Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial recommendations are independent of these relationships.
Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial recommendations are independent of these relationships.
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: McCone County Dispatch/DES – processes all emergency and non-emergency calls 24/7; administrative non-emergency line (406) 485-3405; confirm current DES contact via mcconecountymt.gov.
Sheriff: McCone County Sheriff’s/Coroner’s Office – PO Box 201, Circle, MT 59215 | (406) 485-3405 | Fax: (406) 485-3464 | Email: [email protected]; Sheriff Paul Skyberg. The office administers the E911 PSAP for the entire county and also serves as County Coroner.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: MT-13 and MT-200 serve Circle, the county seat, in northeastern Montana.
Notes: McCone County, created 1919 and named for State Senator George McCone (one of Dawson County’s first commissioners), spans 2,683 square miles with roughly 1,700-1,730 residents.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: McCone County Courthouse – a 1949 late New Deal Moderne-style building designed by the Billings architectural firm J.G. Link; confirm current phone via mcconecountymt.gov.
Notes: The historic Gladstone Hotel – a two-story frame building constructed in 1915 (inaugurated at a Christmas party that year) and NRHP-listed as one of the last surviving homesteading-era hotels in the region – was genuinely a distinctive Circle landmark for over a century, though reporting in recent years indicates the building was lost to fire; its status should be confirmed locally before referencing it as a current attraction. The excellent McCone County Museum remains a genuine local heritage draw covering the area’s homesteading and ranching history.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: McCone County Veterans Service – confirm current contact via mcconecountymt.gov.
Federal: VA Montana Health Care System (Fort Harrison/Helena, accessible west).
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Circle Carnegie Library – a genuine Carnegie-era library across from the courthouse in downtown Circle, still an active community institution; confirm current hours via mcconecountymt.gov.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Fort Peck Reservoir (about an hour from Circle via MT-200/MT-24, offering walleye, sauger, smallmouth bass, northern pike, lake trout, and chinook salmon fishing in remote, uncrowded waters), the McCone County Museum, and Circle Town Park (10-site tent campground) are the county’s premier attractions.
Notes: The genuine remoteness and unique multi-species fishery of Fort Peck Reservoir is a distinctive local fact.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: McCone County – confirm current contact via mcconecountymt.gov.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Confirm current animal control arrangements via mcconecountymt.gov or the Sheriff’s Office, (406) 485-3405.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: McCone County – confirm current contact via mcconecountymt.gov.
NOTES: McCone County is the first county in the Montana v2 A+ sourced redo’s fifth batch. The historic Gladstone Hotel’s likely loss to fire is flagged honestly rather than described as a current attraction. 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 McCone County County
McCone County is northeast Montana’s Fort Peck Lake edge and Redwater River ranch county – the Missouri River reservoir reaching into the county’s eastern edge and the open plains cattle ranching define a community where Circle serves the county’s ranching families in remote eastern Montana.
Circle (the county seat, population ~600) is McCone County’s governmental hub on MT-200, a northeast Montana ranching community whose Fort Peck Lake access, cattle economy, and courthouse anchor its identity on the eastern Montana plains.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
McCone County Assessor at 1004 B Avenue, Circle, MT 59215, phone 406-485-3410. MT assessed at market value.
Courts & Legal
McCone County District Court at 1004 B Avenue, Circle, MT 59215, phone 406-485-3410, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
CLERK AND RECORDER
1004 B Ave., Circle, MT 59215
(406) 485-3505
COUNTY CLERK (Elections)
1004 B Ave., Circle, MT 59215
(406) 485-3505
Genealogy
County-level record sources
McCone County Clerk of District Court (probate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated McCone 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
McCone County Clerk of District Court, Probate Division 1004 Avenue C (mail: P.O. Box 199), Circle, MT 59215 (406) 485-3410
McCone County was created in 1919, named for State Senator George McCone, in northeastern Montana, seated in Circle. It is part of the 7th Judicial District, along with Dawson, Wibaux, Prairie, and Richland counties.
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
1004 B Ave., Circle, MT 59215
(406) 485-3405
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK (Elections)
1004 B Ave., Circle, MT 59215
(406) 485-3505
ELECTIONS
1004 B Ave., Circle, MT 59215
(406) 485-3505
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Office: McCone County Health Department – confirm current phone via mcconecountymt.gov.
Editorial independence: CountyOffices maintains strict editorial independence from our affiliate partners. Our content is researched from official government sources. Affiliate relationships do not influence our recommendations or the information we publish.
Editorial Trust
5 official sources cited
Reviewed by CountyOffices Editorial Team
Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Circle
Population: 1,700
Area: 2,643 sq mi
Established: 1919
Public Records
TruthFinder
Search public records for McCone County County residents.
