Yellowstone County, MT: Auto Repair on Residential Property (2026)
Key Facts
- Section
- Zoning Code § 27-1009.M.4(b)
- Rule
- engine repair shops barred as home occupations
- Exception
- mobile service at customer's location only
- Enforcer
- Zoning Coordinator, Planning & Community Services
- Penalty
- misdemeanor, fine or up to 6 months jail
Summary
Yellowstone County's zoning code bars automobile, lawn mower, and other engine repair, welding, or machine shops from operating as a home occupation anywhere in the unincorporated county. Section 27-1009.M.4(b) allows an exception only for a fully mobile service performed at the customer's own location.
4. Prohibited Uses The following types of uses will not be approved as home occupations:
(a) Uses involving large or oversized goods or materials;
(b) Automobile, lawn mower, or other engine repair, welding, or machine shops unless the service is offered only at the customer's location (mobile service);
Full Breakdown
Yellowstone County's zoning code addresses home-based auto repair under Section 27-1009, Accessory Uses, subsection M, Home Occupations. , no more than an average of four vehicle trips to the residence per hour, no employees other than residents, and floor area limited to 500 square feet or 25 percent of the total ground area of the buildings, whichever is less. 4 then lists uses the Planning Division will not approve as home occupations regardless of size. Item (b) specifically bars automobile, lawn mower, or other engine repair, welding, or machine shops from operating out of a home, unless the operator offers the service only at the customer's location as a mobile service.
1(c). A homeowner who wants to run a fixed repair shop from a residential lot in the unincorporated county must instead locate it in a commercial or industrial district; only a strictly mobile repair operation, dispatched to customers, qualifies for home-occupation status here.
Violations & Fines
Operating a fixed auto repair shop as an unapproved home occupation violates the Yellowstone County Zoning Code's Article 27-1700, Violations, Enforcement and Remedies. Under Section 27-1704.G, any Zoning Code violation, including an unauthorized home occupation, is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine up to the state statutory limit or up to six months in the county jail, or both, plus costs; each day the violation continues is a separate offense. The Zoning Coordinator may also order the use stopped under Section 27-1704.E.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I fix cars for pay out of my Yellowstone County home?
What if I only work on cars occasionally as a side job?
Who enforces this rule in unincorporated Yellowstone County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Yellowstone County
Compare Yellowstone County to another location·View the Montana business licensing & operations overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.