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Electrical Permit (State-Issued) in Lewistown, Montana

Because Lewistown is DLI-certified for Building only, electrical work anywhere within Lewistown city limits requires a Residential (or Commercial) Electrical Permit issued directly by the Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau in Helena, not by the City of Lewistown, under the 2020 NEC.

Verified 2026-07-03 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Application must be signed and dated by the licensed electrical contractor's person in charge, or filed as a homeowner permit for owner-performed work
  • Payment must be submitted with the application; incomplete applications are returned unprocessed
  • Property address, county, whether the job is inside city limits, owner information, and power company must be provided
  • Apply in accordance with Title 50, Chapter 60, Section 604, MCA and ARM 24.301.431

Required documents

Check off what you have — your progress is saved on this device.

Not ready yet0 of 1 required documents checked.

This checker covers one permit. A full project usually triggers several — our paid checklist will assemble all of them, from $29

Fee schedule

Single Family Dwelling or Cabin — up to 200-amp service (includes meter base and attached garages if wired at the same time)Montana Building Codes Bureau, Application for Residential Electrical Permit (Rev. 12/22) — verified directly against the current fillable PDF form; same statewide fee schedule applies to all non-electrically-certified Montana jurisdictions, including Lewistown
$200
Single Family Dwelling or Cabin — 201 to 400-amp serviceApplication for Residential Electrical Permit (Rev. 12/22)
$380
Single Family Dwelling or Cabin — 401 to 600-amp serviceApplication for Residential Electrical Permit (Rev. 12/22)
$600
Residential Change of Service — exterior meter base & interior/exterior main disconnect onlyApplication for Residential Electrical Permit (Rev. 12/22)
$45
Private Property Accessory Building (garage, barn, etc.) — up to 200-amp panelApplication for Residential Electrical Permit (Rev. 12/22)
$80

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Electrical Permit (State-Issued) permit actually take in Lewistown?

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

Inspection process

    See the full Lewistown inspection guide — scheduling & re-inspection fees →

    Tips

    • Electrical permits for any Lewistown address are issued by the STATE Building Codes Bureau in Helena, not the city — mail applications and payment to PO Box 200517, Helena, MT 59620-0517, or apply online at ebiz.mt.gov.
    • This is the identical statewide fee schedule used for Choteau and other B-only-certified Montana cities, since none of these jurisdictions hold electrical certification.

    Frequently asked questions

    Lewistown requires an electrical permit (state-issued) for: Application must be signed and dated by the licensed electrical contractor's person in charge, or filed as a homeowner permit for owner-performed work; Payment must be submitted with the application; incomplete applications are returned unprocessed; Property address, county, whether the job is inside city limits, owner information, and power company must be provided; Apply in accordance with Title 50, Chapter 60, Section 604, MCA and ARM 24.301.431. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Lewistown Building Department — Building Inspector Joe Ward; city-certified for Building (B) permits only. Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical permits within Lewistown city limits are issued directly by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau, not the City. at (406) 535-1776 before starting work.

    In Lewistown, the published Single Family Dwelling or Cabin — up to 200-amp service (includes meter base and attached garages if wired at the same time) is: $200. Additional published fees: Single Family Dwelling or Cabin — 201 to 400-amp service — $380; Single Family Dwelling or Cabin — 401 to 600-amp service — $600; Residential Change of Service — exterior meter base & interior/exterior main disconnect only — $45; Private Property Accessory Building (garage, barn, etc.) — up to 200-amp panel — $80. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

    Lewistown does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact City of Lewistown Building Department — Building Inspector Joe Ward; city-certified for Building (B) permits only. Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical permits within Lewistown city limits are issued directly by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau, not the City. at (406) 535-1776 for current turnaround.

    You'll need: Application for Residential Electrical Permit. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

    Apply through City of Lewistown Building Department — Building Inspector Joe Ward; city-certified for Building (B) permits only. Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical permits within Lewistown city limits are issued directly by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau, not the City. at 305 W Watson St, Lewistown, MT 59457 (Building Department office also cited at 308 4th Avenue South, