Billings, MT Special Events & Permits: Park Event Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Advance filing
- 15 calendar days before event
- Damage deposit
- $500 per event
- Deposit refund window
- 10 business days
- Issuing department
- Parks, Recreation & Public Lands
Summary
Special events, sports camps, and organized activities in Billings city parks need a park use permit filed at least 15 days ahead, plus a $500 damage deposit.
No person shall sell a service or organize a sports camp or instructional clinic in a city park without first obtaining a park use permit and sale of service permit. All applications for permits must be received at least fifteen (15) calendar days before the start of the event. A damage deposit of five hundred dollars ($500.00) per event is required. The damage deposit or a pro-rata share will be refunded within ten (10) business days after the event if no damage occurred.
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 Municipal Code makes youth sports, adult sports leagues, and special events exempt from the vending-permit article only because they fall under a separate park use permit instead (Sec. 19-403). Anyone selling a service or running a sports camp or instructional clinic in a city park must get both a park use permit and a sale-of-service permit, with the application filed at least 15 calendar days before the event and a $500 damage deposit per event (Sec. 19-408). The deposit, or the pro-rata remainder, is refunded within 10 business days if the site is undamaged. Permits are issued through the parks, recreation and public lands department.
Violations & Fines
Running an unpermitted event or camp in a city park risks losing the $500 deposit and municipal-infraction penalties under Sec. 1-110; the permit itself can be denied, suspended, or revoked for cause under the related Sec. 19-409 process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do all park gatherings need a permit in Billings?
How far ahead must I apply for a Billings park event permit?
Is the $500 park deposit refundable?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Billings
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