Administrative Rules of Montana Department 44 - SECRETARY OF STATE
Here’s a structured overview of Department 44 – Secretary of State within the Administrative Rules of Montana (ARM):
📘 Overview of Title 44 – Secretary of State
The rules for the Montana Secretary of State are compiled under Title 44, encompassing:
Chapter 44.1 – Organizational Rule
Chapter 44.2 – Overall Office Rules
Chapter 44.3 – Elections
Chapter 44.4 – Ethics (now repealed)
Chapter 44.5 – Businesses
Chapter 44.6 – Uniform Commercial Code
… through to
Chapter 44.14 – Records & Information Management
Chapter 44.15 – Notaries Public
Chapter 44.17 – ARM Rulemaking Procedures (law.cornell.edu, sosmt.gov)
1. Chapter 44.1 – Organizational Rule
Defines the structure, history, and internal divisions of the Secretary of State's Office.
Includes detailed duties of each unit: Administrative Rules, Business Services, Elections, Official Records & Notary, and Operations (law.cornell.edu).
2. Chapter 44.2 – Overall Office Rules
Covers administrative functions across the entire office.
Subchapter such as 44.2.3 governs acceptance of electronic records & e-signatures (rules.mt.gov).
3. Chapter 44.3 – Elections
Extensive rules on election procedures: candidate declarations, ballot formats, polling access, mail ballots, audits, security, etc. (law.cornell.edu).
4. Chapter 44.4 – Ethics
Previously contained ethics guidelines; now repealed .
5. Chapter 44.5 – Businesses
Governs registration of business entities (corporations, LLCs), trademark filings, UCC financing statements, and related business services (law.cornell.edu).
6. Chapter 44.6 – Uniform Commercial Code
Rules implementing Montana’s version of the UCC for secured transactions and lien filings (law.cornell.edu).
… Continuing Chapters
7–8: Reserved
10–12: Commissioner of Political Practices – including lobbyist disclosures (44.10–12) (law.cornell.edu)
13: Reserved
14. Records & Information Management – policies for public records
15. Notaries Public – files and commissions
16: Reserved
17. ARM Rulemaking Procedures – outlines process for publishing, amending, and repeal
✅ What You Can Do Next
To see the full text of specific rules (e.g., 44.3.2408 on ballot uniformity), you can search ARM by chapter/subchapter on the official site.
Interested in recent updates? The Secretary of State’s ARM page lists proposals, hearings, and final adoptions (like rule 44-2-278 adopted Jan 10 2025) (sosmt.gov).
Let me know if you’d like full text of a rule, a specific topic overview, or guidance on how to track rule changes.
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