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Montana building departments

Find local permit offices, inspection services, and official resources across Montana.

8 department guides · 7 with online permit portals · 56 counties & county equivalents

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How permitting works in Montana

State program outside certified local jurisdictions. Montana certified cities, counties, and towns run their own building programs. Elsewhere the state Building Codes Program applies, but homes with fewer than five units there do not need a state building permit, though state electrical permits still apply.

A county name is only a geographic starting point. Depending on the address, a city, town, borough, township, or county office may issue your permit. How to check who issues your permit.

Montana building codes and licensing

Residential code
2024 International Residential Code as amended by ARM Title 24, Chapter 301; effective September 26, 2026
Commercial code
2024 International Building Code as amended by ARM Title 24, Chapter 301; effective September 26, 2026 (2023 NEC and 2024 UPC same date)
Outside city limits
Cities, counties, and towns may run certified local code programs. Everywhere else falls under the state Building Codes Program, but state law exempts residential buildings with fewer than five units, private garages, and farm buildings there from a state building permit.
Contractor licensing
Under House Bill 239 (2025), Montana moved from contractor registration to licensing. Since January 1, 2026, construction contractors must be licensed by DLI, and registrations active on Dec. 31, 2025 were converted to licenses. Electrical work is permitted and inspected separately. Montana DLI – Construction Contractor License (CCL) Program (opens in a new tab)

What is different in Montana

  • State electrical permits are required for all electrical work except in cities, counties, and towns certified to issue their own electrical permits. Homeowners can get a permit to wire their own home.
  • All state-owned buildings must be permitted through the state Building Codes Program, even inside certified local jurisdictions.
  • The state building permit and plan review fee is generally 1% to 2% of building valuation, and plan review averages two to three weeks.

Montana department guides

Browse Montana counties

Bold counties have at least one researched department guide.

Beaverhead CountyBig Horn CountyBlaine CountyBroadwater CountyCarbon CountyCarter CountyCascade CountyChouteau CountyCuster CountyDaniels CountyDawson CountyDeer Lodge CountyFallon CountyFergus CountyFlathead CountyGallatin CountyGarfield CountyGlacier CountyGolden Valley CountyGranite CountyHill CountyJefferson CountyJudith Basin CountyLake CountyLewis and Clark CountyLiberty CountyLincoln CountyMcCone CountyMadison CountyMeagher CountyMineral CountyMissoula CountyMusselshell CountyPark CountyPetroleum CountyPhillips CountyPondera CountyPowder River CountyPowell CountyPrairie CountyRavalli CountyRichland CountyRoosevelt CountyRosebud CountySanders CountySheridan CountySilver Bow CountyStillwater CountySweet Grass CountyTeton CountyToole CountyTreasure CountyValley CountyWheatland CountyWibaux CountyYellowstone County

Planning a project in Montana?

Start with what the model codes say, then confirm local rules with the department that serves your address.

Sources

  1. Montana Department of Labor & Industry, Building Codes Program
  2. Montana DLI – Montana Building Codes Program
  3. Montana DLI – Is a State Building Permit Needed?
  4. Montana DLI – Electrical Permits
  5. Montana DLI – Construction Contractor License Program

State facts checked October 21, 2026. Local amendments can change these rules; the department serving your address has the final word.