Montana School Internet Safety Laws
Montana does not have its own school web filtering statute. Filtering in Montana schools and libraries rests on federal CIPA, while state law shapes the ground around it: obscenity rules, student data rules and local phone policies.
This guide is for Montana technology coordinators, library media specialists and superintendents of districts large and small. It is planning guidance, not legal advice.
The CIPA baseline every Montana E-Rate school starts from
If your district, private school or library applies for E-Rate discounts on internet access or internal connections, CIPA applies. The full background is in our guide to what CIPA is; here is the short version.
What CIPA asks you to do
- Run a technology protection measure that blocks or filters visual depictions that are obscene or child pornography, for every user.
- On computers used by minors, also block depictions that are harmful to minors.
- Adopt an internet safety policy after public notice and at least one public hearing or meeting.
- Monitor the online activities of minors, and teach them about appropriate online behavior, social networking and cyberbullying.
How you prove it
- Certify compliance each funding year on FCC Form 486, or Form 479 if you are a member of a consortium.
- The policy must address access to inappropriate material, safety in email and chat, hacking and other unlawful activity, disclosure of minors' personal information, and the filter itself.
- An authorized person may disable the filter for an adult doing bona fide research or other lawful work.
- Keep records: auditors ask for the policy, the meeting notice and proof the filter ran.
One person, several Montana schools, and a filter that runs without daily upkeep
With no state filtering law, a Montana district relies on CIPA, and often on a single technology lead to deliver it. Our hosted CIPA filter is a DNS filter that we run for you, which leaves you with settings to review rather than lists to maintain.
- Each school or branch has its own settings in one console
- Always-allow and always-block lists handle the odd teacher request quickly
- Students on home internet keep the same rules through a private encrypted link
What Montana adds: the layers around your filter
Montana has not written its own filtering standard into the school code, so the plain answer is that the filtering rule is CIPA. What Montana adds are the layers that sit around the filter and shape how you configure it, document it and talk about it.
The filtering and policy duty for E-Rate schools and libraries. This is the only layer that requires a technology protection measure.
Title 45, Chapter 8 of the Montana Code, amended by HB 234 in 2023. It does not mandate filters, but it changed how exposure to obscene material is treated for school employees.
The Montana Pupil Online Personal Information Protection Act, MCA 20-7-1323 to 20-7-1326. It limits what online service operators, including filter and monitoring providers, may do with pupil information.
The Bully-Free Montana Act requires district policies on bullying, which reaches electronic communication. Your filter and monitoring logs often become evidence under it.
Phone limits, acceptable use and AI tool rules are set by each board. HB 234 also confirmed that local entities may adopt policies more restrictive than state law.
Montana timeline: laws that touch school internet use
A short history of the Montana measures that school technology and library staff are most often asked about, with their status at our last check in October 2026.
CIPA and E-Rate certification Federal, in force
Montana districts and public libraries that take E-Rate have certified CIPA compliance every funding year since the law took effect. It remains the filtering rule.
Bully-Free Montana Act In force
Requires districts to adopt bullying policies covering conduct that includes electronic communication. Check the current text for the reporting and investigation steps it expects.
HB 745: Pupil Online Personal Information Protection Act In force
Codified at MCA 20-7-1323 to 20-7-1326. Protects pupils from marketing based on information collected by K-12 online services, and sets contract expectations for districts.
HB 234: obscenity law amendments Effective May 10, 2023
Amended 45-8-201, 45-8-205, 45-8-206 and 45-9-201. Removed certain exceptions for school, library and museum employees, and confirmed local power to be stricter.
SB 419: statewide TikTok ban Preliminarily enjoined
Aimed at the platform and app stores. A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction on November 30, 2023, finding the law likely violates the First Amendment.
SB 544: age verification for adult websites Targets websites
Requires reasonable age verification by sites where a large share of content is harmful to minors, from January 1, 2024. It places duties on websites, not on schools.
Governor's call for cell phone free schools Voluntary
The governor wrote to districts in August 2024 urging phone free classrooms and sought incentive funds in 2025. We found no statewide phone law at our last check.
HB 234 in plain terms: why it matters to a school filter
HB 234 was one of the most debated bills of Montana's 2023 session. It started as a broad restriction and was amended heavily before passage. What reached the books still matters to school staff.
