19 permits · verified 2026-09-12
What permits do you need to open a coffee shop in Billings?
In short
A coffee shop in Billings, MT has 7 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 12 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. City/County Planning Division, City of Billings Planning & Community Services Department charges $1,719 one-time, per application (FY26 rate, effective July 1, 2025, plus postage) for the zone change. 10 of the 19 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-09-12 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a coffee shop in Billings
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sign Permitonly if it applies to you | City/County Planning Division, City of Billings Planning & Community Services Department | A $2.50-per-square-foot Sign application fee plus a $1.50-per-square-foot Sign permit fee (FY26 rates, effective July 1, 2025). | one-time, per sign — not stated in the published fee schedule | 2026-09-12 |
| Food Establishment Plan Review Fee (Retail Food) | RiverStone Health (Yellowstone City-County Health Department), Environmental Health Services | $250.00 (small) or $350.00 (large) for a new fixed restaurant/retail food establishment plan review, or $150.00 for a minor remodel or change of ownership. A Food Manufacturing establishment plan review is separately priced at $250.00 (small) or $350.00 (large). | one-time, prior to construction/remodeling | 2026-09-12 |
| Special Review (functional Conditional Use Permit)only if it applies to you | City/County Planning Division, City of Billings Planning & Community Services Department | $1,299–$1,776 one-time, per application: $1,299.00 (residential) or $1,776.00 (commercial), FY26 rates effective July 1, 2025, plus postage | one-time, per application; an approval expires one year after issuance unless substantial work has commenced, or once the use has ceased for more than six months (BMCC Sec. 27-1623.H) | 2026-09-12 |
| Retail Food Establishment License (administered locally by RiverStone Health) | RiverStone Health (Yellowstone City-County Health Department), Environmental Health Services | No fee | annual — every Montana food license expires December 31 (Montana state license) | 2026-09-12 |
| Certified Food Protection Manageronly if it applies to you | Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, Environmental Health and Food Safety Section | No fee | set by the accrediting programme | 2026-09-04 |
| Retail Food Establishment License | Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, Environmental Health and Food Safety Section | $150–$275 a year, banded by peak employee count | annual — renew before 31 December | 2026-09-04 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
Local permits that apply to every type of business in Billings
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zoning Clarification (Zoning Verification)only if it applies to you | City/County Planning Division, City of Billings Planning & Community Services Department | Varies — formula on the Billings page | one-time, per request — not stated in the published fee schedule | 2026-09-12 |
| Commercial Building Permit | City of Billings, Building Division | Varies — formula on the Billings page | one-time, per project — not stated in the published fee schedule | 2026-09-12 |
| Zoning Variance (City Board of Adjustment)only if it applies to you | City of Billings, City Board of Adjustment | Varies — formula on the Billings page | one-time, per application | 2026-09-12 |
| City of Billings Business License | City of Billings, Department of Finance (Business License Division) | Varies — formula on the Billings page | annual — one year from the month the license is obtained | 2026-09-12 |
| Certificate of Occupancy | City of Billings, Building Division | No fee | one-time — issued after required inspections confirm code compliance | 2026-09-12 |
| Zone Changeonly if it applies to you | City/County Planning Division, City of Billings Planning & Community Services Department | $1,719 one-time, per application (FY26 rate, effective July 1, 2025, plus postage) | one-time, per application | 2026-09-12 |
| Fire Prevention Business Inspection (City fee not published) | Billings Fire Department, Fire Prevention Bureau | No fee | not applicable | 2026-09-12 |
| Fire System Permit (Installation, Repair, or Replacement of Fire Protection/Alarm Systems)only if it applies to you | Billings Fire Department, Fire Prevention Bureau | Varies — formula on the Billings page | one-time, per system installation, repair, or replacement | 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.
