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173 46-18-201 77 46-18-202 154 46-18-203 10 46-18-204 4 46-18-205 3 46-18-206 11 46-18-207 10 46-18-208 1 46-18-211 46-18-212 1 46-18-213 3 46-18-219 1 46-18-220 21 46-18-221 32 46-18-222 5 46-18-223 46-18-224 16 46-18-225 46-18-226 46-18-230 33 46-18-231 42 46-18-232 1 46-18-233 5 46-18-234 2 46-18-235 24 46-18-236 3 46-18-237 51 46-18-241 30 46-18-242 59 46-18-243 27 46-18-244 2 46-18-245 21 46-18-246 5 46-18-247 1 46-18-248 8 46-18-249 2 46-18-250 3 46-18-251 7 46-18-255 1 46-18-256 46-18-261

Mont. Code Ann. § 46-18-232

(2021)

Payment of costs by defendant

(1) A court may require a convicted defendant in a felony or misdemeanor case to pay costs, as defined in 25-10-201, plus costs of jury service, costs of prosecution, and the cost of pretrial, probation, or community service supervision as a part of the defendant's sentence. The costs, in addition to those allowable under 25-10-201, must be limited to expenses specifically incurred by the prosecution or other agency in connection with the proceedings against the defendant or $100 per felony case or $50 per misdemeanor case, whichever is greater.

(2) The court may not sentence a defendant to pay costs unless the defendant is or will be able to pay them. In determining the amount and method of payment of costs, the court shall take into account the financial resources of the defendant, the future ability of the defendant to pay costs, and the nature of the burden that payment of costs will impose.

(3) A defendant who has been sentenced to pay costs and who is not in default in the payment may at any time petition the court that sentenced the defendant for remission of the payment of costs or of any unpaid portion of the costs. If it appears to the satisfaction of the court that payment of the amount due will impose manifest hardship on the defendant or the defendant's immediate family, the court may remit all or part of the amount due in costs or modify the method of payment.

Opinions construing this section

42 opinions
2026 MT 202 Aug 25, 2026 Reversed
State v. T.W. Hatfield
Majority by Ingrid Gustafson · 5 to 0
.” The District Court, however, had the authority to impose all the fees, costs, and surcharges recommended by the PSI, some of which are even mandatory. See § 46-18-232(1), MCA (“A court may require a convicted defendant . . . to pay costs, as defined in 25-10-201, plus costs of jury service, costs of prosecution, and the cost of pr
2026 MT 181N Aug 4, 2026 Reversed
State v. D. Barker
Majority by Beth Baker · 4 to 0 with 3 concurring
arge for victim and witness advocate programs (§ 46-18-236(1)(c), MCA); a $10 technology fee (§ 3-1-317, MCA); a $100 felony cost of legal fees and expenses (§ 46-18-232, MCA); supervision fees (§ 46-23-1031, MCA); and a $50 fee for the presentence investigation report (§ 46-18-111, MCA). ¶5 The legality of a criminal sentence ?
2026 MT 77 Apr 14, 2026 Reversed
State v. Trombley
Majority by Beth Baker · 4 to 0 with 3 concurring
e presentence investigation, administrative fees, victim-witness fees, information technology fees, a surcharge for each felony offense, payment of costs under § 46-18-232, MCA, and the mandatory minimum fine of $5,000 pursuant to § 61-8-1008(1)(a)(i), MCA. The court suspended each of the imposed fees and the entirety of the $5,000 f
2025 MT 172N Aug 5, 2025 Reversed
State v. M. Sullivan
Majority by Jim Rice · 5 to 0
the financial resources of the defendant, the future ability of the defendant to pay costs, and the nature of the burden that payment of costs will impose.” Section 46-18-232(2), MCA. This is consistent with statutory language affording sentencing courts discretion to waive costs. See § 46-18-232(2), MCA (“[t]he court may not sentence
2025 MT 59N Mar 25, 2025 Reversed
State v. Z. Nielsen
Majority by Ingrid Gustafson · 5 to 0
cifically allows drug offenders to agree to the forfeiture of property in a plea agreement. ¶9 Nielsen asserts the contribution is not an approved cost under § 46-18-232, MCA, nor § 46-18-236, MCA. According to Nielsen, any fee not authorized by statute is illegal. ¶10 Despite the fact Nielsen agreed to pay the $250 fine in the
Official Annotations archive.org, 2021 edition
History:
En. Sec. 2, Ch. 198, L. 1981
Amd. Sec. 1754, Ch. 56, L. 2009 (HB 37 - Campbell, Margarett (D) HD 31)
Amd. Sec. 2, Ch. 180, L. 2009