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Business licenses and permits in Missoula, Montana

Missoula runs a threshold-based general Business License (required only once a business grosses more than $6,000/year, unlike Billings' no-floor mandate), split into four distinct license types administered by Development Services' Permit & Business Licensing Coordinators rather than a Finance Department or City Clerk: General, Contractor, Itinerant/Mobile Vendor, and Rental. The fee schedule effective October 1, 2026 (Resolution 8970) charges a per-FTE (full-time-equivalent employee) rate that varies by location type — $63/FTE commercial, $42/FTE home-based, $35/FTE outside city limits, $53/FTE for an Itinerant/Mobile Vendor — floored at 4 FTE and capped at 85 FTE, with a flat $28/FTE renewal rate shared across General, Contractor, Itinerant, and Cannabis licenses. A separate $499 Daycare endorsement (new) or $79 (renewal) applies on top for any childcare business. Missoula Public Health (MPH), which its own About page describes as the city-county health department, is the food- and childcare-inspection authority: it prices a flat $285 Basic Plan Review Fee for either a permanent or mobile retail food establishment (no small/large split, unlike Billings' RiverStone Health), collects Montana's own statewide $150-$275 HB853 Retail Food Establishment License fee (listed on this site's Montana state page) at the pre-opening inspection for new licenses, while renewals are paid directly to DPHHS at the state level, and separately conducts childcare sanitation inspections and an optional local Drop-In Childcare certification, neither with a published fee. The Fire Department, unlike Billings', charges its own construction-related plan review and inspection fees directly (from its FY2027 Fire Fee Schedule, Resolution 8971, effective October 1, 2026, scaled by square footage), plus flat $88 Vendor Review and $85 Café Review fees tied to mobile vending and sidewalk cafés; its Business Fire Inspection page publishes no separate fee for the routine five-year business-occupancy inspection cycle. Missoula adopted an entirely new Title 22 Unified Development Code in February 2026 (effective March 2026), replacing the prior Title 20 zoning code, whose Board of Adjustment variance authority sat at Section 20.90.010; the City's Board of Adjustment page does not name the Title 22 section carrying that authority forward. Building permit valuation is computed from a City-adopted 1998 cost-per-square-foot table applied to a current 2026 fee table, with a plan-review fee of 65% of the building permit fee for commercial projects and 30% for residential 1-2 unit projects under the schedule effective October 1, 2026; the City's Certificate of Occupancy page states no fee for a standard certificate, while a $154 Temporary Certificate of Occupancy fee appears on the building fee schedule. Missoula Municipal Code Title 5's chapter index lists chapters for poolhalls, hotels, junk dealers, pawnbrokers, secondhand dealers, self-service gas stations, liquor, street vendors, cannabis and similar trades, and names no chapter for retail, auto repair, veterinary practices, fitness studios, or hair/nail salons beyond the general Business License layer.

What are you opening in Missoula?