What the law changed
- Section 45-8-206 deals with public display or dissemination of obscene material to minors.
- The Office of Public Instruction summary says the amendment removed exceptions that had applied to employees and officers, and to nudity displayed for a bona fide scientific or medical purpose in a school, library or museum.
- The enacted version lets local entities, including school districts, adopt policies stricter than state law when defining what they restrict.
- It took effect on May 10, 2023.
What it did not do
- It did not create a Montana filtering mandate or a filtering standard for school networks.
- It did not change CIPA certification. Forms 486 and 479 work as before.
- It did not tell districts which websites or categories to block.
- It did not replace your board's materials review process for books and curriculum.
Montana platform laws and what schools should take from them
Montana has passed laws aimed at apps and websites rather than schools. They make headlines, but they do not change what you must do on your own network.
| Law | Who carries the duty | Status at our last check | What it means for your filter |
|---|---|---|---|
| SB 419 (2023), TikTok ban | The platform and app stores | Preliminarily enjoined November 30, 2023 | No change. Blocking TikTok at school stays a local decision, usually through the Social Networking category. |
| SB 544 (2023), age verification | Websites with a large share of content harmful to minors | Effective January 1, 2024; some sites chose to block Montana users | Do not rely on it. Adult sites can still be reached from outside the state or through proxies, so keep Adult blocked. |
| HB 234 (2023), obscenity law | Individuals, including school staff | In force since May 10, 2023 | Raises the value of documented, consistent filtering for minors. |
Phones in Montana schools: local policy, not state law
Montana is one of a shrinking group of states without a statewide law on student phone use at our last check. The push has come from the governor's office, while boards write the rules.
What it means for filtering and monitoring in Montana
With CIPA as the only filtering mandate, Montana districts have room to decide the details. These are the decisions that matter most, from a one-school rural district to a city system.
Examples from our data of the routes a Montana filter has to close
The guide says to block proxy, P2P and remote access categories for students. Here is how well-known names are labelled in our database.
| Domain | Categories in our data | Why it appears on a Montana list |
|---|---|---|
| torproject.org | VPN / Proxy / Anonymizers | Tunnels past a school filter |
| psiphon.ca | VPN / Proxy / Anonymizers | A circumvention tool that students share |
| anydesk.com | Remote Access Tools | Lets someone else drive a school device |
| bittorrent.com | File Sharing/P2P | Heavy traffic on a small rural link |
| xvideos.com | Adult | Part of the CIPA core that HB 234 makes more important to document |
Rural and small district realities
Many Montana districts have one technology person, or share one through a cooperative. The filter has to run without daily attention. These are the setups that tend to work.
| Situation | Risk | What helps |
|---|---|---|
| One technology lead for several schools | Rule changes and unblock requests pile up | Category-based rules that update on their own, plus a simple request form for teachers |
| Students on satellite or cellular internet at home | School devices leave the network filter behind | A device-based filter or 1:1 Chromebook filtering that follows the device |
| Shared library and school building | Adult patrons and students on the same network | Separate rule sets for adult and minor users, as described in web filtering for libraries |
| Consortium E-Rate filing | Members unsure who certifies what | Each member keeps its own policy and evidence; check which form your consortium uses |
| Many new websites each week | New gaming, proxy and AI sites slip through | Category data that adds newly registered domains daily |
Keeping the rules on a laptop at home on rural internet
A private encrypted link keeps the same rules on laptops and phones away from the school network. Public encrypted DNS and browser settings that skip the filter are blocked by default.
Student data: the Montana Pupil Online Personal Information Protection Act
Filters and monitoring tools collect a lot of information about students: sites visited, search terms, sometimes screenshots. Montana's 2019 law governs how online service operators may use it.
What the act covers
- Information created or provided by pupils, parents or staff through a K-12 online application, or gathered by the operator through it.
- Examples include educational records, email and contact information.
- Montana data privacy agreements built on the act state that pupil records stay the property of the district and bar targeted advertising.
What to check with your filter provider
- Where browsing logs are stored, and for how long.
- Whether logs are ever used for anything other than providing the service to you.
- Who at the provider can see student data, and how a breach would be reported.
- That the contract or data privacy agreement names MCA 20-7-1323 to 20-7-1326.
Montana compliance checklist, by season
Spread the work across the year so the E-Rate deadline is not a scramble. The general CIPA compliance checklist goes deeper on the federal items.
