25-9-503. Filing and status of foreign judgments. A copy of any foreign judgment authenticated in accordance with an act of congress or the statutes of this state may be filed in the office of the clerk of any district court of this state. The clerk shall treat the foreign judgment in the same manner as a judgment of a district court of this state. A judgment so filed has the same effect and is subject to the same procedures, defenses, and proceedings for reopening, vacating, or staying as a judgment of a district court of this state and may be enforced or satisfied in like manner.
Montana Code Annotated
Mont. Code Ann. § 25-9-503 (2026)
Filing And Status Of Foreign Judgments
✓ current as of May 2026
Find cases:
SyfertCases citing this section
MT-LEGleg.mt.gov
JustiaTitle on Justia
CornellLII Search
CasesGoogle Scholar
TITLE 25. CIVIL PROCEDURE
CHAPTER 9. JUDGMENT
Part 5. Uniform Enforcement of Foreign Judgments
Filing And Status Of Foreign Judgments
History: En. Sec. 3, Ch. 66, L. 1989.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 10
cases (1 in the last 5 years), 1995–2024 · leading case: Carr v. Bett, 1998 MT 266 (Mont. 1998).
Carr v. Bett, 1998 MT 266 (Mont. 1998). “On November 6, 1997, after initial briefing of the appeal by the parties, this Court raised the issue of whether § 25-9-503, MCA, was constitutional in light of the Full Faith and Credit Clause, Article IV, Section 1, of the United States Constitution.”
Robinson v. First Wyoming Bank, NA, 909 P.2d 689 (Mont. 1995). “It provides that a foreign judgment may be filed in Montana State Court by the filing of a "transcript of the original docket of a judgment." The Uniform Act, passed in 1989, provides that a foreign judgment is filed in Montana State Court by the filing of an authenticated copy…”
Support Obligation of Day v. State, 900 P.2d 296 (Mont. 1995). “Section 25-9-503, MCA. For purposes of the Enforcement Act, a “foreign judgment” is a “judgment, decree, or order of a court of the United States or of any other court which is entitled to full faith and credit in this state.”
DOCRX, Inc. v. EMI Servs. of NC, LLC, 738 S.E.2d 199 (N.C. Ct. App. 2013). “These defenses have been recognized by other states that have held that the language similar to that found in § 25-9-503, MCA, does not allow the merits of a foreign judgment to be reopened or reexamined by the state where it is recorded.”
Carr v. Bett, 1998 MT 266 (Mont. 1998). “On November 6, 1997, after initial briefing of the appeal by the parties, this Court raised the issue of whether § 25-9-503, MCA, was constitutional in light of the Full Faith and Credit Clause, Article IV, Section 1, of the United States Constitution.”
Gulf Ins. v. Clark, 2003 MT 87 (Mont. 2003). “2d 689 ; § 25-9-503, MCA. Cf. Underwriters Nat’l Assurance Co.”
Kasco v. Welch (Mont. 2024). “Section 25-9-503, MCA. The judgment debtor is to receive notice and may seek a stay pending appeal from the foreign judgment.”
Int'l Paper v. Frame, 2002 MT 344N (Mont. 2002). “Section 25-9-503, MCA (emphasis added). The argument made by Frame is not new or novel.”
Genuine Parts Co. v. Rascal's Auto Parts, Inc., 2008 MT 313 (Mont. 2008). “The court observed that the Georgia judgment had been filed in accordance with *58 §§ 25-9-503 and -504, MCA. The court then evaluated the Georgia court’s jurisdiction analysis and determined that the record supported the essential findings made by the Georgia court.”
Stockwell v. Windham, 2009 MT 278 (Mont. 2009). “The court reasoned that under §§ 25-9-503 and -603, MCA, and §§ 577 and 917.”
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the
Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and
treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.