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Money disputes up to $7,000 are settled in the Yellowstone County small-claims court, which runs on simplified procedures, and no attorneys at the hearing.
Here you will find the claim limit that applies in Yellowstone County, what filing costs, where the case is heard, how the defendant is served, the deadlines, and the order of steps. Squabble can take the preparation and filing off your hands.
Small claims in Yellowstone County are heard at the courthouse below. When you file, the court confirms the right location for your case based on where the defendant lives or where your dispute happened.
Tap a courthouse to see its details in the list below.
Check the filing location first. The court's small-claims page lists where papers are taken today, and Squabble confirms it for your case as part of filing.
About 171,583 people live in Yellowstone County. Yellowstone County covers 24 ZIP codes, including the Acton, Ballantine and Billings areas.
This court takes small-claims filings on paper, in person or by mail. Squabble prepares everything so your packet arrives filing-ready.
The small claims list is heard in person, at the courthouse itself.
Have copies of your evidence for the bench and for the other party. Some courts take documents electronically before the hearing as well.
Yellowstone County, Montana, has a population of 171,583 and is served by the Yellowstone County Justice Court, located in Billings at 217 N 27th St #603, 59101. Cases filed under the Montana Small Claims Court system in this county are limited to claims of $7,000. The court handles matters arising throughout the county, which includes Billings, Laurel, Huntley, Worden, Shepherd, Broadview, Custer, Acton, Ballantine, Molt, and Pompeys Pillar, along with ZIP codes such as 59101, 59102, 59105, 59106, 59044, and 59037. Yellowstone County lies near Musselshell County, Treasure County, and Big Horn County. Electronic filing is not available for small claims cases in this county, so filings are handled at the courthouse. The Yellowstone County Justice Court can be reached by telephone at (406) 256-2998 for questions about small claims procedures and filings.
These 11 places sit inside Yellowstone County:
Acton, Ballantine, Billings, Broadview, Custer, Huntley, Laurel, Molt, Pompeys Pillar, Shepherd, Worden.
ZIP codes:
Yellowstone County is the 1st most populous of Montana's 56 counties, with about 171,583 residents.
This is the part of the court built for ordinary money arguments. The procedure is stripped back, no attorneys at the hearing, and there is a ceiling on the amount at stake.
Maximum claim
You can generally file where the dispute happened or where the other party lives.
You can't divide one dispute into several smaller cases to get around the limit.
What this court awards is a sum of money, not an instruction to act or to hand something back.
No attorney appears for either party at the hearing. Advice can be taken beforehand or afterwards.
Where a party is under 18, the court appoints a guardian to act.
Over the limit? Claims over the cap can go two ways: cut to the limit and stay, or move to regular civil court at full value. Cutting it normally waives the excess.
These are the limits for Yellowstone County, population about 171,583. Yellowstone County is under the same limits as nearby Musselshell County and Treasure County.
If someone owes you money, up to $7,000, small claims is built for it. These are the disputes residents bring most often.
Yellowstone County Justice Court is the Yellowstone County courthouse listed below. Yellowstone County has about 171,583 residents.
It's built to be navigable without a lawyer. Here's the shape of a case from start to finish.
Prepare the claim form, work out which court covers it, and pay the court's charge.
Service puts the papers in the defendant's hands and starts their time to answer or settle.
A brief, informal hearing, in person or, where the court offers it, by video. The judge rules at the hearing or sends the decision after.
Everything below applies to a case filed in Yellowstone County, at the Billings courthouse. This is the route a Yellowstone County case takes, whether it starts in 59002 or anywhere else among the county ZIP codes.
After you file, the other party must be formally notified. This is called service of process. You generally cannot serve the papers yourself. The usual route in Montana is the sheriff or constable, email service where the court allows it, delivery arranged by the court or certified mail.
Courts accept service by a sheriff or constable, a professional server, the clerk via certified mail, or an adult who is not party to the case. Permitted methods and charges change by county.
How long before the hearing notice must be given is set by the court. That deadline arrives with your hearing date.
Whoever serves the papers completes a proof of service, which is filed with the court before the hearing.
Service is where many self-filed cases stall. Squabble can coordinate professional Service of Process so it's done correctly and on time.
Addresses in Yellowstone County include places such as Acton, Ballantine and Billings. Musselshell County and Treasure County are the counties nearest to Yellowstone County.
The law fixes how long you have, counted from the dispute itself. A case brought later can be refused outright.
| What the claim is about | Deadline to file |
|---|---|
| Written contract | 6 years |
| Oral contract | 5 years |
| Property damage | 2 years |
| Personal injury | 3 years |
They do not change from one Yellowstone County ZIP code to another, 59002 included. Yellowstone County, population about 171,583, is covered by the table above.
Money owed under a contract in Montana generally accrues interest at 10% per year before judgment (Mont. Code §27-1-211, §31-1-106).
To see what interest has added so far, the Squabble interest calculator works out the running total.
The rate above is the one for Yellowstone County, population about 171,583. It is the same rate across all 24 Yellowstone County ZIP codes.
Confirm the sum sits under the cap and that the time limit for this kind of claim has not run out.
Identify the party precisely, lay out what occurred, and show the arithmetic behind the total.
File with the Yellowstone County small-claims court on paper, by mail or at the counter, and pay the $20–$30 fee (or request a waiver if you qualify).
Service comes after the date is set. File the server's proof once the papers have been delivered.
Organize documents and exhibits so you can present them clearly at the hearing.
Appear in person or, where available, remotely, present your case, and receive the court's decision.
Tell Eleanor what happened and Squabble builds the filing, Triple-Checks™ it for administrative and jurisdictional accuracy, and files it on your behalf.
Start for FREE →Three documents recur: the claim form that begins it, the proof of service confirming delivery, and a fee waiver if eligible. Names vary locally; Squabble selects the correct versions.
Acton, Ballantine and Billings are among the places in Yellowstone County that filings come from. Yellowstone County papers go to Yellowstone County Justice Court in Billings.
Small claims hearings are short and informal. There are no lawyers, and the judge will ask questions directly.
Yellowstone County has about 171,583 residents. Acton, Ballantine and Billings are among the Yellowstone County places a hearing can draw parties from.
A judgment says what is owed. Getting hold of the money is the next stage, and the enforcement options open to you depend on the state.
Some states permit part of the debtor's wages to be diverted to the judgment until it is cleared.
Funds can be collected directly from the debtor's bank account through a court-ordered levy.
Recording the judgment with the county can place a lien on the debtor's real property.
You may also apply for an order compelling the debtor to attend and disclose income and assets on oath. Interest generally continues at the rate the state sets until the debt is met.
The judgment in a Yellowstone County case comes from Yellowstone County Justice Court in Billings. Musselshell County and Treasure County are the counties nearest to Yellowstone County.
Last checked in August 2026. Court fees, limits and procedures move; verify them with the court first.
Talk with Eleanor about what happened. Squabble prepares your demand letter and court-ready documents, Triple-Checks them for administrative and jurisdictional accuracy, and files your Yellowstone County case for you.
