Montanans have just a few more weeks to report the number of each type of livestock they own and to pay the per capita fees set yearly by the Montana Board of Livestock.
Livestock reports and payments are due March 1. Owners can report and pay online through the department’s TransAction Portal at https://MTRevenue.gov/livestock.
Livestock owners must report what they owned as of February 1, 2025.
If you reported last year but no longer own livestock, you still need to submit a reporting form to let the department know your livestock count is zero.
Owners preferring a paper reporting form can download one at MTRevenue.gov, or call (406) 444-6900 for assistance.
The Board of Livestock has changed per capita fee rates this year. Most species saw a 2-4% increase in the fee. Below are the livestock per capita fees for 2025.
The fees help fund the department’s animal health programs, brands enforcement, theft investigation and recovery, and predator control.
Per capita fees are user-generated, and are an important component of the department’s budget. Other user-generated fees are derived from brand enforcement, lab testing and milk inspection fees. Overall, user-generated fees account for about three-quarters of the department’s annual budget, with the remainder coming from state general fund and federal funds.
Per capita fees are unique in that livestock owners are responsible for “self-reporting” the number of livestock they own to the Department of Revenue, which bills and collects the fee for the Department of Livestock. Report your livestock in the county where the livestock were located on February 1. The report and payment are due by March 1. If you do not pay by March 1, you will be billed on April 1. Penalty and interest will begin to accrue on March 2. Livestock producers benefit from programs to monitor animal health, monitor and restrict livestock imports, track animal movements, prevent and investigate livestock theft, and manage predators. The general public benefits from programs that prevent the spread of animal diseases to humans.
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MT Depts of Revenue and Livestock
