not operate the adult custody roster you need for this search. The official source is the Missoula County Inmate Information Portal for people processed through the Missoula County Detention Facility at 2340 Mullan Road.

Currently in custody

Current Inmates

Use when your main question is whether the person presently appears in the county detention roster.

Upcoming jail appearance

Inmate Court Schedule

Use as a jail-linked schedule reference, then verify the final hearing information with the actual court.

No longer on current list

Released Inmates

Use when someone recently disappeared from the current roster and you need a recent release clue.

Detention Facility2340 Mullan Rd., Missoula
Jail phone406-258-4000
Sheriff main office406-258-4810
CommunicationSmart Communications
Arresting agency, jail and court are different roles. Missoula Police may arrest someone, Missoula County Detention Facility may hold that person, and Municipal, Justice or District Court may control the legal case. A roster charge is not a conviction.

Quick Answer: Search Missoula County, Not a Separate City Jail

For an adult arrest in Missoula, start with the Missoula County Inmate Information Portal. Missoula County Sheriff’s Office operates the Detention Facility, and the county says it holds people for several agencies including Missoula Police Department, Montana Highway Patrol, University of Montana Police, U.S. Marshals, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, other sheriff’s offices and the U.S. Forest Service.

That means the agency that arrested the person may not be the agency physically holding them. Confirm the custody facility, arresting agency and court separately before requesting records or paying money.

Preserved from the existing page: use the Current Inmates list for active custody, the Court Schedule when you need a jail-linked appearance clue, and the Released Inmates list when the person recently disappeared from Current.

Current Inmates vs Court Schedule vs Released Inmates

Official portal area Use it when Important limit
Current Inmates You need to check current Missoula County detention custody. Court action, release, transfer or intake processing can change status after you search.
Inmate Court Schedule You need a jail-linked scheduled court appearance. The portal itself warns that listed charges are not directly tied to a particular court date; verify with the court.
Released Inmates Someone recently stopped appearing under Current Inmates. A release listing does not by itself tell you whether the person went home, transferred or entered another custody system.

Missoula Official Source Router

Current or recent county custody

Missoula Inmate Portal

Current inmates, recent releases and jail-linked court schedule.

Open portal

City police case

Missoula Municipal Court

Use when a City of Missoula Police citation or city misdemeanor belongs to Municipal Court.

Municipal Court

County / highway-patrol misdemeanor

Missoula County Justice Court

Handles county limited-jurisdiction criminal, civil and traffic matters.

Justice Court

District Court / felony record

Missoula County District Court

Use the Clerk of District Court for official District Court files and copies.

District Court records

Montana corrections

Montana Offender Search

Use when the person is in Montana DOC custody, placement or supervision rather than county jail.

Montana Offender Search

Federal prison custody

BOP Inmate Locator

Use for established Federal Bureau of Prisons custody. A U.S. Marshals detainee may still be physically housed at MCDF.

BOP Inmate Locator

Understand the Missoula Booking Record Before Using It

Roster information What it helps confirm What still needs verification
Booking ID A specific detention booking record. It is not automatically the court case number.
Global / Jacket number Helps distinguish the jail identity record and is important for services such as scanned mail. Do not confuse it with a court docket.
Booking date When that custody event was recorded. It is not necessarily the arrest time or offense date.
Charge The accusation, warrant or custody reason associated with the booking. Court filing, amendment, dismissal, plea, conviction and sentence.
Bond A court-set release amount or condition when shown. Other holds and whether the amount remains current.
Court schedule A jail-linked appearance clue. The actual court and final hearing schedule.

Missoula Mugshots: Do Not Assume Every Booking Photo Is Public

Older Missoula roster interfaces and third-party pages often emphasize mugshots. Current county guidance does not promise that every detention record will include a public downloadable booking photograph.

Missoula County Attorney guidance explains that fingerprints and photographs can fall within Montana’s confidential criminal-justice-information framework. Sheriff records access also varies by record type and by the requester’s relationship to the record.

If you legitimately need a booking photograph or booking-history document, use the Sheriff’s records process and ask whether that specific record is releasable. Do not rely on a copied mugshot website as proof of current custody or case outcome.

A mugshot is not proof of guilt. A person may be arrested and later released, have charges declined or amended, or receive a different final court outcome.

