Billings, MT Business License Guide

Important 2026 updates

• Billings fee amounts are now shown below. The city’s current Finance links and code show a $20 home occupation tax and a $55 to $215 general basic tax based on gross revenue, plus certain additions when they apply.
• Renew before the anniversary date. Billings code says the annual tax is due on the anniversary of the original payment. It becomes late 10 days after the due date, with a 50% penalty and 1% monthly interest on unpaid tax.
• Montana’s 2026 minimum wage is $10.85 an hour. Montana does not allow a tip credit, meal credit, or training wage under its wage-and-hour laws. A narrow small-business exception may apply only when the business and worker are outside federal coverage.
• FinCEN finalized the BOI rule in August 2026. U.S.-created companies are exempt from federal beneficial ownership information reporting. Certain entities formed under foreign law and registered to do business in the United States may still have duties.

City of Billings business license

Billings uses the term business license. The city says a person conducting business in Billings, or based in Billings, must get a business license on or before the date the business starts. The license applies to business activity in the city even if the business is located outside city limits or has a license from another city.

The city’s Doing Business page points new owners to the city licensing process. The Finance Department handles city business licenses. The city page lists the Finance office at 316 North 26th Street and the mailing path through the Finance Department, but readers should confirm current contact details on the official page before mailing payment.

Billings also says a separate license is required for each business type and each location. If you change the business address, stop doing business, sell the business, or change the type of activity, tell the city. Do not assume the license cancels itself.

When a completed application and payment are received, the city says it issues a temporary-license receipt and mails the permanent license in about two to four weeks. Keep that receipt, and display or carry the tax receipt as the city code requires for your type of operation.

Costs you can plan for

Billings’ current Finance quick links still point to a file labeled Business Tax Fee Schedule 2024. The amounts below also appear in the city code as amended by Ordinance 25-5900. Because the filename is not the same thing as an effective date, enter through the current city page and confirm your category before paying.

A separate tax is due for each separate business or site. The annual tax is due by the anniversary of the original payment. Under the city code, an unpaid amount becomes late 10 days after the due date; the city assesses a penalty equal to 50% of the tax plus interest at 1% per month from the due date.

Keep copies of receipts, licenses, approvals, and agency emails. They help when you renew, move, sell, or apply for a loan, lease, insurance, or platform account.

Zoning, home businesses, buildings, fire, signs, and short-term rentals

Zoning is one of the first things to check in Billings. The Planning Division handles zoning permits and applications, including zoning compliance, temporary use, signs, temporary signs, short-term rentals, and related reviews through Zoning Permits and Applications. A use that worked for a past tenant may not work for your business.

Home-based businesses need special care. Billings says businesses operated from a home must have a business license and must comply with the zoning ordinance. The city’s current FAQ says home occupations do not allow employees to work from or meet at the home. It also limits the business to one business vehicle at the residence and gives parking, weight, and street-storage rules. Ask Planning how those rules fit your setup before hiring, storing equipment, or inviting customers. For more context, see our home occupation permit guide.

Building and fire checks may apply if you build, remodel, change the use of a space, add equipment, or open a place where customers enter. The Building Division directs permit applications through CityView. The city’s certificate of occupancy information explains that required inspections and corrections come before occupancy approval.

Signs are separate. Billings tells business owners to contact Planning for sign permits and regulations on the city Signs page. A residential rental for less than 30 days inside city limits needs both an annual short-term rental permit for each location and a current city business license. Always check the current city page before listing a unit.

Yellowstone County and RiverStone Health checks

Billings sits in Yellowstone County, but city and county rules are not the same. If the business site is outside city limits, ask which county zoning, road, floodplain, or health rules apply. Yellowstone County says county permits are required for work in county public right-of-way, including access that connects to a county or dedicated road. The county’s Public Works permits page also says Yellowstone County does not issue building permits or certificates of occupancy for structures outside the City of Billings.

Health rules are a major county-level check. RiverStone Health serves as the Yellowstone City-County Health Department for inspections and permits. Its inspections and permits page covers food, temporary food, mobile food, body art, pools and spas, septic, hotels, childcare, trailer courts, and other public health areas.

For restaurants and mobile food units, RiverStone says a new operator should submit plan review and its fee, contact local agencies for building, zoning, and fire requirements, wait for written plan approval before construction or remodeling, and schedule a pre-opening inspection. Restaurant licenses run January 1 through December 31; renewal payments are due by December 31 to avoid a late fee. Mobile food sellers should also read the RiverStone mobile food page. If you are starting a truck or cart, our food truck license guide can help you list the common permit layers.

