Frequently Asked Questions

Any person or entity conducting business and/or offering goods or services within the Missoula City Limits, and grossing more than $6,000 annually, shall be required to obtain a business license.  This includes businesses serving as a landlord by renting commercial office, retail, wholesale or warehouse space. There are exceptions, such as businesses by a church, civic, or fraternal organizations for fundraising on a temporary basis, non-profits who hold a 501(c)3 from the state, and certain licensed professions that are exempt from city licensing. Contact coordinators@ci.missoula.mt.us if you are unsure.

After reviewing this site, if you are unsure which license to apply for, email coordinators@ci.missoula.mt.us. Include answers to the following questions:

1. What will be the nature of your business?

2. Will you be working out of your home or from a commercial location?

3. Is the physical location of your business within the city limits?

4. Will you be going to other people’s homes to operate your business?

5. Will your business be making for than $6,000 annually?

You are considered a tourist home if you meet all of the following criteria:

• Your property lies within the Missoula City Limits
• You are offering short term stays, less than 30 days
• You are offering your entire home/condo/apartment/ADU as a vacation rental, with a separate entrance and living area
• You will not be sharing any common area or spaces inside the home/residence (i.e. kitchen, bathroom, living room)

You are not considered a tourist home if:

• You will only be renting a portion of your home, simliar to a Bed and Breakfast. If you are running a Bed and Breakfast, you will need to apply for a General Business License
• You are renting your own home to occupants for greater than 30 consecutive days, and you are the landlord. If you are renting multiple properties and acting as a property management company, you would apply for one of the following: 
  • A General Business License, if you are hiring out your handyman, maintenance and/or repair services to a licensed and insured contractor, who holds an active city Contractor Business License.
  • A Contractor Business License, if you are handling your own property maintenance and/or repairs, painting, flooring etc.

You can check the status of your license by using our Accela Citizen Access Permitting and Licensing Portal! You will first need to register as a new user if you haven’t already done so. We will then link your registration to your business license so you can check its progress online! 

No. The City of Missoula business license is a completely separate process from your State requirements.

If you need to set up your Articles of Incorporation (LLC, Inc., Sole Proprietor, etc), register your business name, acquire your Tax ID, etc, you should refer to the Secretary of State website for more information. Secretary of State URL: https://biz.sosmt.gov/

To obtain your ICEC (Independent Contractor Exemption Certificate), please refer to the Department of Labor and Industry. Department of Labor and Industry URL: https://erd.dli.mt.gov/work-comp-regulations/montana-contractor/independent-contractor

Different license and registrations expire at different months during the year. You must renew your license each year. View can view the expiration date of your license on your business license certificate. The calendar of license expiration is available on the Business License website. 

You can search for any business license by using our Accela Citizen Access Permitting and Licensing Portal! You do not need to register as a user to search for a license. Once you are on the home page, click the “Licenses” link at the top. Use the search function to find a business. You can search by License name, address, type or number.  

Pro Tips: When searching by address, if the street name is a single digit between 1-9, you will need to type a zero ‘0’ before the single digit streets. (I.e., 01, 02, 03). Do not use directions in the street name or use street type. More often than not, less is more when using the search function. 

No. Your City of Missoula Business License does not transfer. Change in physical location (homebased or commercial), change in ownership, or change in nature of business requires a new license application. 

No. That is why it is important to apply for your business license far in advance of your planned opening date. The review process fluctuates based on the time of year, but is a multi-week process. During peak times, some licenses may take up to 12 weeks for review.  

You must inform the City of Missoula that you are closing your business in writing. We cannot close the business over the phone. The most effective way to ensure we close your record is to send an email to coordinators@ci.missoula.mt.us. You can also select the “business closed” option on your renewal invoice and return it to the Permits and Business Licensing Coordinators.

Yes. All businesses located within the City limits must obtain a City of Missoula business license. This includes businesses that are physically located within the city limits, but operate elsewhere, such as Web-based businesses. If your business grosses less than $6,000 annually ,an exemption affidavit must be submitted and approved by our office.

A background check is required in the following situations, but not limited to: 

• Any owner/employee working on existing residential property (excludes un-occupied, new builds)
• Contractors and handyman services (except state licensed Plumbers and Electricians)
• Any person/business offering janitorial or cleaning services (commercial and residential)
• All Itinerant or Mobile Vendors

Some examples of when a background check is required include: home healthcare, locksmiths, contractors, landscapers / tree trimmers, sprinklers, mowing, snow plowing, etc. Anytime you are working on residential property or within residences, a background check is required.

