Montana covers more than 145,000 square miles and has roughly 1.1 million people. A health department can therefore be a fully staffed city-county agency in Missoula or a single public health nurse working from a courthouse in Broadus. Our directory lists 90 offices across the state, and they do not all work the same way. This page explains how those offices are organized, who oversees them, and how to choose the right one for vaccines, food-safety questions, disease reports or WIC. Distances in this state are real, so a quick phone call before you drive saves time.

How Montana Splits Public Health Between the State and Local Boards

Public health in Montana runs on two layers. The state layer is the Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS), headquartered in Helena. Its Public Health and Safety Division handles disease surveillance, immunization programs, the state public health laboratory and the grant money that supports county programs. Our database lists the state office under the older name State of Montana Department of Health and Environmental Sciences, at 1400 East Broadway Street in Helena, phone 406-444-3444. That department was reorganized in the 1990s. Health work moved into DPHHS, and environmental permitting went to the Department of Environmental Quality. For statewide questions, the Helena listing in Lewis and Clark County is the place to start.

The local layer comes from state law. Title 50, Chapter 2 of the Montana Code Annotated establishes local boards of health, and every part of Montana is covered by one. A board appoints a local health officer, who carries out the board's orders and state rules. Boards can adopt local health regulations, though these generally cannot be weaker than state standards. They also decide how their department is staffed and funded, which is why no two Montana offices look exactly alike.

In practice, the state sets the baseline, supplies vaccine and lab support, and issues guidance. Your county or city-county office delivers the service face to face. Records are a common point of confusion. Birth and death certificates are kept by the state Office of Vital Statistics in Helena, so ask your local office whether it can issue copies or whether you need to apply to the state.

Metro Counties and Frontier Counties: Two Kinds of Montana Health Department

The biggest difference is population. In the larger communities, health departments are full agencies with separate teams for nursing, environmental health and community programs. Gallatin City-County Health Department at 215 West Mendenhall Street in Bozeman (406-582-3100) serves a rapidly growing area, and Gallatin County has three listings in our database. Missoula City-County Health Department at 301 West Alder Street (406-258-4750) and The Cascade City-County Health Department at 115 4th Street South in Great Falls (406-454-6950) follow the same joint model, where the city and county share one agency.

Two communities are consolidated governments, so the city and county are one entity. Butte Health Department at 25 West Front Street (406-497-5070) serves the Butte-Silver Bow area. Anaconda-Deer Lodge Public Health Department at 115 West Commercial Avenue in Anaconda (406-563-7863) serves Deer Lodge County, which has three listings of its own.

Frontier counties are a different world. Many have only a few thousand people spread over a large area, and the health department may be one or two nurses. Examples include Powder River County Health Nurse at 507 North Lincoln Avenue in Broadus (406-436-2297), Sheridan County Nurse at 100 West Laurel Avenue in Plentywood (406-765-3410), and Prairie County Public Health Department at 203 Logan Avenue in Terry (406-635-2020). These offices may keep limited clinic hours, ask you to book vaccines ahead, and depend on the nurse's schedule for home visits and travel.

Central Montana Health Department at 712 West Main Street in Lewistown (406-535-3983) is in Fergus County. Lewistown has three listings in our database, so check each address and phone number before you go. A listing with a similar name may be a different office.

Services at Montana Health Departments and What to Bring

Exact services depend on staffing and the local board's priorities, but most Montana offices handle a core set of work:

Environmental health is where county structure matters most. In some counties the sanitarian works inside the health department. In others the work sits with a separate county office, or the state handles it under contract. If you need a septic or food-establishment answer, ask the health department which office is responsible. Staff can usually point you to the right desk in one call.

Bring a photo ID, your insurance or Medicaid card if you have one, and any immunization records. For a child's vaccines, bring the child's record and a parent or guardian. The federal Vaccines for Children program covers kids 18 and under who are Medicaid-eligible, uninsured, underinsured, or American Indian or Alaska Native, so it is worth asking about. For WIC, expect to show proof of identity, residence and income. Fees vary by service, so ask for the price when you call.

Reservation Communities and Tribal Health Departments in Montana

Montana has seven Indian reservations, and tribal governments run their own health programs alongside county services. Fort Peck Tribal Health Department at 107 H Street West in Poplar (406-768-3491) is in Roosevelt County, which has three listings. The county and tribal offices are separate organizations with different funding, so which one you use depends on the service and your eligibility. Glacier County, home to much of the Blackfeet Reservation, also has three listings, including Cut Bank Health Department at 1210 East Main Street (406-873-5534). Indian Health Service facilities add another layer, and either a county nurse or a tribal program can tell you which door to knock on.

A short checklist before you drive

Call first and confirm the address, because several Montana towns have more than one listing. Ask whether you need an appointment or can walk in. Some small offices close at midday or on certain days, so confirm hours rather than assuming standard business hours. In winter, check road conditions on mountain passes and rural highways, since a closed road can turn a short trip into a long detour. Finally, ask whether the service is offered at the county seat or at a satellite clinic closer to you.

