No, chopping down a cactus in your Montana yard is not illegal, unlike Arizona where native saguaro cacti are protected as felonies under state law. Montana lacks specific statutes banning cactus removal on private property, treating them as standard landscaping plants absent endangered status or local rules.​
Arizona Context
Arizona classifies saguaro and certain cacti as state property, making unauthorized removal, mutilation, or transport a class 5 felony punishable by fines up to $10,000 and jail time, even on private land without permits. [prior pattern] Protections aim to preserve iconic desert flora, requiring tags for legal ones. [prior pattern]
Montana Rules
On your own Montana property, homeowners can remove non-native or common cacti (like prickly pear) freely, as no state law mirrors Arizona’s protections. Native plants face wildcrafting restrictions mainly on public/state lands, needing landowner permission for commercial harvest, but private yards fall under general property rights.​
Exceptions and Advice
Endangered species under Montana’s Species of Concern list (few cacti qualify) or noxious weeds trigger rules via the Department of Agriculture. Local zoning or HOA covenants may limit alterations; check county ordinances and survey for boundaries before acting.
SOURCES
[1](https://mtnativeplants.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Guidelines-for-Collecting-Native-Plants-2024-web-version.pdf)
[2](https://archive.legmt.gov/bills/billhtml/sb0178.htm)
[3](https://www.animallaw.info/statute/mt-exotic-wildlife-part-7-importation-introduction-and-transplantation-wildlife)
[4](https://www.montana.edu/extension/pesticides/reference/laws.html)
[5](https://www.nationalplantboard.org/uploads/1/3/6/7/136771235/montana_laws_and_regulations_npb_2023_updates.pdf)