The employer shall be responsible to see that each employee has submitted the background check application within ten days of employment. 

No. If you will only be vending at an established market, you are not required to have a city business license. If you plan to vend or offer goods/services outside of those market hours, you must obtain a city business license. It is expressly prohibited to vend in the Commercial Business District (CBD) during their regular operating hours. 

General, Contractor, 420 Cannabis, Itinerant, and Liquor Licenses are based on the number of "FTE" or Full Time Equivalent Employees. You will need that number in order to calculate your fees. The minimum fee is equivalent to 4 FTE and the maximum fee is reached at 85 FTE. the FTE is different for new license applications and for renewals. The fee per FTE is multiplied by the FTE you provide to calculate the yearly renewal fee (with a minimum equal to 4 FTE). 

To calculate your FTE, take the total hours worked for all employee/owners in a week and divide by 40. For example, the owner usually works 40 hours, and oyu have two employees that both usually work 20 hours. (40+20+20) / 40 = 2. You should calculate fees based on 2 FTE.

Commercial Rental Licenses (Rental of Retail, Wholesale, or Warehouse Space) are based on the square footage the number of tenant spaces in the rental parcel. You will need the square footages and use in order to calculate your fees. Minimum (5K square feet) and maximum fees (1000K square feet) apply. 

Market Events are based on the number of booths or tables. There is a minimum fee of 4 tables/booths to a maximum of 50 tables/booths. The yearly fee amount is multiplied by the quantity of tables/booth you provide.

Short Term Rental Registrations pay a flat fee for new license applications and for renewals. 

Some businesses may have additional fees, including but not limited to, Background Check Application processing, Pawnbroker Endorsement, and Sidewalk Cafe Endorsement. 

View the Business Licensing Fee Schedule.

Late renewals have penalty fees. 25% at one month past due, 50% at two months past due, and 100% penalty after three or more months past due. Businesses beyond the penalty fee period of four months are considered Delinquent and may be turned over to Code Compliance. Delinquent licenses may need to reapply for a business license. 

A change in business location requires a new Business License application. Business licenses are issued based on the specific location identified in the application, including the building address, suite, square footage, previous use of the space, and zoning approval. Any change to the licensed location—including a new address, a different suite or unit within the same building, or a change between home-based and commercial locations—changes the basis of licensure and must be reviewed through a new application.

There is one exception: If both your old and new location are outside city limits, email coordinators@ci.missoula.mt.us to update your address.

Your business license locks if your insurance or bond information on file with the City of Missoula expires or is cancelled. You are unable to pull permits, schedule inspections, and renew your business license if your license is locked. Contractors must maintain current insurance and bond certificates with the City of Missoula.

The City of Missoula should be listed as a Certificate Holder on your insurance policy to ensure we receive your updated policy each year. Your provider should email your renewed policy or notifications of lapse in coverage to coordinators@ci.missoula.mt.us. The City does not reach out to or make requests for insurance certificates or bonds on your behalf.

If your business closes and reopens within the same year, and you have NOT changed your physical location, ownership, or nature of business, you can renew your license as usual. However, you will be subject to any penalties that have accumulated since the license expired. You must reapply if it has been more than one year since your license expired. 

If you no longer provide that service, we can remove the bond from your license record and update your work description. Please note that bonds are NOT accepted on a job-by-job basis. If your business wishes to provide a service that requires a bond, an active bond must be provided and maintained with the City of Missoula.

Email coordinators@ci.missoula.mt.us to modify or update your insurance or bond associated with your business license.

In general, any change to ownership requires a new Business License application, because licenses are issued based on the applicant and ownership information provided at the time of application. Adding, removing, replacing, or transferring ownership interest—or changing the legal entity that owns the business—typically creates a new applicant and requires full re-review.

However, the City does not require a new license application when an individual owner forms an LLC or adds an LLC, provided that ownership, control, and responsibility for the business remain substantially the same. In these limited cases, the change may be processed administratively.

A new application is required if the ownership change results in:

• A new or different controlling owner

• The addition or removal of owners other than the individual-to-LLC transition

• A transfer of ownership interest to another person or entity

Ownership changes cannot be processed as renewals or administrative amendments when they materially alter who owns or controls the business.