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Change of Use / Occupancy Permit in Anaconda-Deer Lodge, Montana

Anaconda-Deer Lodge does not issue a standalone, free-standing 'Certificate of Occupancy' document. Occupancy/change-of-use compliance instead runs through two tracks depending on whether construction is involved. LOCAL TRACK (no construction — a new or changed business occupying an existing space as-is): the ADLC Business License Application (Rev. December 19th, 2025) functions as the county's de facto change-of-occupancy compliance check — no business may operate without a business license in hand, and the license itself requires sign-off from the Tri-County Sanitarian's Office, the ADLC Building Inspector (Greg Bahr), and the ADLC Code Enforcement Officer (Vern Tuss), each confirming compliance, plus review by the ADLC Planning Director and Chief Executive Officer. STATE TRACK (construction-related change of use — the occupancy classification of a building is actually changing, e.g., a warehouse converting to retail): the Montana Building Codes Bureau's statewide 'Application for Building Permit' (BCP-1, Rev. 11/25) includes an explicit 'Change of Use' checkbox under 'Type of Work,' confirmed by direct inspection of the live form. This state track applies in Anaconda-Deer Lodge because the county's local Building certification covers RESIDENTIAL construction only — commercial change-of-use construction is not locally certified and falls to the state Bureau, the same pattern used for electrical, plumbing, and mechanical work there.

Verified 2026-07-22 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Any change of business, occupant, or use at a location in Anaconda-Deer Lodge requires a Business License Application (ADLC Planning Department, Rev. December 19th, 2025) — applications may have up to a two-week waiting period
  • All required inspections must be conducted and each inspector (Building Inspector, Code Enforcement Officer, Tri-County Sanitarian as applicable) must deem the business/occupancy in compliance with all applicable codes before the license issues
  • No business shall operate prior to having the business license in hand; if the space is not ready for inspection at submittal, the applicant must contact the county when ready
  • If the change of use involves construction work that changes the building's occupancy classification (not simply a new tenant/business using an existing space as-is), an Application for Building Permit (BCP-1, Rev. 11/25) must separately be submitted to the Montana Building Codes Bureau with 'Change of Use' checked under Type of Work, because ADLC's local Building certification is residential-only
  • Construction-related change-of-use plans must conform to the International Building Code and be submitted electronically to the Bureau per its Plan Submittal Requirements

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Business License — PSC Regulated UtilitiesADLC Business License Application, Rev. December 19th, 2025 — fee schedule (Administrative Use Only section)
$500.00
Business License — Heavy Construction/IndustryADLC Business License Application, Rev. December 19th, 2025
$200.00
Business License — FinanceADLC Business License Application, Rev. December 19th, 2025
$200.00
Business License — Supermarkets and Convenience StoresADLC Business License Application, Rev. December 19th, 2025
$100.00
Business License — All Other BusinessesADLC Business License Application, Rev. December 19th, 2025; all business-license fee tiers are half-price if the license is obtained after July 1st
$50.00
State Building Permit / Plan Review Fee (only if a construction-related Change of Use is also filed with the state Bureau)Montana Building Codes Bureau, 'Is a State Building Permit Needed?' page, directly confirmed 2026-07-22; applies only to the construction-related state track, not to a simple local business license
Generally 1% to 2% of building valuation, calculated by the Montana Building Codes Bureau

Review timeline

Plan reviewAnaconda-Deer Lodge’s published plan-review target
0–14 business days

How long did your Change of Use / Occupancy Permit permit actually take in Anaconda-Deer Lodge?

Anonymous — one question, no email. Answers are combined and only shown once at least 5 people have reported.

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Building Inspector Compliance Check

    ADLC Building Inspector (Greg Bahr) confirms compliance as part of the Business License sign-off; required before a license (and therefore occupancy) is granted

  2. 2

    Code Enforcement / Sanitarian Compliance Check

    ADLC Code Enforcement Officer (Vern Tuss) and, where applicable (food service, septic, water), the Tri-County Sanitarian's Office sign off on compliance as part of the same Business License Application

See the full Anaconda-Deer Lodge inspection guide — scheduling & re-inspection fees →

Tips

  • Anaconda-Deer Lodge does not issue a standalone Certificate of Occupancy — occupancy/change-of-use compliance is folded into the Business License process itself, which requires sign-off from the Building Inspector, Code Enforcement Officer, and Sanitarian before the license (and thus the ability to operate) is granted.
  • If your change of use is just a new business moving into existing, unmodified space, you likely only need the local Business License track — budget up to two weeks.
  • If your change of use involves construction that reclassifies the building's occupancy (e.g., warehouse to assembly, office to restaurant), you likely also need the separate STATE Change-of-Use Building Permit from the Montana Building Codes Bureau, since ADLC's local Building certification is residential-only — budget an additional 2-3 weeks for that track and confirm applicability with the Bureau, (406) 841-2056, and the ADLC Building Inspector, (406) 563-4011.
  • No business may legally operate before the business license is physically in hand, regardless of whether inspections have been scheduled.

Frequently asked questions

At minimum, a Business License Application covering the new use/occupant. If the change also involves construction that reclassifies the building's occupancy, you additionally need a state Application for Building Permit (BCP-1, Rev. 11/25) with 'Change of Use' checked, submitted to the Montana Building Codes Bureau, because Anaconda-Deer Lodge's local Building certification covers residential work only.

