How do I contact my sheriff? How do I find out if a gun I want to buy from a private seller in Montana has been reported stolen or lost? How do I report a gun stolen or lost in Montana? Should I speak with an attorney before reporting a gun stolen or lost? What if I contact law enforcement and find out a gun I was planning to purchase or already purchased was reported stolen? Why might I not want to report a gun stolen? All great questions. Discuss them in the comments below.
For the record: I am NOT an attorney nor have I ever played one on TV! Seek legal counsel elsewhere. I personally check guns with the sheriff anytime I have a doubt about where they came from. Luckily very rarely and I’ve personally never had a gun stolen or requested a search on one that was reported stolen. But I certainly will report a stolen gun if it occurs to me AFTER speaking with an attorney. Mainly for insurance purposes and CYA. But also because I’d love to get it back someday if it ever shows up! Keep accurate records of serial numbers and photos of your firearms. Make sure undesirables don’t have access unless you allow it.
Montana does not require firearm owners to report the loss or theft of a firearm. And we plan to keep it that way. There is also no federal law requiring individuals to report lost or stolen firearms as of this post. Federal law does require licensed firearm dealers to report lost or stolen guns to local authorities or the U.S. Attorney General within 48 hours (18 U.S.C. 923).
Call your Montana Sheriffs Office or local Police Department for verified stolen gun reports. There are private stolen gun databases and even a group at this site for Scammers, Spammers and Stolen Guns. But none of these are verifiable, whereas law enforcement is.
If you choose to request a stolen gun search using your Sheriff, find the most current Montana County Sheriff’s office contact information as of this post from the MSPOA. If you find info below out of date or incorrect, please share it in the comments or click my username below and send me a message on my profile with updated information.
Beaverhead County, Montana
Sheriff Paul Craft
2 S. Pacific St. #16
Dillon, MT 59725
Phone: 406-683-3700
Fax: 406-683-3778
Big Horn County, Montana
Sheriff Lawrence Big Hair
P.O. Box 905
Hardin, MT 59034
Phone: 406-665-9780
Fax: 406-665-9797
Blaine County, Montana
Sheriff John Colby
P.O. Box 8
Chinook, MT 59523
Phone: 406-357-3260
Fax: 406-357-2199
Broadwater County, Montana
Sheriff Wynn Meehan
519 Broadway
Townsend, MT 59644
Phone: 406-266-3441
Fax: 406-266-5354
Website: www.BroadwaterCountySheriff.org
Carbon County, Montana
Sheriff Josh McQuillan
P.O. Box 230
Red Lodge, MT 59068-0230
Phone: 406-446-1234
Fax: 406-446-2640
Carter County, Montana
Sheriff Neil Kittelmann
P.O. Box 323
Ekalaka, MT 59324-0323
Phone: 406-775-8743
Fax: 406-775-8750
Cascade County, Montana
Sheriff Jesse Slaughter
3800 Ulm N. Frontage Rd
Great Falls, MT 59404
Phone: 406-454-6820
Fax: 406-454-6941
Chouteau County, Montana
Sheriff Vernon Burdick
P.O. Box 459
Fort Benton, MT 59442-0459
Phone: 406-622-5451
Fax: 406-622-3815
Custer County, Montana
Sheriff Pat Roos
1010 Main St.
Miles City, MT 59301
Phone: 874-3320
Fax: 874-3444
Daniels County, Montana
Sheriff Duane E. Anderson
106 Railroad Ave.
Scobey, MT 59263
Phone: 406-487-2691
Fax: 406-487-2699
Dawson County, Montana
Sheriff Ross Canen
440 Colorado Blvd.
Glendive, MT 59330
Phone: 406-377-5291
Fax: 406-377-7048
Deer Lodge County, Montana
Sheriff Bill Sather
P.O. Box 518
Anaconda, MT 59711
Phone: 406-563-5241
Fax: 406-563-2069
Fallon County, Montana
Sheriff Trent Harbaugh
P.O. Box 899
Baker 59313-0899
Phone: 778-2879
Fax: 778-2815
Fergus County, Montana
Sheriff Rick Vaughn
P.O. Box 180
Lewistown, MT 59457
Phone: 535-3415
Fax: 535-3860
Flathead County, Montana
Sheriff Brian Heino
800 South Main
Kalispell, MT 59901-5400
Phone: 758-5585
Fax: 758-5862
Gallatin County, Montana
Sheriff Dan Springer
615 S. 16th
Bozeman, MT 59715-4107
Phone: 582-2128
Fax: 582-2126
Garfield County, Montana
Sheriff Clay Lammers
P.O. Box 103
Jordan 59337-0103
Phone: 557-2540
Glacier County, Montana
Sheriff Vernon “Napi” Billedeaux
512 E. Main St.
Cut Bank 59427
Phone: 873-2711
Fax: 873-4218
Golden Valley County, Montana
Sheriff Robert Pallas
P.O. Box 10
Ryegate 59074
Phone: 568-2321
Fax: 568-2598
Granite County, Montana
Sheriff Scott Dunkerson
P.O. Box 188
Philipsburg 59858-0188
Phone: 859-3251
Fax: 859-3252
Hill County, Montana
Sheriff Donald Brostrom, Jr.
P.O. Box 176
Havre 59501
Phone: 265-2512
Jefferson County, Montana
Sheriff Craig Doolittle
P.O. Box 588
Boulder 59632
Phone: 225-4075
Fax: 225-4145
Judith Basin County, Montana
Sheriff Jon Schmitt
P.O. Box 427
Stanford 59479
Phone: 566-2212
Fax: 566-2211
Lake County, Montana
Sheriff Don Bell
106 4th Ave E.
