The Office of Administrative Hearings is a centralized, stand-alone unit within the Director's Office of the DNRC that hears administrative disputes arising from DNRC program decisions, including the Water Resources, Trust Lands Management, Agriculture and Grazing Divisions, and rule-making proceedings.

This unit is staffed by Administrative Law Judges (ALJ)/Hearing Examiners and administrative support personnel, who conduct and preside over administrative hearings. ALJ/Hearing Examiners are responsible for conducting fair and impartial hearings in accordance with applicable laws, rules, and procedures. They prepare and issue recommended or final decisions that include Findings of Fact, Conclusions of Law, and Orders based on the case record and applicable law.

Vision Statement

The Office of Administrative Hearings strives to provide transparency to assure the public it will be afforded due process through fair, well-reasoned, and consistent decision making.

Core Values

UNIFORMITY Provide consistent formal and informal hearings that are administered with a clean and accurate record.

TRANSPARENCY Promote confidence and trust through open and honest communication, both within the agency and with the public.

FAIRNESS Ensure parties due process by providing adequate notice of the issues and fair opportunities for parties to present their cases.

EFFECTIVENESS Process cases efficiently with well-reasoned decisions.

 CONTACT INFORMATION:

Please do not discuss the facts or issues in dispute with the ALJ/Hearing Examiner.  That would be ex parte communication, which is prohibited.  If you have any questions regarding any cases pending in the Office of Administrative Hearings, please contact the Hearings Assistant.  

Other Information

• Pending OAH Hearings
• OAH Hearing Orders
• OAH Guides and Resources
• Past Hearing Orders for New Appropriations Water Cases
• Certificate of Service Template
  A certificate of service must appear on all original documents certifying the manner in which the document was served (for example, mail, fax, hand-delivery, e-mail).

Rules

• Administrative Rules of Montana (ARM) 36.12: WATER RIGHTS BUREAU
• Montana Codes Annotated (MCA) TITLE 85. WATER USE

Other Useful Websites:

• DNRC, Water Rights Bureau
• DNRC, Trust Lands Management Division
• DNRC, Agriculture and Grazing Bureau
• Montana Water Court Website