The county's zoning code requires fences to stand within your own lot lines, but Montana leaves cost-sharing and boundary-fence disputes to state law and neighbors — the county does not adjudicate who pays for a shared fence.
In the zoned Billings/Yellowstone County jurisdiction, the zoning code addresses fence height, location and clear-vision but not private cost-sharing between neighbors. The county code requires that fences and walls be located within a lot's lot lines. Boundary disputes, cost-sharing for a division fence, and "legal fence" standards for livestock are governed by Montana state law (MCA Title 70, Chapter 16, on fences and enclosures), not by a county ordinance. For a fence on or near the property line, confirm your survey and get the required Planning Department permit if the fence is 3 to 6 feet in the zoned area.
The county enforces zoning standards (height, location, clear vision), not private boundary or cost-sharing disputes, which are civil matters resolved between neighbors under Montana law.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Yellowstone County, MT
Yellowstone County has no ordinance banning backyard composting. Residents may compost yard and food waste; keep piles from becoming a rodent, odor, or vecto...
Yellowstone County, MT
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Yellowstone County, MT
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Yellowstone County, MT
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Yellowstone County, MT
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Yellowstone County, MT
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See how Yellowstone County's neighbor fence rules rules stack up against other locations.
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