Key Facts Full Breakdown Violations FAQ Sources

Billings, MT Single-Use Items: Plastic Straw Rules (2026)

Few Restrictions

Verified 1 week ago|Source: Montana Code Annotated Title 75 →

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Key Facts

Local ordinance: None
State preemption: MCA Title 75
Straws on request: Not required
ADA accommodation: Plastic available

Summary

Billings does not require straws on request and does not limit plastic straw distribution. Montana auxiliary-container preemption removes the legal basis for a local rule. Restaurants set their own straw policies.

Full Breakdown

Many cities on the West Coast adopted straws-on-request rules to reduce plastic waste. Billings cannot follow that model under current Montana law because the auxiliary-container preemption sweeps in plastic straws alongside bags and foam. As a result, Billings restaurants give out plastic straws freely or, increasingly by their own choice, switch to paper or compostable straws. The Americans with Disabilities Act protects access to plastic straws as a flexible drinking aid for people with certain disabilities, and Billings vendors generally accommodate that without a local mandate. Yellowstone County has no countywide straw rule.

Violations & Fines

There is no local enforcement against vendors or customers because the city has no straw ordinance. State preemption would block adoption of one.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do Billings restaurants have to ask before giving out straws?

No. There is no straws-on-request rule in Billings. Some restaurants choose that practice voluntarily, but city law neither requires nor prohibits it.

Can a vendor refuse a plastic straw to a disabled customer?

Refusing a flexible plastic straw to a customer who needs one for a disability could raise ADA concerns, even though no Billings or Montana mandate addresses the issue directly.

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Billings, MT Single-Use Items: Plastic Straw Rules (2026)

Key Facts

Summary

Full Breakdown

Violations & Fines

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources & Official References

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