In most of unincorporated Yellowstone County, livestock is not capped by the county under Montana's right-to-farm tradition. Only within the county zoning jurisdiction near Billings does the agricultural-open space zone limit livestock to two units per acre.
Rural, unzoned land in Yellowstone County has no county livestock density limit, so cattle, horses, sheep, goats, and poultry may be kept subject to nuisance and cruelty law. County zoning reaches roughly 4.5 miles from the Billings city limits; there the agricultural-open space zone allows two livestock units per acre, with additional units per additional half-acre increment. Montana is an open-range and strong right-to-farm state, so agricultural operations are broadly protected. Incorporated towns restrict or prohibit livestock. Confirm your parcel's zoning with County Planning.
Within a zoning district, exceeding density limits is a zoning violation enforced by county code enforcement; otherwise nuisance/cruelty statutes apply.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Billings, MT
Montana preempts local minimum wage ordinances under MCA section 39-3-409. The state minimum is CPI-adjusted to roughly $10.55 per hour. Billings cannot enac...
Billings, MT
Billings has no hotel worker retention ordinance requiring new owners to retain existing staff. Montana is a right-to-work and at-will employment state with ...
Billings, MT
Billings hotel guests pay roughly 11 percent in Montana lodging taxes: 7 percent lodging facility tax plus 4 percent sales-on-lodging tax. Montana has no gen...
Billings, MT
Public urination and defecation are misdemeanors in Billings under BMC Chapter 25 disorderly conduct and Montana state indecent exposure laws. Downtown bar d...
Billings, MT
Billings cites residents for hosting loud parties under disorderly conduct provisions in BMC Chapter 25 and quiet-hours noise rules in BMC Chapter 17. Repeat...
Billings, MT
Billings prohibits aggressive panhandling near ATMs, bus stops, and outdoor dining under BMC Chapter 25. Passive sign-holding remains protected speech, but c...
See how Billings's livestock rules stack up against other locations.
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