Montana Rules of Civil Procedure – 2026
Montana's civil rules, codified at MCA Title 25, chapter 20 and restyled in 2011 to track the Federal Rules — so federal instincts mostly carry over, and the answer is due 21 days after service under Rule 12(a)(1)(A). What does not carry over is where the rules live: you find and cite them through the code, at mca.legmt.gov, not in a separate rules volume. Motion briefing is not here either — it comes from the Uniform District Court Rules.
Browse all 89 rules of the 2026 edition below. Each rule includes the full text, a plain-English summary, committee notes, amendment history, and cross-references to related rules. Use the search box to find rules by keyword or number.
I. Scope of Rules; Form of Action
II. Commencing an Action; Service of Process, Pleadings, Motions, and Orders
Rule 3
Commencing an Action
Rule 4
Persons Subject to Jurisdiction; Process; Service
Rule 4.1
Limited Representation Permitted -- Process
Rule 4.2
Notice of Limited Appearance and Withdrawal as Attorney
Rule 5
Serving and Filing Pleadings and other Papers
Rule 5.1
Constitutional Challenge to a Statute -- Notice and Intervention
Rule 5.2
Privacy Protection for Filings Made With the Court
Rule 6
Computing and Extending Time; Time for Motion Papers
III. Pleadings and Motions
Rule 7
Pleadings Allowed; Form of Motions and Other Papers
Rule 7.1
Disclosure Statement
Rule 8
General Rules of Pleading
Rule 9
Pleading Special Matters
Rule 10
Form of Pleadings
Rule 11
Signing Pleadings, Motions, and other Papers; Representations to the Court; Sanctions
Rule 12
Defenses and Objections: When and How Presented; Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings; Consolidating Motions; Waiving Defenses; Pretrial Hearing
Rule 13
Counterclaim and Crossclaim
Rule 14
Third-Party Practice
Rule 15
Amended and Supplemental Pleadings
Rule 16
Pretrial Conferences; Scheduling; Management
IV. Parties
Rule 17
Plaintiff and Defendant; Capacity; Public Officers
Rule 18
Joinder of Claims
Rule 19
Required Joinder of Parties
Rule 20
Permissive Joinder of Parties
Rule 21
Misjoinder and Non-Joinder of Parties
Rule 22
Interpleader
Rule 23
Class Actions
Rule 23.1
Derivative Actions
Rule 23.2
Actions Relating to Unincorporated Associations
Rule 24
Intervention
Rule 25
Substitution of Parties
V. Depositions and Discovery
Rule 26
General Provisions Governing Discovery
Rule 27
Depositions to Perpetuate Testimony
Rule 28
Persons Before Whom Depositions May Be Taken
Rule 29
Stipulation Regarding Discovery Procedure
Rule 30
Depositions by Oral Examination
Rule 31
Depositions by Written Questions
Rule 32
Using Depositions in Court Proceedings
Rule 33
Interrogatories to Parties
Rule 34
Producing Documents, Electronically-Stored Information, and Tangible Things, or Entering onto Land, for Inspection and Other Purposes
Rule 35
Physical and Mental Examination
Rule 36
Requests for Admissions
Rule 37
Failure to Make Discovery; Sanctions
VI. Trials
Rule 38
Right to a Jury Trial; Demand
Rule 39
Trial by Jury or by the Court
Rule 40
Scheduling Cases for Trial
Rule 41
Dismissal of Actions
Rule 42
Consolidation; Separate Trials
Rule 43
Taking Testimony
Rule 44
Proving an Official Record
Rule 44.1
Determining Foreign Law
Rule 45
Subpoena
Rule 46
Objecting to a Ruling or Order
Rule 47
Jurors
Rule 48
Juries -- Verdict
Rule 49
Special Verdicts and Interrogatories
Rule 50
Judgment as a Matter of Law in a Jury Trial; Related Motion for a New Trial; Conditional Ruling
Rule 51
Instructions to the Jury; Objections; Preserving a Claim of Error
Rule 52
Findings and Conclusions by the Court; Judgment on Partial Findings
Rule 53
Masters
VII. Judgment
Rule 54
Judgments; Costs
Rule 55
Default; Default Judgment
Rule 56
Summary Judgment
Rule 57
Rule 57. Declaratory Judgments
Rule 58
Entering Judgment
Rule 59
New Trial; Altering or Amending a Judgment
Rule 60
Relief from Judgment or Order
Rule 61
Harmless Error
Rule 62
Stay of Proceedings to Enforce a Judgment
Rule 62.1
Indicative Rule on a Motion for Relief that is Barred by a Pending Appeal
Rule 63
Judge's Inability to Proceed