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Montana County
Lincoln County, Montana
Libby - the vermiculite mining disaster and the Cabinet Mountains wilderness - from the Libby asbestos contamination (the W.R. Grace vermiculite mine above Libby contaminated the entire community with asbestos-like tremolite fibers for decades - killing over 400 people and sickening thousands in what the EPA called the worst case of industrial poisoning of a whole community in US history - the Libby Superfund cleanup is one of the largest and most costly environmental remediation projects in American history) and the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness (the rugged granite peaks and glacier-carved lakes of the Cabinet Mountains provide spectacular wilderness recreation in northwest Montana's most dramatic mountain landscape).
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What do you need to do?
Tell us your goal and we'll guide you step-by-step to the right office, forms, and official resources.
Office: Lincoln County Disaster & Emergency Services – confirm current phone via lincolncountymt.us.
Dispatch: Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office Non-Emergency Dispatch – [email protected] | (406) 293-4112 ext. 5.
Sheriff: Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office – 512 California Avenue, Libby, MT 59923 | (406) 293-4112 | Fax: (406) 293-3171; Sheriff Darren Short. Established 1909. Also maintains substations: Eureka North County Deputy, 855 Hwy 93 North, Eureka, MT 59917, (406) 297-2121; Troy Resident Deputy, 301 E. Kootenai Avenue, Troy, MT 59935.
Libby Police Department: covers city limits, non-emergency (406) 293-3343.
Notes: For an active emergency, call or text 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-2 serves Libby, the county seat, in far northwest Montana on the Idaho border.
Notes: Lincoln County spans a heavily forested, mountainous corner of the state, home to the Kootenai National Forest.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Lincoln County – confirm current phone via lincolncountymt.us.
Notes: Lincoln County is genuinely home to Kootenai Falls, one of the largest free-flowing (undammed) waterfalls in the northwestern United States, dropping roughly 90 feet over a short distance; a historic swinging suspension bridge (originally built 1937 by the Civilian Conservation Corps, rebuilt multiple times, most recently 2019) crosses the river near the falls and remains a popular, well-maintained attraction with no permits or fees required. IMPORTANT CONTEXT: Libby is also the site of the Libby Asbestos Superfund Site, one of the most significant public health disasters in U.S. history – vermiculite mining (Zonolite Company, later W.R. Grace & Co.) released naturally occurring asbestos into the community for decades until the mine closed in 1990; over 400 residents have died and thousands more diagnosed with asbestos-related disease, leading the EPA to declare its only-ever “Public Health Emergency” in 2009. Cleanup of over 7,600 properties was substantially completed by 2018-2019, and a 2023 state settlement provided $18.5 million for ongoing restoration; Lincoln County’s Asbestos Resource Program, (406) 291-5335, remains available to residents with questions about testing or exposure.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Lincoln County Veterans Service – confirm current contact via lincolncountymt.us.
Federal: VA Montana Health Care System (Fort Harrison/Helena, accessible southeast).
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Lincoln County Public Library (Libby) – confirm current address/hours via lincolncountymt.us; a Troy branch library also serves the county.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Kootenai Falls and the Swinging Bridge, the Kootenai National Forest, and Libby Dam/Lake Koocanusa are the county’s premier attractions.
Notes: The genuine scale of Kootenai Falls as one of the largest undammed waterfalls in the Northwest is a distinctive local fact, alongside the serious and significant public health history of the Libby Asbestos Superfund Site.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Lincoln County – confirm current contact via lincolncountymt.us.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office Animal Control – 512 California Avenue, Libby, MT 59923 | (406) 293-4112 ext. 1233.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Lincoln County – asbestos-contaminated waste is managed at a dedicated cell within the Lincoln County Landfill; confirm current general waste contact via lincolncountymt.us.
