Getting your ID and documents back in Montana
The short answer
Montana birth certificates cost $16. You can go to any County Clerk and Recorder in Montana with a photo ID, order by mail from Montana Vital Records, or order online or by phone through VitalChek.
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Birth certificate
- Cost: $16.
- In person: any County Clerk and Recorder in Montana, no matter which county you were born in. Bring a current photo ID. Call ahead to confirm they are issuing birth certificates.
- By mail: the mail in application, a check or money order to Montana Vital Records, and a copy of your ID (or a notarized application), to PO Box 4210, Helena, MT 59604.
- Online through VitalChek or VRO, or by phone with VitalChek at 1 888 877 1946 (extra fees).
- The state office has no walk in service. Questions: 406 444 2685, option 2.
Official page: dphhs.mt.gov/vitalrecords/BirthDeathCertificates
Help with the cost
Ask Montana 211 about local groups that help pay for an ID or birth certificate.
Official page: montana211.org
Social Security card
You may be able to request a replacement Social Security card online at ssa.gov. Replacing a card costs nothing.
Official page: ssa.gov/number-card/replace-card
More help in Montana
Sources last checked October 27, 2026. If something has changed, please tell us so we can fix it.
Nothing here is a promise of a bed, money or a spot in any program. Each place decides who it can serve. You choose what feels right for you.