The health department network in Montana consists of the state health agency and a system of county and city health departments that together deliver public health programs, disease surveillance, and preventive services to residents statewide.

Health Departments locations are available in 61 cities across Montana. They are spread across 52 counties.

Cities with the highest concentration include Helena, Lewistown, Bozeman, which operate full-service health departments providing comprehensive clinical and environmental health services to large urban populations.

Residents of Montana can access their local health department for vaccinations, vital records, food inspection reports, and communicable disease information. Many services are available by appointment, and some are walk-in friendly.

Health Departments by Counties

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Residents of Montana can order certified birth and death certificates, check restaurant inspection scores, and access free or low-cost vaccination services through their local health department. Most departments offer online appointment scheduling for clinical services.

Browse Health Departments by county across Montana to find the nearest location.

Reading Montana's Health Department Listings by Region

Western Montana has a mix of larger and smaller offices. Missoula City-County Health Department (301 West Alder Street, 406-258-4750) and Ravalli County Public Health Department (205 Bedford Street, Hamilton, 406-375-6671) cover the Missoula and Bitterroot valleys. Lincoln County Health Department at 418 Main Avenue in Libby (406-293-2660) serves the far northwest corner. Beaverhead Local County Health at 41 Barrett Street in Dillon (406-683-4771) and Powell County Health Department at 304 Milwaukee Avenue in Deer Lodge (406-846-2420) serve the southwest. Jefferson County Public Health Department at 214 South Main Street in Boulder (406-225-4007) sits between Helena and Butte.

Northern and eastern Montana lean heavily on small county offices. Dawson County Public Health is at 207 West Bell Street in Glendive (406-377-5213), and Phillips County Health Department is at 105 South 2nd Street East in Malta (406-654-2521). Fallon County Health Department at 10 West Fallon Avenue in Baker (406-778-3846) serves the southeastern corner. Along the Hi-Line, Pondera County Health Department is at 805 Sunset Boulevard in Conrad (406-271-3247). In the south-central part of the state, Stillwater County Health Department is at 43 West 4th Avenue North in Columbus (406-322-5331), and Sweet Grass Community Health Department is at 115 West 5th Avenue in Big Timber (406-932-5449).

Phone numbers and hours change, especially in small offices, so treat the listing as a starting point and confirm by phone.

Montana Health Department Questions Answered

The Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) in Helena is the state agency for public health. Its Public Health and Safety Division supports local departments with disease surveillance, immunization programs, laboratory services and funding. Local boards of health, created under Title 50, Chapter 2 of the Montana Code Annotated, oversee the county and city-county offices directly. Our database lists the Helena state office under its older name, State of Montana Department of Health and Environmental Sciences, at 1400 East Broadway Street, phone 406-444-3444. Call that number for statewide programs, then contact your county office for clinics, home visits and local inspections.

In most of Montana the county is the unit that matters, because boards of health cover whole counties. Havre Health Department at 232 1st Street West (406-265-1233) is in Havre, the county seat of Hill County, which has three listings. Joint agencies such as Missoula, Gallatin and Cascade serve both city and county residents from one office. If you live outside city limits, call the office in your county's main town first. Staff can tell you whether you are covered and whether a satellite clinic is closer to your home.

Bring a photo ID, any insurance or Medicaid card, and your existing immunization record. For a child, bring the child's record and a parent or guardian who can give consent. Children 18 and under who are Medicaid-eligible, uninsured, underinsured, or American Indian or Alaska Native may qualify for the federal Vaccines for Children program. Smaller offices, such as Gallatin City-County Health Department in Bozeman (406-582-3100) or Fallon County Health Department in Baker (406-778-3846), may schedule vaccines by appointment, so call to confirm the day, the vaccine supply and the cost.

Call the health department in the county where you live or where you ate. Montana requires health care providers and laboratories to report certain conditions to local health officials, so your doctor often handles this, but you can also call yourself. Ravalli County Public Health Department in Hamilton (406-375-6671) and Dawson County Public Health in Glendive (406-377-5213) are examples of offices that take these calls. If you are seriously ill, call 911 or go to an emergency room first and report afterward. Note what you ate, when symptoms began, and who else was affected.

Some are free and many are not. WIC is federally funded and free for eligible pregnant, postpartum and breastfeeding women, infants, and children under five, based on income, residence and nutrition need. Vaccines for eligible children come through the Vaccines for Children program, although a modest administration fee may apply, so ask whether the office waives it based on ability to pay. Adult vaccines, inspections and permits usually carry fees set locally, and those fees differ from county to county. Ask for the price when you call, and ask about sliding-scale options if cost is a concern.

That is common in frontier counties such as Phillips County, where the office is at 105 South 2nd Street East in Malta (406-654-2521), or Prairie County, where it is at 203 Logan Avenue in Terry (406-635-2020). The nurse may be out on home visits, so leave a message and ask for a firm appointment time. If the service you need is not offered, ask about a neighboring county. Sweet Grass County (Big Timber, 406-932-5449) and Stillwater County (Columbus, 406-322-5331) are adjacent, so patients sometimes find a closer option across the county line.