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grep -i "hires people with records" --state=MT

Jobs for Felons in Montana

Straight talk: Montana law does less for you than Wisconsin's. There is no statewide ban-the-box law and no general law that stops a private employer from using your record. That makes finding the right employer matter more. Here is what the law does cover, the employers we checked, and who can help.
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Jobs for people with a felony in Montana

01 / THE LAW

The law in Montana

What an employer can ask, what they can hold against you, and how to clear your record. Every line links to the law or the agency that says it.

Ban the box

We found no statewide ban-the-box law in Montana, for public or private jobs. Montana is not on the national list of states with one. Private employers can ask about your record on the application. Plan for the question instead of hoping it will not come.

Source, as of September 2026: NELP state and local ban-the-box guide (2021 list)

Can they turn me down for my record?

For most private jobs, Montana has no law like Wisconsin's that limits how an employer uses your record. Montana's Human Rights Act does not list conviction record among the reasons an employer may not use to refuse you a job.

Licenses are different. A criminal conviction is not an automatic bar to an occupational license in Montana. A licensing board cannot refuse you solely because of a past conviction; it can deny you only if the offense relates to public health, welfare and safety in that work and it finds you are not sufficiently rehabilitated.

Sources, as of September 2026: MCA 49-2-303; MCA 37-1-203

Federal rules still apply

Federal EEOC guidance from 2012 warns employers that blanket “no felons” policies can violate civil rights law (Title VII). Since April 2025 a federal executive order has told agencies to deprioritize this kind of case, so do not count on the EEOC to investigate. The guidance is still a useful script when you talk to an employer.

Sources, as of September 2026: EEOC 2012 guidance on arrest and conviction records; Executive Order 14281 (April 2025)

How far back can a background check go?

Under federal law, a background check company can report a conviction no matter how old it is. Arrests that did not lead to a conviction drop off after seven years (the limits do not apply to jobs paying $75,000 a year or more). We found no Montana law that shortens that for convictions.

Source, as of September 2026: 15 U.S.C. 1681c (Fair Credit Reporting Act)

Expungement and sealing

Montana lets you ask a district court to expunge misdemeanor convictions, all at once, one time in your life. Felonies are not covered by that law. If you finished a deferred sentence, you can ask the court to dismiss and seal the case. Montana Law Help has free forms and instructions for both: Clean Slate forms.

Sources, as of September 2026: MCA 46-18-1104; Montana Law Help: misdemeanor expungement

This is what the law said when we checked it, September 2026. Laws change and every case is different. Confirm for your situation with a legal aid office or a lawyer. Coaching, not legal advice.

02 / EMPLOYERS

Employers verified in Montana

“Hires people with records” means we found dated evidence that this employer hires people with records at this place. Every mark shows its source and expires unless someone re-checks it. Montana's marks so far come from employers that publish their own policy on hiring people with records. Each one shows what the employer said and what to watch for.

Flathead County

Hires people with records

Kalispell, MT -- County government

The county's own hiring page says a criminal conviction does not automatically disqualify an applicant.

“a criminal conviction does not automatically disqualify an applicant from employment.”

Know this: The county runs criminal history checks and some positions have their own screening, skills tests, or drug and alcohol tests. Read each opening.

Evidence:
The employer's own published hiring policy
Checked:
September 24, 2026
Mark expires:
December 11, 2026
read the source

Missoula Interfaith Collaborative

Hires people with records

Missoula, MT -- Nonprofit

Its own employment page says it is a fair chance employer and does not discriminate based on criminal background.

“fair chance employer and does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual preferences, gender identity or criminal background.”

Know this: The same page lists passing a criminal background check as a requirement. Ask what the check screens for before you apply.

Evidence:
The employer's own published hiring policy
Checked:
September 24, 2026
Mark expires:
December 11, 2026
read the source

A mark is evidence, not a promise of a job. Apply the way the employer asks, and read the caveat. Know an employer in Montana that hires people with records? Send them to get listed.

03 / LOCAL HELP

Local help in Montana

Free help near you: job centers, reentry programs, legal aid for clearing your record, and 211. Links checked 2026-09-26.
  • Job Service Montana

    Offices statewide

    Free job search help at local offices. Ask the staff which employers near you hire people with records.

  • Montana Federal Bonding Program

    Statewide, through Job Service

    A free fidelity bond, usually $5,000 for six months, that you can offer an employer worried about your record.

  • Montana 211

    Statewide, call 211

    Free, anonymous referrals 24 hours a day for housing, food, treatment and local services.

  • Montana DOC Reentry Services

    Statewide

    Department of Corrections reentry services for people releasing and on supervision.

  • Montana Legal Services Association

    Statewide

    Free civil legal services for Montanans with low incomes.

  • Montana Law Help: Clean Slate

    Statewide, online

    Free forms and instructions for misdemeanor expungement and sealing after a deferred sentence.

  • Find an American Job Center

    Any ZIP code

    The U.S. Department of Labor's office finder, if you are not near a Job Service office.

04 / GUIDES

Guides that fit

05 / QUESTIONS

Jobs for felons in Montana: common questions

01

Does Montana have a ban the box law?

We found no statewide ban-the-box law in Montana for public or private employers as of September 2026, and Montana is not on the national list of states with one. Private employers may ask about your record on the application. Confirm for your situation.

02

Can a Montana employer refuse to hire me because of a felony?

For most private jobs, yes, Montana law allows it: the Montana Human Rights Act (MCA 49-2-303) does not list conviction record among the protected reasons. For occupational licenses, a conviction cannot be an automatic bar (MCA 37-1-203). Federal EEOC guidance discourages blanket bans, though since April 2025 federal agencies have been told to deprioritize that kind of case. As of September 2026.

03

How far back do background checks go in Montana?

Federal law lets a background check company report convictions with no time limit; arrests without a conviction generally drop off after seven years, and those limits do not apply to jobs paying $75,000 or more. We found no Montana law that shortens that for convictions.

04

Can I get a felony expunged in Montana?

Montana's expungement law (MCA 46-18-1101 and following) covers misdemeanors, and you can use it only once in your life. It does not cover felonies. If you completed a deferred sentence, you can ask the court to dismiss and seal the case. Montana Law Help has free forms. As of September 2026.

05

What is the Federal Bonding Program in Montana?

It is a free fidelity bond, usually $5,000 for your first six months on the job, that protects the employer against theft. It costs you and the employer nothing. In Montana you get it through Job Service Montana. It answers the employer's worry about trust with something on paper.

06

Which employers in Montana hire felons?

Steel Man Resumes marks employers "Hires people with records" only with dated evidence, such as Flathead County in Kalispell and Missoula Interfaith Collaborative in Missoula, which both publish their own policy. Each mark shows its source and a caveat and expires unless re-checked. Your local Job Service office knows more local employers who say yes.

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