Spring
- Review the internet safety policy against every CIPA topic
- Give public notice and hold the hearing or meeting if the policy changed
- Check board policy on phones and personal devices
- Confirm HB 234 questions with district counsel
- File or confirm Form 486 timing for the funding year
Summer
- Export and archive the student and staff rule sets
- Test Adult, Gambling and VPN / Proxy blocks on each device type
- Review data privacy agreements for filter and monitoring tools
- Update the AI tools allow and block lists
- Set up filtering on new devices before they ship to students
Fall
- Run digital citizenship and cyberbullying lessons, and record them
- Brief staff on monitoring alerts and bullying procedures
- Test filtering on devices used at home
- Review unblock requests and over-blocking complaints
- Spot-check new sites with a domain category check
Evidence to keep in your Montana CIPA folder
E-Rate audits and reviews ask for proof, not promises. Keep one folder per funding year with these records.
Internet safety policy
The adopted version, with the date and board minutes.
Notice and meeting
The public notice and the agenda or minutes of the hearing or meeting.
Filter rule sets
Exports for students, staff and guests, showing blocked categories.
Test results
Dated screenshots of blocked test sites on each device type.
Lesson records
Dates, grades and topics of online safety teaching.
Monitoring procedure
Who reviews activity and how incidents are handled.
Data agreements
Signed privacy agreements with filter and monitoring providers.
Filed forms
Copies of Form 486 or 479 and any confirmations.
Running Montana filtering: hosted filter or in-house
The rows follow the rural situations listed earlier on the page.
| Situation | Hosted CIPA filter | In-house setup |
|---|---|---|
| One technology lead for several schools | Categories do the sorting and one console holds every school | Lists and rules kept by that one person |
| Students on satellite or cellular internet at home | A private encrypted link applies the rules off the network | Filtering ends when the device leaves the building |
| A teacher needs a site for tomorrow | An always-allow entry for that school | Edits to the main rule set |
| Adult research by an authorised adult | Staff PIN for 15, 30 or 60 minutes, logged, then it reverts | Filter switched off and on by hand |
| Documents for an E-Rate review | Policy record, reports and log export | Screenshots gathered before the deadline |
| Software on student devices | None installed | Depends on the tool chosen |
Montana school internet safety FAQ
Does Montana have a state law that requires schools to filter the internet?
We found no Montana statute that sets its own filtering standard for K-12 schools. E-Rate schools filter because of CIPA. State law shapes the setting through obscenity rules, student data rules and local policy.
What did HB 234 (2023) change for schools?
It amended Montana's obscenity statutes, removing certain exceptions for school, library and museum employees and confirming that districts may adopt stricter local policies. It took effect on May 10, 2023.
Is there a statewide cellphone ban in Montana schools?
Not at our last check. The governor has urged districts to go phone free, and most districts limit phones through board policy.
Which law protects student data held by online services?
The Montana Pupil Online Personal Information Protection Act, MCA 20-7-1323 to 20-7-1326, from 2019. It limits how K-12 online service operators use pupil information and bars targeted advertising.
Does Montana's TikTok ban apply to school networks?
No. SB 419 targeted the platform and app stores and was preliminarily enjoined in November 2023. Blocking TikTok at school is a local filtering choice.
Does CIPA apply to Montana private and tribal schools?
CIPA applies to any school or library that takes E-Rate for internet access or internal connections, whatever its type. If you apply, you certify.
Compare Montana with other states
Neighbouring and peer states have taken different routes, from detailed filtering statutes to phone-only laws.
See every state on our school internet safety laws by state hub.
Related guides
- CIPA Internet Safety Policy: What It Must Contain and How to Write One
- Web Filtering for Small and Rural School Districts
- Explaining Web Filtering to Parents: Letters, FAQs, Clear Limits
- North Dakota School Internet Safety Laws: CIPA, HB 1160, HB 1205
- Idaho School Internet Safety Laws: CIPA, 33-132 and Phones
Whether it is one building or a whole county, the price depends on your number of schools and devices, and our quote follows within one business day. If you would like to see it working first, a pilot in one Montana school shows the blocks and reports.
Talk to us about your district
Whether you run one rural school or a city system, we can show how CIPA category filtering and clear category reports can fit your Montana setup.