Well Driller List

State rules

Montana

Montana licenses water well contractors, water well drillers, and monitoring well constructors through the Board of Water Well Contractors at the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation. The department's page says the board licenses drillers and contractors and enforces water well construction standards. Montana Code Annotated section 37-43-302 says it is unlawful to construct, alter, abandon, decommission, or rehabilitate a water well or monitoring well without a valid license, with two exceptions. One is an apprentice working under the personal supervision of a licensed contractor or driller. The other is an owner who drills on land the owner farms or lives on, after a board permit, and who follows the board's minimum standards. The Helena address on the page is 1424 9th Avenue, PO Box 201601, Helena, MT 59620-1601.

Checked against official sources on October 11, 2026. Rules and links change; confirm with the office listed before you act.

Try a ZIP like 30303, “Travis County” or “Columbus, OH”
Licensing or permitting agency
Board of Water Well Contractors, Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation
Who must hold a credential
Licensed water well contractor, water well driller, and monitoring well constructor
Official permit or license page
Official page →

The statute says a licensed water well contractor does not need a separate driller license to do the construction or a separate license to install monitoring wells. An owner who wants the exemption files an application with the department giving the owner's name and address, the well location, the ownership interest, the equipment, and the use. The board issues the permit if the land and use fit the exemption and the construction will meet the standards. The department's forms include an exemption permit, a variance permit, a well log, and an abandonment form. Those forms are how the exemption and the completion record are actually filed.

The board's examination application says a water well contractor or monitoring well constructor files a bond after passing the exam, and that a driller does not file a bond but must be employed by a Montana-licensed water well contractor who is responsible for the work. The application asks for verification of one year of apprenticeship or equivalent experience. This record does not copy the bond amount into the fee field. Readers should read the current application for that figure. The department says it will not recommend a driller. It posts a list of licensed drillers and contractors by location. This record does not copy that list.

A customer should ask whether the person is a contractor, a driller employed by a contractor, or a monitoring well constructor. An owner who plans to drill under the exemption still needs the board permit and still must meet construction standards. Abandonment has its own form on the department page. Water rights are a separate DNRC subject from the contractor license, so a new appropriation may need a water-right filing in addition to the driller's license. The board page is the public index of forms, the licensee list, and the construction-standard role.

Official resources in Montana

Board of Water Well Contractors

Licensing role, forms, and the licensed-contractor list.

MCA 37-43-302 license required

License requirement and the owner and apprentice exceptions.

EPA private drinking water wells

Federal context for private well households.

Key facts for Montana

What to do next

  1. Ask whether the license is a contractor license or a driller license under a contractor.
  2. If you will drill your own well, ask the board for the exemption permit first.
  3. Use the department's location list instead of a copied roster.
  4. Ask whether a water-right filing is required in addition to the driller's license.

Looking for your city or county in Montana?

We haven't found official program-level pages for Montana we can verify yet, so we don't show local numbers here rather than guess. Here's what to use instead, in order:

  1. General Start with the statewide information above. It applies across Montana, but cities and counties can add their own steps, fees or deadlines.
  2. Call to confirm Ask the official office. They have the current local rule, fee and form.
    Phone not shown: use the contact page on the official website above.
    Your city or county office: Local governments →
    Not sure who handles it locally? USAGov's free help line, 1-844-872-4681, or the Montana page on USA.gov can point you to the right office.
  3. Know the current info? Tell us and include a link to the official page. We check every tip before it goes up.

Helpful guides

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