Montana Title 27. Civil Liability, Remedies, and Limitations § 27-1-718. Civil penalty for shoplifting

(1) An adult or emancipated minor who takes possession of any goods, wares, or merchandise displayed or offered for sale by any store or other mercantile establishment without the consent of the owner or seller and with the intention of converting the goods to the taker's own use without having paid the purchase price of the goods is liable to the owner or seller for a penalty, whether or not the goods have been returned undamaged, in the amount of the greater of $100 or the retail value of the goods, not to exceed $1,000. This amount is in addition to actual damages.

(2) When an unemancipated minor takes possession of any goods, wares, or merchandise displayed or offered for sale by any store or other mercantile establishment without the consent of the owner or seller and with the intention of converting the goods to the minor's own use without having paid the purchase price of the goods, the minor's parent or legal guardian having custody of the minor is liable to the owner or seller for a penalty, whether or not the goods have been returned undamaged, equal to the greater of $100 or the retail value of the goods, not to exceed $1,000. For the purposes of this subsection (2), liability may not be imposed upon any governmental or private agency that has been assigned responsibility for the minor child pursuant to court order or action of the department of corrections or the department of public health and human services.

(3) Judgments and claims arising under this section may be assigned.

(4) A conviction for violation of 45-6-301 is not a condition precedent to maintenance of a civil action under this section.

(5) For purposes of this section, the term “emancipated minor” means a person under 18 years of age who is self-supporting from personal earnings or is married. A person who received more than 25% of the cost of support from any person other than an agency of the government may not be considered an emancipated minor.