Fergus County

What Fergus County does

Fergus County is a political subdivision of the State of Montana, established in 1885 by the Fourteenth Legislative Assembly of Montana Territory and headquartered at 712 W Main Street in Lewistown. It provides a full spectrum of local government services to residents across its 4,253-square-mile jurisdiction (2,765,685 acres), spanning 70 miles north-to-south and 90 miles east-to-west. The county operates more than 20 specialized departments and offices — including the Clerk & Recorder, Clerk of District Court, Justice Court, County Attorney, three-member Board of County Commissioners, Sheriff/Coroner, Fire Warden, Disaster & Emergency Services, Health Department, Environmental Health (Sanitarian), Central Montana Family Planning, Planning Office, Road Department, Facilities & Maintenance, Finance Department, Human Resources, Lewistown Airport, Superintendent of Schools, Treasurer's Office, Weed District, and Juvenile Probation.

The county's core service delivery is government-built rather than software-built: it relies on statutory authority granted by Montana law and on a small set of third-party online portals for document recording (idocmarket.com), online vital records applications (Permitium), Justice Court fine payments (CitePay USA, with a 5% convenience fee), and the Montana Supreme Court Administrator's public access portal (dcportal.pubcourts.mt.gov). No proprietary technology platform or unified product suite is disclosed; the official website fergusmt.gov and a Facebook page serve primarily as information and community-engagement channels, supplemented by a YouTube channel that streams Commissioner Meetings.

Revenue mechanics are those of a county government rather than a commercial enterprise. The county is funded through property taxes and mill levies (including state equalization, county high school equalization, and county elementary equalization), federal and state program funding for public health, emergency services, and infrastructure, plus transactional fees for recording documents ($20 first page, $10 per additional page; $5 filing fee), Justice Court civil filings ($35) and small claims ($20), environmental health fees (e.g., $157/hr for non-standard septic systems; $275 site visits), and Family Planning clinic reimbursements from Medicaid and third-party insurance under a sliding-fee scale. Customer segments are horizontal: all county residents are primary customers for general government services, with a secondary segment of residents across six central Montana counties served by Central Montana Family Planning (Fergus, Judith Basin, Petroleum, Golden Valley, Musselshell, and Wheatland).

Name

Fergus County

Legal name

Fergus County

Website

https://fergusmt.gov

Company type

Private

Founded year

1885

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Fergus County is a Montana county government entity, established 1885, providing local government services — courts, law enforcement, health, records, planning, and infrastructure — to residents across its 4,253-square-mile jurisdiction centered on Lewistown.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Government Services

NAICS

Other General Government Support (92119), Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (9251), Administration of Human Resource Programs (except Education, Public Health, and Veterans' Affairs Programs) (92313)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Management Services (8741)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Public Health & Human Services Administration (BPAIACAK)

Keywords

• County government services
• Public records management
• Law enforcement services
• Public health programs
• Vital records filing

Headquarters

HQ city

Lewistown

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices16 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Property Taxes and Mill Levies: County government receives revenue through property taxation and mill levies as authorized by state law. The county has passed resolutions for various mill levies including state equalization, county high school equalization, and county elementary equalization.
2. Federal and State Funding: County receives federal and state funding for various programs including public health, emergency services, and infrastructure projects.
3. Recording and Filing Fees: Fees charged for recording documents ($20 first page, $10 each additional page), filing fees ($5 per document), and various court fees.
4. Justice Court Fees: Justice Court charges filing fees ($35 for civil cases, $20 for small claims), appearance fees, and various service fees for legal proceedings.
5. Environmental Health Fees: Environmental health services including septic system permits ($157/hour for non-standard systems), site visits ($275), and licensed establishment fees.
6. Family Planning Clinic Fees: Sliding fee scale services for reproductive healthcare. Bills Medicaid and third-party insurance. Revenue supports clinic operations.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Fergus County is a local government entity that administers and delivers public services to residents of central Montana across 4,253 square miles. Core functions include law enforcement (Sheriff/Coroner), court administration (Justice Court and District Court), property and vital records recording (Clerk & Recorder), public health and family planning, environmental health inspections, disaster and emergency management, road and facility maintenance, planning and zoning, election administration, and legal prosecution. Services are delivered through multiple specialized departments headquartered in Lewistown, MT.