Montana state registrations and licenses

Montana does not use one single statewide general business license for every business. State agencies handle business entity filings, tax accounts, professional licenses, and certain industry licenses. Local city and county offices handle many local license and permit issues.

If you form an LLC, corporation, nonprofit, or other registered entity, check the Montana Secretary of State Business Services page. A sole proprietor operating under a name other than the owner’s own name must register an assumed business name. The official portal says an assumed business name filing costs $20 and renews every five years. File through Montana Online Business Services.

LLCs and corporations must also file an annual report. For 2026, the Secretary of State waived the fee for reports filed from January 1 through April 15. The current help page lists a $35 fee after April 15 and later final deadlines of November 1 for foreign entities and December 1 for domestic entities. Use the official portal rather than paying an unofficial compliance mailing.

Montana launched a new eStop Business Licenses portal in September 2025, now administered by the Department of Labor & Industry. It covers selected license types such as retail food when paired with another eStop license, tobacco and vapor products, nursery and landscape services, weighing or measuring devices, underground tanks, lottery, and certain off-premises beer and wine sales. It is not a universal state business license.

The Montana Department of Revenue explains on its sales tax page that Montana does not have a general-use sales tax. That does not remove city licensing, income tax, employer, lodging, alcohol, cannabis, or sales-tax duties in other states where an online seller has enough business activity.

If you hire, register through UI eServices for Employers when unemployment insurance applies, arrange workers’ compensation coverage unless an exception applies, and report new or rehired workers within 20 days. Montana’s 2026 minimum wage is $10.85 an hour. The state’s LEGAL Act, effective July 1, 2025, also authorizes DLI to verify that employers checked identity and work authorization; DLI says the law does not require E-Verify and links employers to current Form I-9 rules.

Contractors, licensed professionals, liquor businesses, cannabis businesses, childcare providers, and other regulated industries should check the agency that handles their field before opening.

Federal steps that may apply

Many Billings businesses need an EIN from the IRS, especially if they hire employees, operate as a partnership or corporation, or meet other IRS rules. Apply only through the official IRS EIN page. The IRS says getting an EIN directly from the IRS is free.

Federal licenses are activity-based. The SBA’s licenses and permits page lists federal areas such as alcohol, aviation, firearms, fish and wildlife, agriculture, broadcasting, and transportation. Check the specific federal agency if your work falls into one of those areas.

FinCEN finalized its beneficial ownership information rule on August 11, 2026, effective August 14, 2026. The current FinCEN BOI page says U.S.-created companies are exempt and U.S. persons do not have to provide BOI. Certain entities formed under foreign law and registered to do business in a U.S. state or Tribal jurisdiction may still be reporting companies. If that describes your entity, check FinCEN’s current filing rules and deadlines.

What does this mean for me?

If you are opening a normal local service business in Billings, your first two checks are usually the city business license and zoning. If customers visit your location, food is served, a sign is installed, workers are hired, or a home is used for work, more checks may follow.

If you are mobile or online, do not skip Billings. The city says business activity in Billings can still require a city license even if the business is based somewhere else. Ask Finance and Planning how your exact activity is treated.

Real-world examples

A compact compliance checklist

• Write down your exact business activity in plain words.
• Confirm whether the address is inside Billings city limits.
• Ask Planning if the use is allowed at the site.
• Ask whether the business creates a change in use.
• Apply for the City of Billings business license.
• Record the city license anniversary date and set an early renewal reminder.
• Check home occupation, sign, short-term rental, building, fire, and certificate of occupancy rules if relevant.
• Contact RiverStone Health before opening a food, mobile food, body art, pool, lodging, septic, or care-related business.
• File Montana Secretary of State, tax, employer, and industry license items if needed; put annual reports and assumed-name renewals on the calendar.
• Get an EIN from the IRS if your structure or hiring plans require one.
• Save copies of licenses, permits, receipts, inspection approvals, and agency emails.

What to do if this doesn’t work

If the portal does not load, the fee category is unclear, or one office sends you to another office, do not guess. Email the office that handles the issue and ask for the next step in writing. Include your business activity, address, customer visits, food or alcohol, signs, employees, and planned start date.

If city and county answers seem to conflict, ask which jurisdiction controls the exact address. If a state agency says a license is needed, ask whether that approval must come before the city license.

About BusinessLicenseGuide.com

BusinessLicenseGuide.com is a plain-English guide for small-business owners. We are not a government agency, law firm, CPA firm, or filing service. Our goal is to help you see which office to ask, which rules may apply, and what to verify before you spend money or open your doors.