| Montana District Courts | |
|---|---|
 The 22 judicial districts of the District Courts of Montana | |
| Established | 1889 |
| Jurisdiction | Judicial District |
| Composition method | Non-partisan election |
| Authorised by | Constitution of Montana |
| Appeals to | Montana Supreme Court |
| Appeals from | Justice of the Peace Courts, City Courts, and Municipal Courts |
| Judge term length | Six years |
| Number of positions | One to eight |
| Website | courts.mt.gov/dcourt |
Montana District Courts are the state trial courts of general jurisdiction in the U.S. state of Montana. Montana District Courts have original jurisdiction over most civil cases (at law and in equity), civil actions involving monetary claims against the state, criminal felony cases, naturalization proceedings, probate cases, and most writs. They may also hear certain special actions and proceedings, and oversee a narrowly-defined class of ballot issues. Montana District Courts also have limited appellate jurisdiction regarding cases that arise in Justice Courts, City Courts, and Municipal Courts (Courts of Limited Jurisdiction) as well as Judicial review of decisions by state administrative law tribunals that fall under the Montana Administrative Procedures Act.
District Court judges are elected in nonpartisan elections for six-year terms. Mechanisms exist for removing judges for misconduct, and for filling vacancies between elections. There are 56 District Courts organized into 22 judicial districts, but only 51 District Court judges. Workload is a serious issue in the District Courts, which are assisted in their administrative tasks by a District Court Council.