Product overview

Fergus County operates as a traditional county government entity providing public services to residents. The county offers a comprehensive range of governmental services including records and document management through the Clerk & Recorder, election administration, court services, law enforcement via the Sheriff's Office, emergency/disaster services, public health services, planning and zoning, road maintenance, and various administrative functions. These services are provided through dedicated departments rather than a unified software product platform. The county uses its website primarily for information dissemination, service access (such as online vital records applications, document searches, and payment portals), and public engagement through meeting schedules and community resources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Document Recording and Records Management
• Election Administration
• Justice Court Services
• District Court Services
• Sheriff / Coroner Law Enforcement
• Central Montana Family Planning
• Public Health Nursing Services
• Environmental Health Services
• Disaster & Emergency Services
• Planning and Zoning
• County Attorney / Legal Prosecution
• Facilities & Maintenance

Quantifiable outcome

• County provides services to entire geographic area of 4,253 square miles and 2,765,685 acres

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Montana State University ExtensioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMSU Extension Office operates within Fergus County providing agricultural extension services and 4-H programs. Located at https://www.montana.edu/extension/fergus/.
• Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCounty works with FEMA on emergency management and disaster response. County has adopted NIMS and ICS standards for emergency response.
• Montana Disaster and Emergency ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency coordinating emergency management activities with county DES office.
• Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDEQ reviews subdivisions and sanitation facilities. County works with DEQ on subdivision development and wastewater treatment system approvals.
• Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency providing oversight and funding for county health department programs including communicable disease prevention, immunization programs, and chronic disease prevention.
• Montana Family Planning ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCentral Montana Family Planning is a Title X program participating in statewide family planning network. Services billed through Medicaid and insurance.
• Montana Association of Counties (MACo)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCounty is a member of MACo which provides lobbying and advocacy services. County passed resolution opposing legislation limiting MACo lobbying on behalf of members.
• Montana Supreme Court Administrator's OfficecoreTechnology or IntegrationState office provides District Court Public Access Portal at dcportal.pubcourts.mt.gov for public access to court calendars and case information.
• American Red CrossminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCounty DES links to Red Cross resources for disaster preparedness and response coordination.
• Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublic safety committee managing hazardous materials, safety and emergency response plans. Meets quarterly at Lewistown City Complex. Implements SARA Title III.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Park County, Montana: Park County is a similarly sized rural Montana county government providing law enforcement, courts, public health, and public works services. It is directly comparable in scale, geographic dispersion, and service mix to Fergus County.
• Beaverhead County, Montana: Beaverhead County is a small rural Montana county with a comparable population (~9,400) and similar service portfolio, including sheriff, public health, and road maintenance. Operates under the same Montana county governance framework as Fergus.
• Cascade County, Montana: Cascade County is a mid-size Montana county government offering the same core services (sheriff, courts, health department, clerk & recorder). Comparable in scope of services though larger in population, providing a useful scale peer.
• Ravalli County, Montana: Ravalli County is a rural western Montana county with a similar service structure (sheriff, courts, public health, planning, environmental health). Comparable operating model and rural county governance profile.
• Lewis and Clark County, Montana: Lewis and Clark County is a Montana county government providing sheriff, courts, public health, planning, and public works. Comparable county governance structure with similar revenue model and state-level oversight.
• Musselshell County, Montana: Musselshell County is one of the six counties served by Central Montana Family Planning and operates as a small rural Montana county under the same governance framework. Comparable in rural scale and service delivery model.
• Yellowstone County, Montana: Yellowstone County is Montana's most populous county, providing an extensive county government service portfolio under the same Montana statutes. Useful as a scale-up peer demonstrating how county services can be expanded.
• Judith Basin County, Montana: Judith Basin County is a very small rural Montana county neighboring Fergus, sharing the same regional service area for Central Montana Family Planning. Directly comparable in scale and rural operating constraints.
• Madison County, Montana: Madison County is a small rural southwestern Montana county with a comparable service portfolio (sheriff, clerk, treasurer, public health). Operates under identical Montana county statutes and funding frameworks.

Broad incumbents

• Tyler Technologies: Tyler Technologies is a major government technology vendor providing software platforms to thousands of U.S. counties for records management, courts, tax billing, and public safety. Adjacent to Fergus County as a key technology provider serving similar county government functions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCYdQOPsrL6iEOvyx46CZcoQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/FergusCounty

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Fergus County