Permits that apply to every type of business in Missoula

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Certificate of OccupancyCity of Missoula, Community Planning, Development & Innovation — Building DivisionNo feeone-time — issued after all required building and (for commercial properties) fire inspections pass2026-09-12
Temporary (Conditional) Certificate of Occupancyonly if it applies to youCity of Missoula, Community Planning, Development & Innovation — Building Division$154 one-timetemporary — until outstanding conditions for a standard Certificate of Occupancy are met2026-09-12
Zoning Variance (Board of Adjustment)only if it applies to youCity of Missoula, Board of Adjustment$3,505.20–$5,164.80 one-time, per application base fee: $3,505.20 (single and two-unit residential, plus $313.20 per additional variance) or $5,164.80 (multi-dwelling/commercial/industrial, plus $366.00 per additional variance)one-time, per application2026-09-12
Fire Plan Review and Inspection (Commercial Construction)Missoula Fire Department, Fire Prevention BureauBuilding Plan Review: $243.00 up to 2,000 sq ft, plus $18.00 per additional 1,000 sq ft. Fire Sprinkler and Fire Alarm Plan Review: $333.00 up to 5,000 sq ft, plus $23.00 per additional 1,000 sq ft (lower rates apply to alterations/tenant improvements). Matching Inspection Fees: $184.00 base plus $13.00/1,000 sq ft; $539.00 sprinkler final plus $38.00/1,000; $271.00 alarm final plus $19.00/1,000. Per the FY2027 Fire Fee Schedule (Resolution 8971), effective October 1, 2026.one-time, per project2026-09-12
City of Missoula General Business LicenseCity of Missoula, Community Planning, Development & Innovation — Permit & Business Licensing CoordinatorsA per-FTE (full-time-equivalent owner/employee) fee, floored at 4 FTE and capped at 85 FTE: $63 per FTE at a commercial location within city limits ($252 minimum, $5,355 maximum), $42 per FTE if home-based within city limits ($168-$3,570), or $35 per FTE if the business is located outside city limits but works within them ($139-$2,945). Renewal is a flat $28 per FTE regardless of location ($113-$2,410), shared with Contractor, Itinerant, and Cannabis licenses. A 5% technology fee applies to the total fees paid.annual — expires May 31st each year regardless of the issue date2026-09-12
Commercial Building PermitCity of Missoula, Community Planning, Development & Innovation — Building DivisionValuation is computed from a City-adopted 1998 cost-per-square-foot table by building use, then applied to the fee chart effective October 1, 2026: $1,869 for the first $100,000 of valuation plus $11.73 per additional $1,000 up to $500,000; $6,563 for the first $500,000 plus $7.82 per additional $1,000 up to $1,000,000; or $10,474 for the first $1,000,000 plus $5.87 per additional $1,000 above that. The plan review fee is 65% of the building permit fee for a commercial project (30% for a residential 1-2 unit project). Electrical, Mechanical, and Plumbing permits are priced separately on their own unit-fee schedule (e.g. a commercial project cost of $50,001+ carries a base electrical fee of $1,452 for the first $50,000 plus 0.5% of the balance).one-time, per project — not stated in the published fee schedule2026-09-12
Zoning Compliance Permit/Review (ZCP/ZCR)City of Missoula, Current Planning and Land Use Division$220.80–$2,528.40 one-time, per application, tiered by use: $220.80 (residential accessory structure) to $850.80 (Commercial & Mixed Use), $830.40 (Industrial), $962.40 (Multi-Dwelling, 3+ units), or $2,528.40 (multiple building permits on one parcel)one-time, per application2026-09-12
Conditional Use Reviewonly if it applies to youCity of Missoula, Current Planning and Land Use Division$4,993 one-time, per applicationone-time, per application2026-09-12
Zoning Map Amendment (Rezoning)only if it applies to youCity of Missoula, Current Planning and Land Use Division$8,654.40 one-time, per application (base fee, plus $854.40 per additional resultant zoning district)one-time, per application2026-09-12

Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.

What do these permits involve in Missoula?

Certificate of Occupancy

No fee applies to a standard Certificate of Occupancy in Missoula: the City's own page walks through the required final building inspection and, for commercial properties, a final fire inspection, but states no dollar figure anywhere for the certificate itself. A distinct fee does apply to a Temporary (Conditional) Certificate of Occupancy instead, recorded separately below.

Temporary (Conditional) Certificate of Occupancy

Applies only when a project cannot meet every condition for a standard Certificate of Occupancy at final inspection and the department instead approves a Conditional (Temporary) CO; the City's own page states this fee 'must be paid before the city will issue a Conditional (Temporary) Certificate of Occupancy.'

Zoning Variance (Board of Adjustment)

Decided by the quasi-judicial City Board of Adjustment where a literal application of the zoning code would create unnecessary hardship. A separate $4,088.40 Sign Variance and a $5,108.40 Appeal of Administrative Action (with a separate line for appeals involving the Historic Preservation Officer) appear on the same fee schedule, effective October 1, 2026.

Fire Plan Review and Inspection (Commercial Construction)

A City-charged fire plan review and inspection fee for new commercial construction, additions, or remodels, charged by the Missoula Fire Department itself under its FY2027 Fire Fee Schedule (Resolution 8971). This is separate from, and paid on top of, the ordinary Commercial Building Permit fee recorded above. No separate fee is published for the Fire Prevention Bureau's own routine five-year business-occupancy inspection cycle for an already-operating business — its own page confirms those costs 'are included in your permitting fees from Development Services.'

City of Missoula General Business License

Required of any person or entity conducting business or offering goods/services within Missoula City Limits and grossing more than $6,000 annually — a revenue threshold that Billings, Montana's general license does not have. A business grossing less than $6,000/year instead files an Exemption Affidavit. The General category covers everything not sorted into the City's own Contractor, Itinerant Vendor, or Rental categories, and explicitly includes daycares and health clubs/gyms on the City's own decision-tree page. Vending only at an established farmers'/Saturday market is exempt from needing any city business license at all. The fees above are from the City's Business License & Registration Fee Schedule effective October 1, 2026, adopted by Resolution 8970.