If Someone Is Not on the Missoula Current-Inmate List

Situation Possible explanation Next action
Arrest was very recent Transport or intake may still be underway. Recheck Current Inmates and call 406-258-4000 if immediate confirmation matters.
Name does not match Spelling, maiden name, suffix, nickname or hyphenation may differ. Try a broader surname search and compare age/booking details.
Person was there earlier The person may have been released or transferred. Check Released Inmates and confirm the destination before arranging pickup.
Case exists but no custody result A court case or warrant does not require current incarceration. Search the appropriate Montana court portal or contact Municipal, Justice or District Court.
Montana state sentence or supervision The person may now fall under Montana DOC. Use Montana Offender Search.
Federal case MCDF can house people for the U.S. Marshals, while BOP maintains a separate federal-prison locator. Check MCDF first when local U.S. Marshals housing is possible; use the federal court/agency or BOP when custody has moved.
Juvenile custody MCDF has a separate juvenile detention component for youth ages 10–17. Do not treat the adult public roster as a complete juvenile-record source.

Bail, Bond and First Appearance in Missoula

Missoula County says the court sets the bail or bond amount. The person in custody, or someone acting on their behalf, can generally post the amount at the court during business hours or at the Detention Facility after business hours. A bondsman can also post bond for a fee.

The Sheriff specifically notes that for some crimes involving family violence, no bond is set until the person appears in court for the first time.

Municipal / city first appearance

The Sheriff FAQ says Municipal Court first appearances generally occur around mid-morning Monday through Friday, depending on judge and bailiff availability. The detained person appears by video.

Justice Court jail appearance

The Sheriff FAQ places Justice Court jail appearances at 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Justice Court calendars can change and should be rechecked before attending.

Missoula County’s victim-information guidance explains that a judge determines bail and release conditions. Conditions can include no-contact orders, geographic limits, substance restrictions, testing, GPS monitoring or pretrial supervision depending on the case.

Never promise a release time. Bail payment does not necessarily clear another warrant, hold, court condition or administrative release step.

Which Missoula Court Controls the Case?

City police / city misdemeanor

Missoula Municipal Court

The City says tickets issued by a city police officer generally belong in Municipal Court.

435 Ryman St., Missoula, MT 59802
406-552-6180

Municipal Court

Sheriff / Highway Patrol misdemeanor

Missoula County Justice Court

Justice Court handles limited-jurisdiction criminal, civil and traffic matters in the county. Sheriff and Highway Patrol citations commonly route here.

200 W. Broadway, first floor
406-258-3470

Justice Court

District Court / felony-level case

Missoula County District Court

Use District Court and its Clerk for felony-level cases and official District Court files.

200 W. Broadway, second floor
406-258-4780

District Court records

Montana’s public court portals are searchable indexes. They can help locate case numbers, parties, court names and other available case information, but Montana Judicial Branch rules expressly state that the portal is not the official court record. Contact the court clerk for the actual file or certified copy.

Current Local Record Search Fees

Court Published search/copy information
Municipal Court $5 record-search fee for ordinary requests; $0.25 per page, with the first two pages free. Municipal Court says searches may take 7–30 business days.
Justice Court $10 per name for a record search; $1 per page for the first 10 pages and $0.50 per additional page.
District Court Published searches are $2 per name per year for the first seven years and $1 per name per year after that. Copy charges vary by format.

Missoula Warrant Search: Call the Court, Not the Sheriff’s Warrant Desk

Missoula County Sheriff’s Office states that its Warrants Office does not answer public questions about active warrants. Public users are directed to the court of jurisdiction that issued the warrant.

Possible courtWarrant / court contact
Missoula Municipal Court406-552-6170
Missoula County Justice Court406-258-3470
Missoula County District Court406-258-4780
Warrant ≠ jail custody. A person can have an active warrant without appearing in the current-inmates roster, and a person can be in custody on something other than the warrant you are checking.

Missoula County Jail Visitation: The First 72 Hours Are Different

Missoula County publishes a rule that is often missed on third-party jail directories: in-person public visitation is not permitted during the first 72 hours after an inmate arrives at MCDF.

