Pro Se/Self-Represented Litigants

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The Bozeman Municipal Court has a number of forms for filling motions available for pro se litigants, which can be found below.

A pro se litigant or defendant is a person who represents themselves in court alone without the help of a lawyer.

Motions are formal requests to a judge to make a ruling or take some action during a pending case. A motion brings a limited issue in a case before the court for a decision.

You can click the title of each form to download a blank, fillable PDF version of the form. Using court-provided forms is recommended but not required. Keep in mind that all legal documents that you file with the Court must be legibly written or typewritten in English and provide all of the same information that is in the forms.

Please note that pro se litigants/defendants may not e-file or email motions. Any motions must be mailed or hand-delivered to the Court.

The Bozeman Municipal Court is located at:

901 N. Rouse Avenue, Suite 235

Bozeman, MT 59718

Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 am to 4 pm, closed daily from 12 pm to 12:45 pm

*If you are requesting a Zoom appearance, you may consent to receiving all future notices from this court by email if you fill out the Defendant Email Consent Form.*

You must consult with the other party on the case for their position on the motion.

If a Criminal case, you must contact the City of Bozeman Attorney's Office. The Prosecutor represents the State of Montana/City of Bozeman in a criminal proceeding and is the Plaintiff.
If a Civil case, you must contact the other party.
If you have Municipal Infractions or Parking Appeals, you must contact the City of Bozeman Attorney's Office.
If an Order of Protection case, you may be restricted from having contact with the other party and must state in the motion why you were unable to obtain a position.

In all circumstances, you must serve (meaning: provide a copy) of the motion to the other party in the case. The only exception to this requirement for service is an Order of Protection case where you are restricted from contacting the other party - in this case, the Court will provide a copy to the other party.

Motions must have a hand-written original signature. Digital signatures are not accepted and your motion may be rejected if they do not have a hand signature.

Motions practice involves important rules regarding timing, notice, and other matters directed by the Montana Rules of Criminal Procedure, Montana Rules of Civil Procedure, and other applicable local rules. You must also follow this Court's Administrative and Standing Orders.