File Updated First documented
Montana Closing Cost Calculator
Montana prohibits real estate transfer taxes; recording is $20 for the first page and $10 per additional page through June 2027. Count the pages in each instrument, check the recording date, and add your title and lender quotes to build a Montana closing budget.
Montana recording and settlement worksheet
Ordinary real-property sale: state and local transfer taxes are constitutionally prohibited. Recording model covers the October 1, 2025–June 30, 2027 schedule: $20 first page per instrument, $10 each additional page and $10 per nonstandard document. Counts belong to your selected side. From July 1, 2027, enter the actual published first-page and additional-page fees and confirm the source; the fixed $10 nonstandard charge remains separate. Special filings require a quote.
- Montana Constitution Article VIII section 17: transfer-tax prohibition
- Montana Code 7-4-2637: current recording fees and July 2027 adjustment
- Montana Code 7-4-2636: document standards
- Park County: October 2025 effective date
- Powder River County: recording schedule
- Montana DOR: Realty Transfer Certificates
No state or local tax on the property transfer
Article VIII, section 17 of the Montana Constitution prohibits state and local taxation of real-property sales or transfers. The zero transfer-tax result therefore applies at each sale price below. It does not remove recording fees, property-tax prorations or income tax on a gain.
| Scenario | Taxable value | State tax | Local amount | Tax subtotal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ordinary real-property sale; recording separate | $200,000.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Ordinary real-property sale; recording separate | $500,000.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Ordinary real-property sale; recording separate | $900,000.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
Use the recording schedule for the filing date
Park County’s fee-change notice confirms the October 1, 2025 start: $20 for a document’s first page, then $10 for every additional page. A nonstandard instrument adds $10. The former $8-per-page schedule is not used here.
MCA 7-4-2637 requires inflation adjustments beginning July 1, 2027. For a filing on or after that date, select the successor period, enter the actual published first-page and additional-page fees, and confirm the source. The statutory $10 nonstandard-document charge is kept separate. The worksheet cannot derive an unpublished agency adjustment; a full recording quote is also available.
Each instrument starts a new first page
A 2-page deed costs $30 and an 8-page mortgage costs $90 under this schedule. Together, those two documents have two first pages and eight additional pages: $120. Treating the ten pages as one document would produce $110 and understate the package.
| Documents charged to your side | Recording estimate |
|---|---|
| One 2-page deed | $30.00 |
| One 8-page mortgage | $90.00 |
| Both instruments, all standard | $120.00 |
| Both instruments, one nonstandard | $130.00 |
If the seller pays only the deed and the buyer pays only the mortgage, use separate counts of one document and the applicable additional pages when switching sides. The examples do not prescribe the contract’s allocation.
Confirm whether the documents meet recording standards
MCA 7-4-2636 specifies paper, ink, margin, party-name, property-description and return-address requirements. Its exemptions include certain older and certified government documents. Have the recorder determine whether the surcharge applies; the calculator does not inspect your document.
Powder River County’s recording page also explains document standards. A street address alone does not replace the required legal description. Copies, surveys, plats and other specialized filings need their own confirmed charges.
A Realty Transfer Certificate is still required
The Montana Department of Revenue directs parties to file the Realty Transfer Certificate with the deed. It updates ownership and supplies information used for property appraisal. Names on the certificate and deed must match.
Exceptions to reporting a sale price do not establish that every transfer is exempt from filing. Transfer-on-death deeds have separate timing rules described by the department. Ask the preparer which requirements apply before presenting the instrument for recording.
Finish the buyer or seller budget
For an illustrative $300,000 sale, a seller paying the $30 deed charge, $500 settlement fee and $200,000 mortgage payoff has $99,470 in listed proceeds before commission, credits and other charges. Enter those remaining amounts from the actual closing statement.
On the buyer side, the mortgage recording amount is only one closing line. Down payment, lender fees, title coverage, reserves and deposit credits determine cash to close. Blank fee inputs are not a complete provider quote.
Last reviewed 2026-10-05. Worksheet methodology.
Questions about Montana
- Does Montana charge a real estate transfer tax?
- Montana’s constitution prohibits state and local taxes on real-property transfers. Recording fees and other closing expenses still apply.
- Is Montana recording still charged at $8 per page?
- No. The schedule effective October 1, 2025 uses $20 for each document’s first page and $10 for each additional page. A nonstandard document adds $10. Statutory inflation adjustments begin July 1, 2027.