In Anaconda-Deer Lodge, the published Business License — PSC Regulated Utilities is: $500.00. Additional published fees: Business License — Heavy Construction/Industry — $200.00; Business License — Finance — $200.00; Business License — Supermarkets and Convenience Stores — $100.00; Business License — All Other Businesses — $50.00; State Building Permit / Plan Review Fee (only if a construction-related Change of Use is also filed with the state Bureau) — Generally 1% to 2% of building valuation, calculated by the Montana Building Codes Bureau. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Anaconda-Deer Lodge's published plan-review target for a change of use / occupancy permit is 0–14 business days.

You'll need: Business License Application. Depending on your project, Anaconda-Deer Lodge may also ask for: Application for Home Occupation Form (Attachment 'A'); Application for Building Permit (State). See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Anaconda-Deer Lodge requires 2 inspection(s) for a change of use / occupancy permit, in order: Building Inspector Compliance Check, Code Enforcement / Sanitarian Compliance Check. Schedule each through Anaconda-Deer Lodge County Planning Department — Building Inspector (local Building-only program); Montana Department of Labor & Industry, Building Codes Bureau (state — electrical, plumbing, mechanical) ((406) 563-4010 (Planning Dept, local Building permits) / (406) 563-4011 (Greg Bahr, Building Inspector) / (406) 841-2056 (State Building Codes Bureau — electrical, plumbing, mechanical)).

Apply through Anaconda-Deer Lodge County Planning Department — Building Inspector (local Building-only program); Montana Department of Labor & Industry, Building Codes Bureau (state — electrical, plumbing, mechanical) at ADLC Courthouse, First Floor, 800 Main Street, Anaconda, MT 59711 (local Building permits); Building Codes Bureau, PO Box 200517, Helena, MT 59620-0517 (state electrical/plumbing/mechanical permits). Phone: (406) 563-4010 (Planning Dept, local Building permits) / (406) 563-4011 (Greg Bahr, Building Inspector) / (406) 841-2056 (State Building Codes Bureau — electrical, plumbing, mechanical), email: Contact via ADLC Planning Department website contact form (Building Inspector Greg Bahr); Building Codes Bureau email available via bsd.dli.mt.gov contact links. Office hours: Not published on the ADLC Planning Department page; contact (406) 563-4010. Official information: https://www.adlc.us/187/Planning.

Anaconda-Deer Lodge, Montana has adopted: Anaconda-Deer Lodge County is a MONTANA CERTIFIED LOCAL GOVERNMENT for BUILDING permitting only, RESIDENTIAL ONLY — per the Montana Building Codes Bureau's official 'Certified City, County and Town Programs' list (bsd.dli.mt.gov), entry: 'Deer Lodge County — B (residential only) — Greg Bahr — 563-4010 — County'. This matches the local Building Inspector's own webpage, which names Greg Bahr as Building Inspector.; Electrical, plumbing, and mechanical permitting and inspection in Anaconda-Deer Lodge are NOT locally certified — these remain under DIRECT STATE ENFORCEMENT by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry, Building Codes Bureau (Employment Standards Division). This is explicitly confirmed on the ADLC Building Inspector page: 'The Building Inspector does not handle electrical, plumbing, or mechanical inspection and permitting. These are functions of the Montana Department of Labor and Industry.'; Statutory basis for the certified-local-government model: a city, county, or town may adopt a building code by ordinance and enforce it locally ONLY if certified by the Building Codes Program as complying with applicable statutes/rules (current adopted code, current fee list, and enforcement plan filed and approved) — per ARM Title 24, chapter 301, subchapter 2 (Local Jurisdiction Administrative Rules) and Title 50, chapter 60, MCA (Local Jurisdiction Statutes). Absent local certification for a given trade (electrical/plumbing/mechanical here), the State Building Codes Bureau retains jurisdiction under Title 50, chapter 60, MCA.; Statewide adopted codes (Administrative Rules of Montana, Title 24, chapter 301) apply as the substantive code baseline for both the locally-certified Building program and the state-enforced trades: 2021 International Building Code (IBC), effective June 11, 2022; 2021 International Residential Code (IRC), effective June 11, 2022; 2021 International Existing Building Code (IEBC), effective June 11, 2022; ICC A117.1 Accessibility, 2017 Edition, effective June 11, 2022; 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC), effective June 11, 2022 — enforced directly by the State Building Codes Bureau in Anaconda-Deer Lodge (not locally certified); 2021 International Mechanical Code (IMC), effective June 11, 2022 — enforced directly by the State Building Codes Bureau in Anaconda-Deer Lodge (not locally certified); 2021 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC), effective June 11, 2022 — enforced directly by the State Building Codes Bureau; 2020 National Electrical Code (NEC), effective June 11, 2022 — enforced directly by the State Building Codes Bureau in Anaconda-Deer Lodge (not locally certified); 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), effective June 11, 2022; 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC), effective June 11, 2022; 2021 Wildland Urban Interface Code, effective June 11, 2022. Local amendments apply — see the Anaconda-Deer Lodge overview page for the full list.

Not as a standalone document. Occupancy compliance for a new or changed business is verified through the Business License Application process, which requires sign-off from the ADLC Building Inspector, Code Enforcement Officer, and (where applicable) the Tri-County Sanitarian's Office before the license is issued. No business may operate before the license is in hand.

Sources & verification

Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-07-22.

Fees, timelines, and adopted codes are researched from each jurisdiction's published records — see how we verify. Requirements change and vary by project, so always confirm the current details with the Anaconda-Deer Lodge building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.

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