Polson 59860-2186
Phone: 883-7301
Fax: 883-0564
Lewis and Clark County, Montana
Sheriff Leo Dutton
221 Breckenridge
Helena, MT 59601
Phone: 447-8235
Fax: 449-8452
Liberty County, Montana
Sheriff Don Riggin
P.O. Box 170
Chester 59522-0170
Phone: 759-5171
Fax: 759-5520
Lincoln County, Montana
Sheriff Darren Short
512 California Ave
Libby 59923
Phone: 293-4112
Fax: 293-3171
McCone County, Montana
Sheriff Dave Harris
P.O. Box 201
Circle 59215-0201
Phone: 485-3405
Fax: 485-2689
Madison County, Montana
Sheriff Phil Fortner
P.O. Box 276
Virginia City 59755-0276
Phone: 843-5301
Fax: 843-5351
Meagher County, Montana
Sheriff Jon Lopp
P.O. Box 355
White Sulphur 59645-0355
Phone: 547-3397
Fax: 547-3721
Mineral County, Montana
Sheriff Mike Boone
P.O. Box 99
Superior 59872
Phone: 822-3555
Fax: 822-3562
Missoula County, Montana
Sheriff T.J. McDermott
200 W. Broadway
Missoula, MT 59802
Phone: 258-4810
Fax: 258-3790
Musselshell County, Montana
Sheriff Shawn Lesnik
820 Main St.
Roundup 59072
Phone: 323-1402
Fax: 323-2566
Park County, Montana
Sheriff Brad Bichler
414 E. Callender
Livingston 59047-0433
Phone: 222-4172
Fax: 222-4175
Petroleum County, Montana
Sheriff Bill Cassell
P.O. Box 226
Winnett 59087
Phone: 429-5586
Fax: 429-6551
Phillips County, Montana
Sheriff Jerry Lytle
P.O. Box 1090
Malta, MT 59538
Phone: 406-654-2350
Fax: 406-654-1213
Pondera County, Montana
Sheriff Robert C. Skorupa
20 4th Ave. SW
Conrad 59425
Phone: 406-271-4060
Fax: 406-278-5751
Powder River County, Montana
Sheriff Allen E. Drane, Jr
P.O. Box 71
Broadus 59317-0071
Phone: 436-2333
Fax: 436-2866
Powell County, Montana
Sheriff Gavin Roselles
313 4th St.
Deer Lodge 59722
Phone: 846-2711
Fax: 846-2742
Prairie County, Montana
Sheriff Keifer Lewis
P.O. Box 126
Terry 59349
Phone: 635-5738
Fax: 635-4121
Ravalli County, Montana
Sheriff Steve Holton
205 Bedford, Ste. G
Hamilton 59840-5022
Phone: 375-4060
Fax: 375-4065
Richland County, Montana
Sheriff John K. Dynneson
110 2nd Ave. NW
Sidney 59270-4089
Phone: 433-2919
Fax: 482-4766
Roosevelt County, Montana
Sheriff Jason Frederick
P.O. Box 280
Wolf Point 59201-0280
Phone: 653-6216
Fax: 653-6205
Rosebud County, Montana
Sheriff Allen Fulton
P.O. Box 85
Forsyth, MT 59327
Phone: 340-2715
Fax: 346-7397
Sanders County, Montana
Sheriff Tom Rummel
P.O. Box 910
Thompson Falls 59873
Phone: 827-3584
Fax: 827-4388
Sheridan County, Montana
Sheriff Heidi Visocan
100 W. Laurel Ave.
Plentywood 59254
Phone: 765-1200
Fax: 765-2917
Silver Bow County, Montana
Sheriff Ed Lester
225 Alaska
Butte 59701
Phone: 497-1121
Fax: 497-1181
Stillwater County, Montana
Sheriff Charles “Chip” Kem
P.O. Box 729
Columbus 59019-0729
Phone: 322-5326
Fax: 322-5328
Sweet Grass County, Montana
Sheriff Alan Ronneberg
P.O. Box 567
Big Timber 59011-0567
Phone: 932-5143
Fax: 932-4777
Teton County, Montana
Sheriff Keith Van Setten
P.O. Box 1349
Choteau, MT 59422
Phone: 466-5781
Fax: 466-5782
Website: www.TetonCountySheriffMT.org
Toole County, Montana
Sheriff Donna Whitt
P.O. Box 550
Shelby, MT 59474-0550
Phone: 434-5585
Fax: 434-7265
Treasure County, Montana
Sheriff Wayne Robinson
P.O. Box 511
Hysham 59038-0511
Phone: 342-5211
Fax: 342-5212
Valley County, Montana
Sheriff Tom Boyer
501 Court Sq. #10
Glasgow 59230
Phone: 228-4333
Fax: 228-4601
Wheatland County, Montana
Sheriff Everett Misner
P.O. Box 757
Harlowton, MT 59036-0757
Phone: 632-5614
Fax: 632-5654
Wibaux County, Montana
Sheriff Shane Harrington
P.O. Box 322
Wibaux 59353
Phone: 796-2415
Fax: 796-2625
Yellowstone County, Montana
Sheriff Mike Linder
P.O. Box 35017
Billings, MT 59107-5017
Phone: 256-2930
Fax: 256-2934
True. But fortunately for us, we're not in a position where we have to take a bite of raw anchovy sandwiches and be grateful because there are $hit sandwiches on the table beside them. We're in a position where we can an must demand the bacon triple cheeseburger with green chilies and fried onions on it.