deedplatState guides / Montana / Yellowstone County
Yellowstone County property data
Where Yellowstone County's property records live, how its tax and foreclosure sales work, and what Deedplat puts on one map, including Billings.
- 3Cities and towns
Where the records are
The county offices an investor deals with in Yellowstone County, and what each one puts online.
Deeds and mortgages
Yellowstone County Clerk & Recorder. Searching the EagleWeb index of deeds, mortgages, liens and plats is free; clear document images cost $2 for the first page and $0.25 per added page, or $100 a year for unlimited access.
Owners and values
Montana Department of Revenue (Montana Cadastral). In Montana the state Department of Revenue sets values, and its free Montana Cadastral site shows owner, value and parcel data for Yellowstone County properties.
Tax sales
Yellowstone County Treasurer (Tax Liens). The Treasurer posts a free, daily-updated list of delinquent parcels each August, the assignment rules and forms, and notices of tax deed auctions.
Foreclosure sales
Yellowstone County Sheriff's Office (Sheriff Sales). The Sheriff posts each scheduled sale with a link to its Notice of Sale, plus the payment rules, on its free Sheriff Sales page.
Parcel maps
Yellowstone County GIS & Mapping. The county's free GIS page offers a Parcel Viewer, an all-layers viewer, zoning maps for Billings, Laurel and Broadview, and downloadable shapefiles.
How property is sold here
Yellowstone County follows Montana's rules, with its own calendar and offices. Read the Montana guide for how the state works.
Tax sales
Montana sells tax liens, not the property. On the first working day of August the Yellowstone County Treasurer attaches liens to parcels with delinquent taxes, and investors who mail a Notice of Pending Assignment by August 15 can buy assignments for $50 each through a random lottery held at 10:00 a.m. in late August (August 31 in 2026), with leftover liens sold first come, first served. After the redemption period, a lienholder takes a tax deed on most parcels, but owner-occupied homes go to a public tax deed auction held by the Treasurer, such as the October 19, 2026 auction at 2825 3rd Avenue North in Billings.
Foreclosure sales
Yellowstone County sheriff's sales of real property are held at the time and place on each posted Notice of Sale, sell to the highest bidder for cash, cashier's check or money order, and some sales carry a right of redemption. Notices are posted on the Sheriff's Sales web page, in the Sheriff's lobby, and on bulletin boards at the courthouse at 217 N. 27th Street, the Stillwater Building and the City/County Planning Office.
Assessed values
The Montana Department of Revenue revalues homes and commercial property every two years, and values for the 2025 and 2026 tax years are set as of January 1, 2024.
Transfer tax
Montana has no real estate transfer tax, so buyers in Billings pay only Clerk & Recorder recording fees.
Worth knowing
Montana changed its tax lien and tax deed law recently, so the Treasurer warns buyers to read the new statutes and the county's yearly calendar before buying assignments.
Worth knowing
Billings, the state's largest city, is the county seat, and the Clerk & Recorder records about 200 documents a day.
Worth knowing
The Treasurer and the county assessor role are combined in one elected official in Yellowstone County, but property values come from the state Department of Revenue.
Every town in Yellowstone County
The cities, towns and townships inside the county line.
- Billings city
- Broadview town
- Laurel city
Questions
Where are deeds recorded in Yellowstone County?
Deeds are recorded by the Yellowstone County Clerk & Recorder at 2825 3rd Avenue North, Room 408, in Billings. The index is free to search online through the Clerk's EagleWeb site.
When is the Yellowstone County tax sale?
Yellowstone County sells tax lien assignments each August, starting with a lottery in late August after liens attach on the first working day of the month. Tax deed auctions for owner-occupied homes are announced on the Treasurer's Tax Liens page.
How do I find who owns a property in Yellowstone County?
Search the free Montana Cadastral site run by the state, or use the county's GIS Parcel Viewer, then confirm the deed in the Clerk & Recorder's online index.
Are Yellowstone County property records online?
Yes. The deed index, parcel maps, owner and value data, delinquent tax list and sheriff sale notices are all online, and only full document images from the Clerk & Recorder cost money.
Sources for this guide
Office hours, fees and sale dates change. We checked these sources in October 2026; confirm with the county before you act.
- yellowstonecountymt.gov/Clerk/
- yellowstonecountymt.gov/clerk/taxlist.asp
- crdocs.yellowstonecountymt.gov/
- yellowstonecountymt.gov/treasurer/TaxSales.asp
- yellowstonecountymt.gov/sheriff/sheriffsales.asp
- yellowstonecountymt.gov/mapping/
- svc.mt.gov/msl/cadastral/
- revenuefiles.mt.gov/files/DOR-Publications/Property-Reappraisal-Plan-and-Manuals/2025-2026
Every parcel in Yellowstone County, on one map
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