Billings, MT Soliciting & Door-to-Door: Solicitor Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Basic tax (0-$100K revenue)
- $55.00/year
- Basic tax ($100K-$2M revenue)
- $90.00/year
- Late penalty
- 50% + 1%/month interest
- Must carry
- Tax receipt or facsimile
Summary
Door-to-door salespeople and transient vendors in Billings must pay the city business tax and carry the tax receipt on their person for inspection.
Transient vendors and door-to-door salespersons are persons representing themselves or other businesses who conduct their sales activities from door-to-door within the city. ... If the business being conducted is the type of business that is not normally conducted at one place of business, such as, transient vendors or door-to-door salespersons, the city receipt or a facsimile of the employer's receipt shall be carried on the person and shall be produced and displayed upon request.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 66 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
Billings City Code doesn't run a separate peddler-permit desk: it folds solicitors into the general business tax ordinance. Sec. 13-421 defines "transient vendors and door-to-door salespersons" as anyone selling door-to-door within the city, and Sec. 13-423 subjects them to the same annual business tax as any other business. Because they don't work from one fixed location, Sec. 13-425 requires the vendor (or a facsimile of the employer's receipt) to be carried on the person and produced on request, rather than posted at a storefront.
Violations & Fines
Late tax is penalized 50% plus 1% monthly interest (Sec. 13-435); violations can be cited as a municipal infraction with civil penalties under Sec. 18-1304, with each day a separate offense (Sec. 13-436).
Frequently Asked Questions
Do door-to-door sellers need a special permit in Billings?
What happens if a solicitor doesn't have the receipt on hand?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Billings
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