Home Business in Montana (2026)
9 rules on the books across Montana, 2 cities and counties. Select a rule to read the full details.
Severity: Few Restrictions · Light Restrictions · Some Restrictions · Significant Restrictions · Heavy Restrictions
Zoning & Home Occupation Permits
Which businesses you can run from home, the home-occupation permit or registration most cities require, and the conditions attached, floor area caps, signage bans, and prohibited uses.
Billings
Some RestrictionsBillings requires home-based businesses to register and pay the city's business, occupation and profession tax: a flat…
Read full rule →Yellowstone County
Some RestrictionsWhere county zoning applies (such as the Laurel-Yellowstone County jurisdictional area and other adopted districts), a…
Read full rule →Signage Rules
Whether you can put up a sign for your home business, including size limits, placement rules, and which types of signs are allowed.
Customer Traffic Restrictions
Limits on customers and clients visiting a home business, daily visit caps, one-at-a-time rules, employee restrictions, and parking conditions that keep a home occupation from becoming a storefront.
Cottage Food Operations
Rules for selling homemade food products from your kitchen, including what foods are allowed, labeling requirements, and annual sales limits.
Home Kitchen Operations
Permits for selling meals cooked to order in a home kitchen, which is a separate legal category from shelf-stable cottage food. Covers daily meal and gross revenue caps, health department inspection, and whether the county has to opt in before residents may apply at all.
Home Daycare
Licensing and zoning rules for running a daycare out of your home, including the number of children allowed, outdoor play area requirements, and safety standards.
Montana: statewide
StatewideSome RestrictionsMontana requires state registration or licensure for home-based child care under Title 52, Chapter 2, MCA. The…
Read full rule →Yellowstone County
Some RestrictionsA family day care home in Yellowstone County zoning districts is a permitted use in residential zones and cares for up…
Read full rule →Billings
Few RestrictionsBillings allows family day-care homes (3-6 kids) and group day-care homes (7-12 kids) by right in residential zones…
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