After that initial period, in-person public visits:

  • must be scheduled by calling 406-258-4000 or in person in the lobby;
  • cannot be scheduled online;
  • must be scheduled at least 24 hours in advance;
  • cannot be scheduled for the same day; and
  • use days and times assigned according to the inmate’s housing location.

Off-site and on-site video visitation is scheduled through SmartInmate. The county says it is the inmate’s responsibility to communicate their availability to visitors.

Calls, Video Visits and Electronic Messages Use Smart Communications

Missoula County currently identifies Smart Communications as its inmate telecommunications provider. MCDF gives people in custody opportunities to use phone calls, video visits and email-style messaging through housing-unit kiosks and tablets.

Communication funding is handled separately from commissary. Friends and family can fund their own SmartInmate account so the inmate can contact that account, or fund the inmate’s PIN communication account for broader supported calling.

The county page does not publish a complete current public fee table for every Smart Communications service, so review the provider’s displayed pricing before adding funds.

Personal Mail Is Scanned in Florida—Legal and Other Non-Routine Mail Goes to Missoula

Routine family/friend mail Smart Communications/Missoula County Detention Facility
Inmate Name and Global #
PO Box 9182
Seminole, FL 33775-3197

Routine correspondence is scanned. Photographs are scanned in color, and the physical mail is destroyed afterward.

Non-routine / legal / publications Inmate Name
Missoula County Detention Facility
2340 Mullan Rd
Missoula, MT 59808

Use this route for legal mail, packages, books, magazines, periodicals and religious mail.

Routine mail must include the sender’s name and return address. County rules prohibit items that cannot be scanned, newspaper clippings, magazines in routine mail, envelopes, stamps, blank paper, glitter/shiny cards, commissary-type writing or hygiene items, illegal substances and medication.

Do not send irreplaceable originals to the Florida address. Missoula County states that the physical portion is destroyed after scanning.

CorrectPay Commissary Funds and SmartInmate Communication Funds Are Separate

For commissary, Missoula County currently directs friends and family to CorrectPay. Commissary can include approved hygiene products, food, stationery, games and communication-related credits.

Money can also be deposited at MCDF through a kiosk or reception, and the county identifies another kiosk in the courthouse annex outside the Sheriff’s Office.

Mailed funds go to the detention facility at 2340 Mullan Road. The inmate name and sender name/address must appear on the envelope. Money orders and cashier’s checks must be completed correctly; personal checks are not accepted. The county lists a $200 limit on money orders.

Three different purposes: court bail, jail commissary funds and Smart Communications funds are not interchangeable.

Medication, Glasses and Other Items the Jail Will Accept

Missoula County says family members cannot simply bring food, books, writing materials or stamps to an inmate. Those types of items are supplied through the facility or purchased through commissary when eligible.

The Sheriff FAQ does say the jail will accept certain necessary items, including:

  • eyeglasses;
  • hearing aids;
  • dentures; and
  • current prescriptions that are properly labeled and verifiable.

For medication or urgent health needs, call the Detention Facility before bringing anything so staff can confirm the current intake procedure. Medical information may be protected even when staff can accept useful information from family.

Booking History, Sheriff Reports and Missoula Police Records Are Different Requests

Sheriff-created record

Missoula County Sheriff Records

The Sheriff maintains initial offense reports, insurance reports, booking history and other records created by its agency.

Sheriff records guidance

Missoula Police record

City Police Records Unit

Missoula Police maintains and disseminates records generated by its officers and personnel.

Police Records Unit

Court record

Municipal / Justice / District Court

Use the court that owns the legal case when you need charging documents, disposition, judgment or certified court records.

Missoula County Sheriff says it can only disseminate records originating from its own agency. A Sheriff booking history is released to the person who is the subject of the history with ID, or to a third party with an appropriate Release of Information.

Missoula Police Records Specialists are currently available Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m., excluding legal holidays, at 406-552-6303. As of July 7, 2026, the City also uses NextRequest for most public-record requests.

Montana VINE, State Corrections and Federal Custody

Custody notifications

Montana VINE

Use VINE for supported custody-status information and notifications. Montana DOJ lists the statewide VINE number as 800-456-3076.

Open VINELink

Montana corrections

Montana Offender Search

Use when the person has moved from county detention into Montana DOC custody, placement or community supervision.

