The official Montana abbreviation for addresses is MT, the short code mail carriers and forms use for the Treasure State. Newspapers and older documents also use Mont., a capital M plus a period at the end.
Which one you pick depends on where it is going. Envelopes, shipping labels and online forms want MT. A newspaper dateline or a reference list may call for Mont. In ordinary sentences, most style guides say to write out Montana in full.
Quick facts
Postal code
MTTraditional abbreviation
Mont.AP style
Mont. in datelines; spell out Montana in story textCapital city
HelenaTime zone
Mountain Time, also shortened to MTNot to be confused with
MO (Missouri), MN (Minnesota), MS (Mississippi)
The Montana abbreviation at a glance
| Form | Where it fits | Example |
|---|---|---|
| MT | Mail, shipping, forms, databases | Missoula, MT 59801 |
| Mont. | Traditional writing, AP datelines, lists | BILLINGS, Mont. (dateline) |
| Montana | Sentences in most styles | Her ranch is in eastern Montana. |
MT is all capitals and never takes a period. Mont., by contrast, starts with a capital, keeps three lowercase letters and closes with a dot.
When to use MT
Two-letter state codes date from the 1960s, when mail volume was growing and the new ZIP Code system called for short, uniform address lines. MT is the right choice anywhere a form or label asks for a state:
- The last line of a mailing address, before the ZIP Code
- Drop-down menus on shopping and job sites
- Driver and vehicle records, spreadsheets and databases
- Return addresses on packages
On an envelope: "Treasure State Feed, 120 Main St, Helena MT 59601." The post office reads MT as Montana. Many mailers leave out the comma between the city and the code, and both ways get delivered.
Montana ZIP Codes run in the 590 to 599 range, so a ZIP beginning with 59 is another clue the letters mean Montana.
Mont. and AP style
Long before MT existed, Mont. was how editors and clerks clipped the name. News style still uses those traditional forms in certain spots. In AP style, a reporter writes the state name in full inside the story but uses Mont. when the place name opens a story's dateline and in places like tables or party listings. Other style guides used in books and academic work generally prefer the full name in text.
In a news story: "BOZEMAN, Mont. The county opened two new trailheads this week." Later in the same story, the writer would say "in southwest Montana," not "in southwest Mont."
MT and the M codes people mix up
Seven other state names begin with the same M, so code mix-ups happen a lot. One wrong letter can route a box to the opposite side of the country.
- MT is Montana.
- MO is Missouri, not Montana.
- MN is Minnesota.
- MS is Mississippi.
- ME is Maine, MD is Maryland, MA is Massachusetts and MI is Michigan.
A simple memory hook: MT uses the first letter of Montana and the T from the middle of the name, while MO, MN and MS borrow letters from their own state names.
Other things MT can mean
The letters show up outside addresses, too. MT is a common shortening of Mountain Time, the zone that covers Montana, so a flyer that says "7 p.m. MT" is about the clock, not the state. Mt. with a period usually means mount or mountain, as in Mt. Helena. In shipping and trade, MT can mean metric ton. On a phone or tablet keyboard, people sometimes type "mt" as shorthand for empty. Look at what surrounds the letters to know which meaning applies.
Quick tips for writing Montana
- Put MT on envelopes, labels and state fields in forms.
- Save Mont. for datelines and lists in traditional or AP style.
- Spell out Montana in sentences, especially when it stands alone.
- Do not write M.T. or Mt. for the state.
- Double-check MT against MO and MN before you print labels in bulk.
You can compare every state's codes on the state abbreviations page, or use the how to abbreviate guide for broader rules.
Questions people ask
What is the abbreviation for Montana?
The postal abbreviation for Montana is MT. The older traditional abbreviation, still used in AP datelines, is Mont.
What is the MT state abbreviation used for?
MT is the standard two-letter code for Montana on mail, packages, forms and data. It is what the Postal Service and most online forms expect.
Is MO the abbreviation for Montana?
No. MO is Missouri. Montana's code is MT, and people swap the two often enough that carriers check each code against the ZIP Code.
Does the Montana state abbreviation need a period?
MT never gets one. Mont., the older style, always closes with a dot.
Why is Montana MT and not MO or MN?
MO and MN were given to Missouri and Minnesota, so Montana took the M and the T from its name. The codes were chosen to be unique across all states.