How to file for unemployment in Montana

The online claim is usually the fastest way. Here is what to have ready, when your claim starts and what comes after you file.

All about unemployment in Montana

Checked against official sources: October 31, 2026.

Filing, step by step

File online at uiclaimant.mt.gov, or call Claims Processing at 1-406-444-2545. You may be asked to verify your identity with ID.me.

When to file and when your claim starts

File as soon as you are out of work or your hours are cut. If you go back to work and then lose work again, reactivate your claim in the first week you are off work or your hours are reduced.

What to have ready

Dates of employment and the reason you no longer work there, for every job in the last 18 months
Your bank account and routing numbers for direct deposit
If you are not a U.S. citizen or national: a copy of the front and back of your registration card

Certify (claim your weeks)

How often: Weekly. Request payment online each week, from Sunday through Saturday for the week before. Report all hours worked and gross earnings, any time off, school or training, job refusals, separations, and your work search applications.

Your first payment

The first week you are eligible is an unpaid waiting week. A direct deposit is usually available at most banks within two days of the payment clear date shown in the Claimant Center; a mailed check takes longer.

Law: Mont. Code Ann. Title 39, ch. 51

Official source: Source page

What applies in every state

File with the unemployment program of the state where you worked. If you worked in another state or in several states, the agency in the state where you live now can tell you how to file with other states.
It generally takes two to three weeks after you file to get your first payment. Some states require a one-week waiting period, so the second week you claim is the first week paid.

Free help

Call 1-406-444-2545. Legal aid and other free help in Montana → Official sources →