Billings
City of Billings, Department of Finance (Business License Division)
In short
City of Billings, Department of Finance (Business License Division) issues 2 permits we publish for Billings, last verified 2026-09-12. Each carries the fee as the agency publishes it, with a link to the schedule it was read from.
What this agency issues
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Industry-Specific Municipal License (not found beyond the general Business License)only if it applies to you | City of Billings, Department of Finance (Business License Division) | No fee | not applicable | 2026-09-12 |
| City of Billings Business License | City of Billings, Department of Finance (Business License Division) | Basic Tax, tiered by the licensee's own gross revenue: Category I ($0-$100,000): $55.00; Category II (over $100,000 to $2,000,000): $90.00; Category III (over $2,000,000 to $3,000,000): $140.00; Category IV (over $3,000,000): $215.00 — or a flat $20.00 'Home occupation' Basic Tax across every revenue category for a business run from a home. Plus $6.00 per full-time-equivalent employee or independent contractor in excess of 5 (all categories), plus a flat $50.00 Health Inspection fee (or $50.00 Health Reinspection fee where a reinspection is needed), plus an optional $12.00 Delivery Permit fee per vehicle, plus optional liquor endorsement fees of $500.00 (all-beverage), $200.00 (beer), or $200.00 (wine) where applicable. | annual — one year from the month the license is obtained | 2026-09-12 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
About each permit
Industry-Specific Municipal License (not found beyond the general Business License)
No fee applies beyond the general Business License already recorded above. There is no Billings-specific ordinance comparable to Nampa, Idaho's Massage Establishment License or any dedicated local product for a retail store, an auto repair shop, a veterinary practice, or a fitness studio — each of these industries' Billings-specific obligations are instead the general Business License, the same commercial Building Permit, Certificate of Occupancy, Sign Permit (where applicable), and Special Review/Variance approvals recorded elsewhere in this file, on top of whatever trade-specific state professional license already applies (recorded at the Montana state layer).
City of Billings Business License
Billings runs a genuinely broad general business license, not a narrow enumerated activity list like those of Bangor, Maine or Nampa, Idaho: the City's own Business License Information page states that 'Any person who conducts business in the City or is based in the City must obtain a business license on or before the date the business commences,' true even for a business physically located outside city limits, and a separate license is required for each business type and each location. The License is administered by the Finance Department rather than a City Clerk's office. The 'Basic Tax' line on the City's own current fee-computation form is left blank on the form itself for staff to fill in; the rate table is codified at Sec. 13-424 (Tax Schedule), and its Category I figure ($55.00) matches the fee-computation form's own pre-printed Category I amount. A business selling liquor pays an additional endorsement fee on top of the base computation.
Contact
- Jurisdiction
- Billings
- Phone
- (406) 657-8364
Contact details are taken from the agency’s own site or its published fee schedule. Where we have not verified a phone number we leave it blank rather than guess.
Sources
Every fee and term above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- Business License Information — the City's own page confirming every business operating in or based in the City must hold a Business LicenseCity of Billings, Montana, Department of Finance · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-12
- Business Tax Determination (Department of Finance) — the City's own current fee-computation form: Health Fee ($50.00), per-employee fee ($6.00 over 5), Delivery Permit ($12.00), liquor endorsement fees ($200.00-$500.00), and Ordinance No. 12-5587 compliance provisionCity of Billings, Montana, Department of Finance · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-12
- City of Billings Code of Ordinances, Chapter 13, Article 13-400 (Taxation), Sec. 13-424 (Tax Schedule) — the codified Basic Tax table by gross-revenue category, Home Occupation rate, per-employee addition, Health Inspection/Reinspection fees, and liquor license fees. Its Category I figure and liquor fees match the City's own business tax form ('biztaxform').City of Billings, Montana, via Municode · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-12
- FAQ — 'Do I need a City of Billings Business License?' confirming the license requirement and renewal cycleCity of Billings, Montana · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-12
Other offices serving Billings
- City/County Planning Division, City of Billings Planning & Community Services Department
- RiverStone Health (Yellowstone City-County Health Department), Environmental Health Services
- City of Billings, Building Division
- Billings Fire Department, Fire Prevention Bureau
- City of Billings, City Board of Adjustment
The full permit list for this jurisdiction
Industry permit lists that include this agency
Montana jurisdictions
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.