Montana Title 45. Crimes § 45-1-205. General time limitations

(1)(a) A prosecution for deliberate, mitigated, or negligent homicide may be commenced at any time.

(b) Except as provided in subsection (1)(c) or (9), a prosecution for a felony offense under 45-5-502, 45-5-503, 45-5-504, 45-5-507(4) or (5), 45-5-625, or 45-5-627 may be commenced within 10 years after it is committed.

(c) A prosecution for an offense under 45-5-502, 45-5-503, 45-5-504, 45-5-507, 45-5-508, 45-5-625, 45-5-627, 45-5-702, 45-5-705, 45-5-706, or 45-5-711 may be commenced at any time if the victim was less than 18 years of age at the time that the offense occurred.

(a) A prosecution for a felony must be commenced within 5 years after it is committed.

(b) A prosecution for a misdemeanor must be commenced within 1 year after it is committed.

(a) if the aggrieved person is a minor or incompetent, during the minority or incompetency or within 1 year after the termination of the minority or incompetency;

(b) in any other instance, within 1 year after the discovery of the offense by the aggrieved person or by a person who has legal capacity to represent an aggrieved person or has a legal duty to report the offense and is not personally a party to the offense or, in the absence of discovery, within 1 year after the prosecuting officer becomes aware of the offense.

(7)(a) An offense is committed either when every element occurs or, when the offense is based upon a continuing course of conduct, at the time when the course of conduct is terminated. Time starts to run on the day after the offense is committed.

(b) A prosecution for theft under 45-6-301 may be commenced at any time during the 5 years following the date of the theft, whether or not the offender is in possession of or otherwise exerting unauthorized control over the property at the time the prosecution is commenced. After the 5-year period ends, a prosecution may be commenced at any time if the offender is still in possession of or otherwise exerting unauthorized control over the property, except that the prosecution must be commenced within 1 year after the investigating officer discovers that the offender still possesses or is otherwise exerting unauthorized control over the property.