Visiting in Montana (MT DOC)
How to become an approved visitor at a Montana prison, how visit scheduling differs by facility, and the general dress, identification, and item rules to confirm before visiting.
Getting on the approved visitor list
No one may visit until they are an approved visitor. Each prospective visitor:
- Creates an account at login.mt.gov.
- Completes the online Visitation Application.
- Waits for facility staff to review the application and run a background check.
Review can take up to 90 days, though it is often less. Approval is handled at the facility level, so the outcome applies to that prison.
Scheduling a visit
Montana does not use a single statewide visit scheduler. How a visit is arranged depends on which prison the person is held at.
- Montana State Prison (Deer Lodge): visits are scheduled online through ICSolutions.
- Montana Women’s Prison (Billings): visits are scheduled online through ICSolutions. Online scheduling in advance has been required since August 1, 2025.
- Crossroads Correctional Center (Shelby) and Dawson County Correctional Facility (Glendive): these two contract prisons run their own visiting process. The Montana DOC directs visitors to each facility directly. Confirm the scheduling method, days, and rules with the facility itself.
Visiting days and hours
Visiting days and hours are set by each facility rather than by a single statewide schedule, and they can differ from one prison to the next. The current days, hours, and any limit on the number of visitors are published in each facility’s own visiting materials. Confirm them with the facility before visiting.
Arrival and check-in
Check-in takes time before the visit begins. The Montana DOC directs visitors to arrive 15–30 minutes before the scheduled visit to complete the check-in process.
Dress, identification, and what visitors may bring
The Montana DOC states that requirements and restrictions for visitation apply at all DOC facilities, but the specific dress code, identification rule, and limits on personal items are set in each facility’s policy documents rather than on the statewide visitation page. As a general matter across prison systems:
- Dress is modest. Revealing, suggestive, or gang-associated clothing is typically not permitted.
- A valid government-issued photo identification is generally required to enter.
- Personal items are kept to a minimum. Phones, smartwatches, cameras, and other electronics are typically not allowed inside the visiting area.
Because Montana sets these specifics at the facility level, confirm the exact dress code, identification requirement, and item limits with the prison where the visit will take place before traveling.
Reception and where someone enters the system
Where a person first enters the Montana prison system depends on their gender:
- Men: newly sentenced men are processed through the Martz Diagnostic Intake Unit at Montana State Prison (Deer Lodge), where they are assessed and classified before placement.
- Women: women enter through Montana Women’s Prison (Billings), which handles women’s reception.
Montana also holds some state-sentenced people in county detention centers while they await a bed at a DOC facility, so a person’s location can change. See Transfers & Finding Someone.
Sources
This page is compiled from the following publicly available sources. Policies change without notice — confirm current details with the facility before relying on them.