Commercial Building Permit

Administered by the Building Division within Development Services. A separate, City-charged Fire Plan Review and Inspection fee (recorded below) also applies to commercial construction, on top of this Building Permit fee. The figures are from the building fee schedules effective October 1, 2026 (Resolution 8970), under which commercial plan review rose from 30% to 65% of the permit fee.

Zoning Compliance Permit/Review (ZCP/ZCR)

Missoula's own zoning-compliance sign-off confirming a proposed use or structure meets the Unified Development Code, generally required as part of the standard building-permit process for new construction or a change of use. A separate $442.80 Final Zoning Compliance Inspection fee and a $134.40 fee for minor internal-changes-only reviews appear on the same schedule, effective October 1, 2026.

Conditional Use Review

Applies when a proposed use — a stand-alone commercial day-care center, a veterinary clinic, an auto repair shop, or similar — is not outright permitted in its zoning district and requires case-by-case approval under the new Title 22 UDC. A licensed family or group day-care home is exempted from this process entirely by Montana state law (recorded separately below).

Zoning Map Amendment (Rezoning)

Applies only when a business's intended use is not permitted under the zoning classification already on the property and the owner seeks to change that classification entirely, rather than pursuing Conditional Use Review or a Variance.

Sources

Every figure in the table above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.

  1. Certificate of Occupancy — the City's own page describing the inspection steps required, with no standalone fee stated for a standard Certificate of OccupancyCity of Missoula, Montana, Development Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-12
  2. Building (MEC, PLM, ELC, RFG) Permit Fee Schedule, effective October 1, 2026 (adopted by Resolution 8970) — Electrical, Mechanical, Plumbing, Demolition, and Moving permit fees, the $154 Temporary Certificate of Occupancy fee, and the Section 15.32.020(A) plan review citationCity of Missoula, Montana, Development Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-12
  3. Land Use & Planning Fee Schedule, FY2027 fees effective October 1, 2026 (Resolution 8970) — Sign Permits, Zoning Compliance Permits/Reviews (ZCP/ZCR), Conditional Use Review, Board of Adjustment Variances, and Zoning Map Amendment (Rezoning) feesCity of Missoula, Montana, Development Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-12
  4. Board Review Processes Title 20 (Old) — the City's own page describing the Board of Adjustment's variance and appeal authority, previously codified at Title 20 § 20.90.010City of Missoula, Montana · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-12
  5. Resolution 8971 — FY2027 Fire Prevention Bureau Fee Schedule, adopted August 17, 2026 and effective October 1, 2026: Building/Sprinkler/Alarm Plan Review and Inspection fees scaled by square footage, plus flat Vendor Review ($88), Café Review ($85), and Sign Review ($121) feesCity of Missoula, Montana, Missoula Fire Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-08
  6. Business Fire Inspection — the Fire Prevention Bureau's own page confirming plan check and inspection fees for construction 'are included in your permitting fees,' with no separate fee for the routine 5-year business inspection cycleCity of Missoula, Montana, Missoula Fire Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-12
  7. Business License & Registration Fee Schedule, effective October 1, 2026 (FY2027, adopted by Resolution 8970) — the per-FTE fee tables for General, Contractor, Itinerant/Mobile Vendor, Liquor, and Cannabis licenses, plus Daycare, Sidewalk Café, and Pawnbroker endorsement feesCity of Missoula, Montana, Community Planning, Development & Innovation · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-12
  8. Business Licensing — the City's own decision-tree page sorting applicants into General, Contractor, Itinerant Vendor, or Rental Business LicensesCity of Missoula, Montana, Community Planning, Development & Innovation · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-12
  9. Business License FAQ — 'Do I need a business license?' confirming the $6,000 gross-revenue threshold and renewal/penalty scheduleCity of Missoula, Montana · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-12
  10. Figuring Plan Review Fees for Commercial and Residential / Building Permit and Plan Review Fees - 2026 — the City's own valuation methodology (1998 cost-per-square-foot data) and permit fee table (V.10.01.2026), with plan review at 30% of the building permit fee for residential (1-2 units) and 65% for commercialCity of Missoula, Montana, Development Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-12

Who issues business permits in Missoula?

Permitting in Missoula is split across 6 agencies we hold records for, with tax registration handled at state level. No single office issues everything, which is why an opening usually means filing in several places rather than one.

Missoula issuing agencies

Other Montana jurisdictions we cover

Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.