Where county zoning applies (such as the Laurel-Yellowstone County jurisdictional area and other adopted districts), a home occupation is a permitted accessory use in residential districts if it stays incidental to the home. Much rural unincorporated land has no zoning, so no county home-business rule applies there.
Montana counties may zone unincorporated land under MCA Title 76, Chapter 2, Part 2 (MCA 76-2-201 et seq.). Yellowstone County administers zoning in adopted districts, including the Laurel-Yellowstone County Planning jurisdiction (about one mile beyond Laurel), where the Board of Commissioners handles zoning outside the city. In those districts, home occupations are an accessory use permitted in residential zones as long as the activity remains incidental to use as a dwelling. Where no zoning district has been adopted over a rural parcel, the county sets no home-business standard, though state licensing (for food, childcare, etc.) still applies. Inside Billings or Laurel, that city's zoning code controls.
In a zoning district, operating a home business that exceeds the incidental-use limits can trigger a zoning violation, cease-and-desist notice, and revocation of any home occupation permit.
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
Yellowstone County has no ordinance banning or requiring a permit for artificial turf on residential lawns. Homeowners may install synthetic grass; HOA coven...
Yellowstone County, MT
Yellowstone County does not require or prohibit native-plant landscaping. Residents may plant Montana natives and drought-tolerant xeriscape freely, provided...
Yellowstone County, MT
Rainwater harvesting is legal in Montana and encouraged. Yellowstone County has no ordinance restricting rain barrels. Rooftop collection for outdoor landsca...
Yellowstone County, MT
Unincorporated Yellowstone County imposes no standing lawn-watering rule. The City of Billings enacts temporary Stage 1 restrictions during peak demand, typi...
Yellowstone County, MT
Montana law makes noxious-weed control MANDATORY for every landowner. State statute makes it unlawful to let a noxious weed go to seed on your land, and the ...
See how Yellowstone County's zoning restrictions rules stack up against other locations.
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