Montana Offender Search

Federal prison system

BOP Inmate Locator

Use for established BOP custody. The BOP locator covers federal inmates from 1982 to the present and warns that release dates can change when sentences are recalculated.

BOP Inmate Locator

Missoula federal-custody nuance: MCDF says it houses some people for the U.S. Marshals Service. A federal case therefore does not automatically mean the person will be absent from the Missoula County roster. If someone later enters BOP custody, switch to the federal locator.

Missoula Jail, Sheriff, Police and Court Contacts

Office Use it for Contact
Missoula County Detention Facility Current custody, booking, release, visitation, mail, commissary and jail procedure 2340 Mullan Rd., Missoula, MT 59808
406-258-4000
Missoula County Sheriff’s Office Sheriff services and detention administration 2415 Mullan Rd., Missoula, MT 59808
406-258-4810
Missoula Police Department City police report / arresting-agency records 435 Ryman St., Missoula, MT 59802
Records: 406-552-6303
Missoula County Justice Court County limited-jurisdiction criminal, civil and traffic cases 200 W. Broadway, first floor
406-258-3470
Missoula County District Court District Court cases and official court files 200 W. Broadway, second floor
406-258-4780
Missoula Municipal Court City misdemeanor, citation and municipal-warrant matters 435 Ryman St., Missoula, MT 59802
406-552-6180

Map: Missoula County Detention Facility

Use Missoula Booking Information Responsibly

  • An arrest is not a conviction.
  • A booking charge can later be amended, dismissed or resolved differently.
  • A mugshot or photograph does not establish guilt.
  • A warrant does not prove present incarceration.
  • A bond amount does not promise immediate release.
  • A Released Inmates entry does not automatically prove the person went home.
  • A court portal is an index, not the certified court record.
  • An old roster screenshot may be stale.
  • Do not use public jail information to harass, threaten, stalk, shame or unlawfully discriminate against anyone.

Missoula Jail Roster FAQs

Where is the official Missoula jail roster?

Use the Missoula County Inmate Information Portal. It provides routes for Current Inmates, an Inmate Court Schedule and Released Inmates from the Missoula County Detention Facility.

Does the City of Missoula operate a separate adult jail roster?

The primary adult detention roster for this search is operated through Missoula County. The County Sheriff’s Detention Division runs the Missoula County Detention Facility at 2340 Mullan Road.

What should I check when a person disappears from the current roster?

Check the official Released Inmates section first, then verify whether the person was released to the community or transferred. Use Montana VINE, Montana Offender Search or the federal system when the custody trail points there.

Does the Missoula jail roster guarantee a public mugshot?

No. Do not assume every current booking includes a freely downloadable photo. Missoula County criminal-justice-information rules can restrict photographs, and a separate Sheriff records request may be necessary depending on the record.

When can someone first receive an in-person public visit?

Missoula County says in-person public visitation is not permitted during the first 72 hours after an inmate arrives. Later in-person visits must be scheduled at least 24 hours in advance by phone or in the lobby, with no same-day scheduling.

Which service handles Missoula inmate calls, video visits and messages?

Missoula County currently uses Smart Communications. SmartInmate is the account and scheduling route for supported communication and video-visitation services.

Where do I send ordinary personal mail?

Routine personal mail goes to Smart Communications/Missoula County Detention Facility, the inmate name and Global number, PO Box 9182, Seminole, FL 33775-3197. Physical routine mail is destroyed after scanning.

How do I add commissary money?

Missoula County currently links CorrectPay for electronic commissary deposits. Money can also be deposited through jail/courthouse kiosks, and qualifying money orders may be mailed to MCDF. Communication funds through SmartInmate are separate.

Which Missoula court should I contact?

A City of Missoula Police citation generally routes to Municipal Court. County Sheriff or Montana Highway Patrol misdemeanor matters commonly use Justice Court. District Court handles felony-level and other District Court matters. Verify the specific court shown by the case.

Can I call the Sheriff to ask whether someone has an active warrant?

The Sheriff states that its Warrants Office does not answer public warrant-status questions. Members of the public should contact the court that would have issued the warrant: Municipal, Justice or District Court.

Official Sources Reviewed

Source review date: October 5, 2026. Custody, court schedules, bail, visitation, vendors, mail instructions and records procedures can change after this review.