MT registrations that apply to every type of business
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | Montana Secretary of State, Business Services Division | $35 one-time filing | perpetual, but an annual report is due every year | 2026-09-04 |
| Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to you | Montana Secretary of State, Business Services Division | $35 one-time filing | perpetual, but an annual report is due every year | 2026-09-04 |
| Annual Reportonly if it applies to you | Montana Secretary of State, Business Services Division | Varies — formula on the MT page | annual — due between 1 January and 15 April | 2026-09-04 |
| Sales Tax Registration — Montana Department of Revenue Positiononly if it applies to you | Montana Department of Revenue, Business Tax Unit | No fee | not applicable | 2026-09-04 |
| General Business License — Montana Secretary of State Guidanceonly if it applies to you | Montana Secretary of State, Business Services Division | No fee | not applicable | 2026-09-04 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
How much does it actually cost to permit a coffee shop in Billings?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 19 records listed for a coffee shop in Billings, MT, 7 apply to every business of this type and 12 are conditional. Adding every fee on the page together would overstate what most operators pay, because it would include permits they never need.
10 of the 19 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 6 have no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:
Sign Permit: A $2.50-per-square-foot Sign application fee plus a $1.50-per-square-foot Sign permit fee (FY26 rates, effective July 1, 2025).
Food Establishment Plan Review Fee (Retail Food): $250.00 (small) or $350.00 (large) for a new fixed restaurant/retail food establishment plan review, or $150.00 for a minor remodel or change of ownership. A Food Manufacturing establishment plan review is separately priced at $250.00 (small) or $350.00 (large).
Special Review (functional Conditional Use Permit): $1,299–$1,776 one-time, per application: $1,299.00 (residential) or $1,776.00 (commercial), FY26 rates effective July 1, 2025, plus postage
Retail Food Establishment License: $150–$275 a year, banded by peak employee count
The other 6 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Billings permits page and the MT state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Billings?
Permits for a coffee shop in Billings, MT come from 9 separate offices: City/County Planning Division, City of Billings Planning & Community Services Department, City of Billings, Building Division, City of Billings, City Board of Adjustment, City of Billings, Department of Finance (Business License Division), RiverStone Health (Yellowstone City-County Health Department), Environmental Health Services, Billings Fire Department, Fire Prevention Bureau, Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, Environmental Health and Food Safety Section, Montana Secretary of State, Business Services Division, Montana Department of Revenue, Business Tax Unit. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- City/County Planning Division, City of Billings Planning & Community Services DepartmentIssues 4 permits on this page: Sign Permit, Zoning Clarification (Zoning Verification), Special Review (functional Conditional Use Permit), Zone Change2825 3rd Avenue North, Billings, MT 59101 · (406) 657-8247www.billingsmt.gov/103/Planning-Community-Services
- City of Billings, Building DivisionIssues 2 permits on this page: Commercial Building Permit, Certificate of Occupancy316 North 26th Street, Billings, MT 59101 · (406) 657-8270www.billingsmt.gov/67/Building
- City of Billings, City Board of AdjustmentIssues 1 permit on this page: Zoning Variance (City Board of Adjustment)2825 3rd Avenue North, Billings, MT 59101 · (406) 657-8247www.billingsmt.gov/73/City-Board-of-Adjustment
- City of Billings, Department of Finance (Business License Division)Issues 1 permit on this page: City of Billings Business License316 North 26th Street, Billings, MT 59101 (P.O. Box 1178, Billings, MT 59103) · (406) 657-8364www.billingsmt.gov/981/Business-License-Information
- RiverStone Health (Yellowstone City-County Health Department), Environmental Health ServicesIssues 2 permits on this page: Food Establishment Plan Review Fee (Retail Food), Retail Food Establishment License (administered locally by RiverStone Health)123 South 27th Street, Billings, MT 59101 · (406) 256-2770riverstonehealth.org/inspections-permits
- Billings Fire Department, Fire Prevention BureauIssues 2 permits on this page: Fire Prevention Business Inspection (City fee not published), Fire System Permit (Installation, Repair, or Replacement of Fire Protection/Alarm Systems)2305 8th Avenue North, Billings, MT 59101 · (406) 657-8422www.billingsmt.gov/453/Fire-Prevention-Bureau
- Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, Environmental Health and Food Safety SectionIssues 2 permits on this page: Certified Food Protection Manager, Retail Food Establishment License1400 Broadway, Helena, MT 59620dphhs.mt.gov/publichealth/EHFS/RetailFood
- Montana Secretary of State, Business Services DivisionIssues 4 permits on this page: Articles of Incorporation, Articles of Organization (LLC), Annual Report, General Business License — Montana Secretary of State Guidance1301 6th Avenue, Room 260, Helena, MT 59620 · (406) 444-3665sosmt.gov/business
- Montana Department of Revenue, Business Tax UnitIssues 1 permit on this page: Sales Tax Registration — Montana Department of Revenue Position(406) 444-6900revenue.mt.gov/taxes/general-sales-tax
What does a coffee shop need in Billings that other businesses do not?
