Adult felony and misdemeanor arrests in Silver Bow County are booked at this facility:
155 W. Quartz Street
Butte, MT 59701
Sheriff’s deputies process their own arrests here, along with arrests made by town and city police departments in the county that do not run a jail of their own. Each new arrival is photographed and fingerprinted, has their property inventoried, is checked for outstanding warrants and goes through a medical screening before a housing assignment is made.
Troopers with the Montana Highway Patrol and agents of the state Division of Criminal Investigation may also bring people here, as may federal agencies such as the U.S. Marshals and ICE.
A 2021 Montana law bars cities, counties and state agencies from adopting sanctuary policies and directs them to honor lawful immigration detention requests from the Department of Homeland Security. In 2025 the Montana Attorney General signed a 287(g) agreement with ICE that lets Highway Patrol troopers and Division of Criminal Investigation agents serve immigration warrants and issue detainers. If a person in this jail has an ICE detainer, they may be held for transfer to federal custody instead of being released when their local case allows it.
Names on the public arrest list are drawn from the sheriff’s official booking list (opens in a new tab) or an official statewide jail list. The listing may include a booking photo where permitted, along with each charge and the agency that made the arrest. For anything missing or unclear in a record, call the Butte-Silver Bow Detention Center at 406-497-1040.
Getting from the jail door to a housing unit, or to the release counter, usually takes somewhere between two hours and a full day. The biggest factor is how many other arrestees are waiting in booking at the same time.
Montana law requires that an arrested person be taken before a judge without unnecessary delay. At that initial appearance the judge explains the charges and sets release conditions, which may mean release on recognizance or a set bail amount. Commercial bail bonds are legal in Montana; bail bond producers must hold a surety insurance license, and the industry is overseen by the Montana Commissioner of Securities and Insurance. Step-by-step release information is on our Bail page.
The quickest way is to phone the jail’s booking desk at 406-497-1040 and ask whether the person has been brought in.
Some jails have an automated name lookup, while others put you through to a staff member. Have the person’s full name and date of birth ready, since staff often use it to confirm they have the right individual.
It can take a few hours after an arrest before a new booking shows up in the jail’s records.
You can also search recent bookings online through the Butte-Silver Bow Detention Center Booking Roster.
Once someone is taken into custody and advised of their Miranda rights, the arresting officer brings them to the county jail or, in some towns, the local police station, to be booked.
Booking is a series of steps rather than a single event. Defense lawyers generally tell clients not to discuss the case with officers or other inmates during this time, because conversations and phone calls may be recorded and used as evidence.
Staff take a mugshot and fingerprints and ask a long list of questions about the person’s background, health and state of mind. A records check looks for warrants in Silver Bow County, elsewhere in Montana and in other states.
In a DUI case, a blood sample can be taken only with the person’s consent or under a search warrant. Refusing a breath or blood test in Montana leads to a driver’s license suspension, and officers can apply to a judge for a warrant to draw blood.
New arrivals are searched before entering the secure part of the jail. That can include a pat-down, a metal detector or body scanner, and in some cases an unclothed visual search.
Booking staff ask about medical problems, current prescriptions, drug or alcohol use, allergies, tattoos, gang ties and any thoughts of self-harm. The answers help the jail decide where to house the person and whether they need medical or mental health attention.
Everything the person has with them is logged and stored. It is returned when they are released, or, if they sign a release form, it can be picked up by a family member or friend.
Stored items typically include street clothes, cash, wallets, phones, keys, jewelry, piercings, belts and watches. Glasses may be held if they pose a safety risk, and shoelaces are removed from any footwear the person keeps.
The person is given a chance to make a phone call, usually to family, a friend or a lawyer, to explain what happened and start arranging bond or bail.
Anyone held until their initial appearance receives a jail uniform, footwear, bedding and basic hygiene items such as soap, a toothbrush and toothpaste.
Before moving to a housing unit, many people are required to shower, and some jails apply a delousing treatment to prevent the spread of lice or scabies.
Expect anywhere from about an hour to a full day or longer. Staffing levels, the number of arrests that came in at the same time and the person’s cooperation all affect the pace.
Someone who is very intoxicated or combative may be placed in a holding cell until they calm down, which can add several hours.