Hidden camera laws by state
Hidden camera laws in Montana
The actual statute, in plain English — not a paraphrase of a paraphrase.
The statute
Mont. Code Ann. § 45-5-223 (Surreptitious Visual Observation or Recordation)
What it prohibits
Montana bans hiding, waiting, or loitering near a private dwelling to watch or record an occupant without their knowledge; as a business owner, manager, employee, or landlord, surreptitiously recording a person in a restroom, shower, bedroom, or fitting room; and observing or recording a person’s intimate parts in a public place without consent where privacy was reasonably expected.
Penalty
The statute lays out escalating fine and jail/prison tiers (up to $500/6 months on a first conviction, up to $1,000/1 year on a second, up to $10,000/5 years state prison on a third or later) but the text itself never labels these "misdemeanor" or "felony" — read the current statute rather than relying on a class name here.
This is general public information, not legal advice, verified against the statute text linked below as of this writing — legislatures amend these laws periodically (Florida renamed its own statute in 2024). If this matters for a real situation, read the current text yourself or talk to a lawyer:
https://mca.legmt.gov/bills/mca/title_0450/chapter_0050/part_0020/section_0230/0450-0050-0020-0230.html. Separately, recording
audio of a conversation is governed by a different law (wiretap/eavesdropping statutes, which vary by state on whether one party or all parties must consent) — this page covers image/video capture only.
If you've actually found something, the statute matters less than what you do next: read the six steps here.
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