Food Establishment Plan Review Fee (Retail Food)
Submitted to RiverStone Health at least 30 days prior to construction, per the Department's own current application. This is a genuine, additional local charge on top of the State of Montana's own Retail Food (Purveyor) License fee, collected separately at the pre-opening inspection and recorded below. A coffee shop preparing and serving food or drink to the public falls under this plan review alongside a restaurant.
Certified Food Protection Manager
No state fee — the health department's own training page states plainly that only food manager certification is required by the state, purchased from an ANSI-CFP accredited provider at that provider's own price. There is no separate general food handler card requirement layered on top. A low-risk establishment, and certain temporary establishments conducting specific limited activities, are exempt from needing a certified manager at all under the state's own published exemption criteria.
Shared with other businesses in Billings
- Sign Permit — City/County Planning Division, City of Billings Planning & Community Services Department, A $2.50-per-square-foot Sign application fee plus a $1.50-per-square-foot Sign permit fee (FY26 rates, effective July 1, 2025)., one-time, per sign — not stated in the published fee schedule. Also required for restaurants, retail stores, salons and barbers, fitness studios, auto repair shops and veterinary clinics; what it involves is set out on the veterinary clinics page.
- Special Review (functional Conditional Use Permit) — City/County Planning Division, City of Billings Planning & Community Services Department, $1,299–$1,776 one-time, per application: $1,299.00 (residential) or $1,776.00 (commercial), FY26 rates effective July 1, 2025, plus postage, one-time, per application; an approval expires one year after issuance unless substantial work has commenced, or once the use has ceased for more than six months (BMCC Sec. 27-1623.H). Also required for restaurants, retail stores, childcare centres and auto repair shops; what it involves is set out on the retail stores page.
- Retail Food Establishment License (administered locally by RiverStone Health) — RiverStone Health (Yellowstone City-County Health Department), Environmental Health Services, No fee, annual — every Montana food license expires December 31 (Montana state license). Also required for restaurants and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the restaurants page.
- Retail Food Establishment License — Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, Environmental Health and Food Safety Section, $150–$275 a year, banded by peak employee count, annual — renew before 31 December. Also required for restaurants and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the restaurants page.
The other 8 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Billings, MT; what each one involves is set out on the Billings permits page. The 5 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across MT and are covered on the MT state page.
How does a coffee shop compare with other businesses in Billings?
The closest match is a restaurant, which shares 6 of these permits. A restaurant needs Temporary Food Service Plan Review & Permit and HACCP Plan Review / Variance Request Fee, which a coffee shop does not.
| Business | Its own permits | Shared with a coffee shop | Only a coffee shop needs | Only it needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurants | 8 | 6 | 0 | 2 |
| Food trucks | 7 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| Retail stores | 3 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| Auto repair shops | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2 |
| Fitness studios | 2 | 1 | 5 | 1 |
| Childcare centres | 3 | 1 | 5 | 2 |
| Salons and barbers | 3 | 1 | 5 | 2 |
| Veterinary clinics | 3 | 1 | 5 | 2 |
| Contractors and trades | 4 | 0 | 6 | 4 |
Sources
Every figure for the permits explained on this page was read from one of these government pages on the date shown. Sources for the permits shared with other businesses are listed with their explanations on the veterinary clinics page, retail stores page and restaurants page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Billings permits page and the MT state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- Plan Review Application, Retail Food, Food Manufacturers and Food Wholesalers (version 11/20/2025) — RiverStone Health's own current fixed-establishment Plan Review Fees ($250.00/$350.00/$150.00; Manufacturing $250.00/$350.00) and the current, correct $150.00-$275.00 state Retail Food Establishment License figureRiverStone Health (Yellowstone City-County Health Department) · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-12
- Montana DPHHS — certified food protection manager exemption guidanceMontana Department of Public Health and Human Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
Related
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.