NOTES: Lincoln County is the seventh and final county in the Montana v2 A+ sourced redo’s fourth batch (Hill, Jefferson, Judith Basin, Lake, Lewis and Clark, Liberty, Lincoln) – closing out this batch. The Libby Asbestos Superfund Site’s public health history is presented factually and respectfully as one of the most significant events in this project’s coverage. All contact information above was sourced via web search as of early August 2026 and should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit, deadline-sensitive filing, or emergency-adjacent decision.
About Lincoln County
Lincoln County is the site of America’s worst industrial community poisoning – the W.R. Grace vermiculite mine above Libby contaminated the entire town with asbestos fibers for decades, killing 400+ people in what the EPA called the most severe case of industrial poisoning of a whole community in US history.
Libby (the county seat, population ~2,800) is rebuilding from the Superfund legacy while the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness and Kootenai River draw outdoor recreation visitors to northwest Montana.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Lincoln County Assessor (Montana Dept. of Revenue) at 418 Mineral Avenue, Suite 3, Libby, MT 59923, phone 406-293-8586.
Courts & Legal
Lincoln County District Court at 512 California Avenue, Libby, MT 59923, phone 406-293-7781, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
CLERK AND RECORDER
512 California Ave., Libby, MT 59923
(406) 293-7781
COUNTY CLERK (Elections)
512 California Ave., Libby, MT 59923
(406) 293-7781
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Lincoln County Clerk of District Court (probate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Lincoln County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Lincoln County Clerk of District Court, Probate Division 512 California Avenue, Libby, MT 59923 (406) 293-7781 Lincoln County is in Montana’s northwestern corner, seated in Libby.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Montana adopted the Uniform Probate Code (UPC), codified at Title 72 of the Montana Code Annotated (MCA). Probate is handled by the District Court in the county where the decedent resided.
Collection of Personal Property by Affidavit (MCA § 72-3-1101) – available when the value of the probate estate, less liens and encumbrances, does not exceed $100,000. At least 30 days must have passed since the death, and no application or petition for appointment of a personal representative may be pending or granted anywhere. The affiant presents the sworn, notarized affidavit (with a certified death certificate) directly to whoever holds the property to collect it – skipping probate court entirely. Must be used within 3 years of death.
Summary Administration – a streamlined court process for estates valued at $100,000 or less; unlike the affidavit procedure, this still goes through the court, just with reduced formality.
Informal Probate – the most common path for uncontested estates. An application can be made to the clerk of district court no sooner than 120 hours (5 days) after death, with minimal court involvement.
Formal Probate – required when there’s no will, when a will’s validity is contested, or when there’s disagreement over the personal representative or distribution. Handled by a district court judge.
Supervised Administration – formal probate with ongoing court oversight of the personal representative.
Step 2: filing for formal or informal probate
File an application (informal) or petition (formal) with the Clerk of District Court in the county where the decedent resided, no sooner than 120 hours after death.
The court or clerk appoints the personal representative and issues Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration.
The personal representative publishes notice to creditors and gives direct notice to known creditors. Creditors generally have 4 months from the date of first publication to file claims.
The personal representative inventories and appraises the estate’s assets.
After debts, taxes, and expenses are paid and the creditor claim period expires, the personal representative distributes the remaining assets and closes the estate.
What it costs
Montana does not set statutory percentage-based fees; personal representative and attorney fees are generally “reasonable compensation” based on time and complexity.
Montana has no state estate tax and no state inheritance tax. Only the federal estate tax could apply, and only to very large estates.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
512 California Ave., Libby, MT 59923
(406) 293-4112
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK (Elections)
512 California Ave., Libby, MT 59923
(406) 293-7781
ELECTIONS
512 California Ave., Libby, MT 59923
(406) 293-7781
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
MT DPHHS — Lincoln
(406) 293-7781
Cabinet Peaks Medical Center
cabinetpeaksmedical.org (Libby — quality community hospital)
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Lincoln County Health Department / Asbestos Resource Program – (406) 291-5335 for questions about property testing or cleanup status.
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Libby
Population: 19,500
Area: 3,613 sq mi
Established: 1909
Tier: 3
Public Records
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