Change of Use / Certificate of Occupancy in Miles City, Montana

Miles City requires a change of use / certificate of occupancy permit for: A change in use or occupancy of an existing building, or certificate-of-occupancy issuance for new construction, in Miles City is addressed through the standard City Building Permit Application (Class of Work 'Alteration' or 'Other'), not a separate Change of Use or Certificate of Occupancy form — no such standalone form was found published by the City of Miles City; Substantively governed by the 2021 International Building Code (adopted via City Code § 5-2(a)'s blanket adoption of the state's currently-in-force edition) and the 2021 Existing Building Code (adopted by City Code § 5-61(a)) — both already documented in this file's codesAdopted list — which set the technical standards for occupancy classification, change-of-occupancy compliance, and certificate-of-occupancy issuance that the Building Inspector applies when reviewing a Building Permit Application for a use or occupancy change; The Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau's own published description of its statewide Building Codes Program (bsd.dli.mt.gov, independently re-fetched 2026-07-22) states its purpose includes safeguarding against hazards arising from 'the enlargement, relocation, repair, alteration, or change in use or occupancy of existing buildings' — the same certified-program framework under which Miles City administers Building permits (see codesAdopted); No Miles City-specific published guidance, fee line, or processing timeline distinct from the general Building Permit process was located for a change-of-use or certificate-of-occupancy review as of this review. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Miles City Building Department at (406) 874-8611 before starting work.

In Miles City, the published Building Department permit fee (same § 5-4 valuation-based schedule as Building permits) is: Set by City of Miles City fee schedule adopted by council resolution under City Code § 5-4; specific dollar-valuation table not independently locatable as a standalone published document as of this review. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Miles City does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact City of Miles City Building Department at (406) 874-8611 for current turnaround.

You'll need: Building Permit Application (Alteration/Other — Change of Use). See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Apply through City of Miles City Building Department at 17 S. 8th St., Miles City, MT 59301. Phone: (406) 874-8611, email: gmartinsen@milescity-mt.org. Office hours: Monday-Friday 7:00 AM - 4:00 PM (Building Inspector); City Hall general hours Mon-Fri 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM. Official information: https://www.milescitymt.gov/building-department.

Miles City, Montana has adopted: Montana has a mandatory statewide building code administered by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry (DLI) Building Codes Bureau, amended by the Administrative Rules of Montana (ARM) Title 24, Chapter 301. Cities, counties, and towns may become 'certified' to locally administer permitting and inspection for all or part of the code; a certified local program's adopted code 'may include only codes adopted by the Building Codes Bureau' (ARM 24.301.202). Non-certified trades within a jurisdiction fall under direct state administration by the DLI Building Codes Bureau. Source: Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau, Certified City, County and Town Programs and Current Codes pages (bsd.dli.mt.gov/building-codes-permits).; Miles City is a Montana DLI-certified jurisdiction for Building (B), Swimming Pool (SP), and Electrical — residential only — within Miles City city limits; certified program contact on file with DLI: Gabe Martinsen, (406) 874-8611. Miles City is NOT certified for Plumbing or Mechanical, or for commercial Electrical — those permits/inspections are issued directly by the Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau (Helena) even within Miles City city limits. Source: Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau, Certified City, County and Town Programs list (List of certified jurisdictions table), bsd.dli.mt.gov/building-codes-permits/certified-government; Miles City City Code § 5-2(a): the city adopts by ordinance 'the current editions of the building codes and all accompanying appendices, amendments and modifications' adopted by the DLI Building Codes Bureau, as authorized by MCA 50-60-301(1)(b) — the city does not maintain independently amended code text; it tracks whatever edition the state Building Codes Bureau currently has in force for local-government jurisdictions. Source: Miles City Code of Ordinances § 5-2, Municode (Ord. No. 1132, 5-28-02; most recently amended by Ord. No. 1375, 1-23-24); International Residential Code (IRC), 2021 Edition, as amended by ARM 24.301.154 — adopted by City of Miles City Code § 5-46 (Ord. No. 1375, 1-23-24); 2021 Existing Building Code, as amended by ARM 24.301.171 — adopted by City of Miles City Code § 5-61(a) (Ord. No. 1375, 1-23-24); 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code, as amended by ARM 24.301.175 — adopted by City of Miles City Code § 5-61(b); Miles City is DLI-certified for Swimming Pool (SP) permitting (Ord. No. 1375, 1-23-24); 2021 International Energy Conservation Code, as amended by ARM 24.301.161 — adopted by City of Miles City Code § 5-61(c) (Ord. No. 1375, 1-23-24); National Electrical Code (NEC), 2020 Edition, as amended by ARM 24.301.401 — adopted by City of Miles City Code § 5-76 (Ord. No. 1392, 3-11-25); Miles City is DLI-certified for residential Electrical permitting only — commercial electrical work in Miles City is permitted and inspected directly by the state DLI Building Codes Bureau; International Building Code (IBC) — applicable via § 5-2(a)'s blanket adoption of the DLI Building Codes Bureau's current edition (2021 IBC statewide, effective June 11, 2022); the City of Miles City Building Permit Application form itself references IBC Section 105.3.2 (180-day application-abandonment provision) and IBC Section 110 (duty to request inspection); 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC) and 2021 International Mechanical Code (IMC)/International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) — statewide editions; state-administered in Miles City since the city holds no Plumbing or Mechanical DLI certification; Miles City Code § 24-65 (Zoning, Article III): locally adopted Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) performance standards, including a Tiny Home provision referencing International Residential Code Appendix Q. Local amendments apply — see the Miles City overview page for the full list.

No. Miles City does not publish a standalone Certificate of Occupancy or Change of Use application or fee. A change in use or occupancy, or certificate-of-occupancy issuance for new construction, is handled through the standard City Building Permit Application (Class of Work 'Alteration' or 'Other'), evaluated under the city's adopted 2021 IBC and 2021 Existing Building Code.