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- 2025
69th Legislature 2025 HB 192
- 1 - Authorized Print Version – HB 192
ENROLLED BILL
AN ACT INCREASING THE FEES CHARGED BY A COUNTY CLERK AND RECORDER FOR RECORDING
DOCUMENTS; INCREASING THE DEPOSIT IN THE RECORDS PRESERVATION FUND, THE COUNTY
LAND INFORMATION ACCOUNT, AND THE MONTANA GEOSPATIAL INFORMATION ACCOUNT;
PROVIDING FOR THE FEE TO INCREASE BIENNIALLY BY AN INFLATION FACTOR; PROVIDING
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY; AMENDING SECTIONS 7-4-2632, 7-4-2635, AND 7-4-2637, MCA; AND
PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE AND AN APPLICABILITY DATE.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:
Section 1. Section 7-4-2632, MCA, is amended to read:
"7-4-2632. Fee when recording done by mechanical means. Except as provided in 7-2-2803(4),
whenever recording is done by a using a photographic or similar process, the county clerk and recorder shall
charge $7 for each $20 for the first page or fraction of a page of the instrument for recording and $10 a page for
each additional page or fraction of a page."
Section 2. Section 7-4-2635, MCA, is amended to read:
"7-4-2635. Records preservation fund authorized. (1) The board of county commissioners shall
establish a records preservation fund for the purpose of preserving the records maintained by the county clerk
and recorder. The county clerk and recorder is responsible for expenditures from the fund and shall use the
money for records preservation.
(2) The county clerk and recorder shall deposit $1 $2 of the fee received under 7-4-2632 into in the
records preservation fund.
(3) The governing body of the county may transfer to the general fund any money in the records
preservation fund that is not needed for records preservation."
- 2025
69th Legislature 2025 HB 192
- 2 - Authorized Print Version – HB 192
ENROLLED BILL
Section 3. Section 7-4-2637, MCA, is amended to read:
"7-4-2637. Fees for recording documents -- rulemaking. (1) Except as provided in 7-2-2803(4) and
7-4-2631, the fee for recording a standard document that meets the requirements of 7-4-2636 is $8 for each
page or fraction of a page. as follows:
(a) $20 for the first page or fraction of a page and $10 a page for each additional page or fraction
of a page; and
(b) beginning July 1, 2027, the department of revenue shall set the fee under this subsection (1) by
administrative rule to adjust for inflation. The fee contained in subsection (1)(a) must be adjusted biennially
using an inflation factor, which is determined by dividing the consumer price index for June of the previous tax
year by the consumer price index for June 2025. The resulting figure must be rounded down to the nearest
whole dollar amount.
(2) Except as provided in 7-2-2803(4), the fee for recording a document that does not meet the
requirements of 7-4-2636 is the fee specified in subsection (1) plus $10.
(3) (a) Of the fees collected under subsection (1), for each page or fraction of a page:
(i) $1 $2 must be deposited in the records preservation fund, provided for in 7-4-2635;
(ii) 50 75 cents must be deposited in the county land information account provided for in 7-6-2230;
(iii) $1.50 $2.25 must be transmitted each month to the department of revenue in the manner
prescribed by the department of revenue for deposit in the Montana geospatial information account created in
90-1-409; and
(iv) the remainder must be deposited as provided for in 7-4-2511; and
(v) beginning July 1, 2027, the department of revenue shall set the amounts deposited or
transmitted under subsections (3)(a)(i) through (3)(a)(iii) by administrative rule to adjust for inflation. The
amounts contained in subsections (3)(a)(i) through (3)(a)(iii) must be adjusted biennially using an inflation
factor, which is determined by dividing the consumer price index for June of the previous tax year by the
consumer price index for June 2025. The resulting figure must be rounded down to the nearest quarter dollar
amount.
(b) The fees collected under subsection (2) must be deposited in the records preservation fund
- 2025
69th Legislature 2025 HB 192
- 3 - Authorized Print Version – HB 192
ENROLLED BILL
provided for in 7-4-2635."
Section 4. Effective date. [This act] is effective October 1, 2025.
Section 5. Applicability. [This act] applies to documents recorded on or after October 1, 2025.
- END -
I hereby certify that the within bill,
HB 192, originated in the House.
___________________________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
___________________________________________
Speaker of the House
Signed this _______________________________day
of____________________________________, 2025.
___________________________________________
President of the Senate
Signed this _______________________________day
of____________________________________, 2025.
HOUSE BILL NO. 192
INTRODUCED BY J. DARLING
AN ACT INCREASING THE FEES CHARGED BY A COUNTY CLERK AND RECORDER FOR RECORDING
DOCUMENTS; INCREASING THE DEPOSIT IN THE RECORDS PRESERVATION FUND, THE COUNTY
LAND INFORMATION ACCOUNT, AND THE MONTANA GEOSPATIAL INFORMATION ACCOUNT;
PROVIDING FOR THE FEE TO INCREASE BIENNIALLY BY AN INFLATION FACTOR; PROVIDING
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY; AMENDING SECTIONS 7-4-2632, 7-4-2635, AND 7-4-2637, MCA; AND
PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE AND AN APPLICABILITY DATE.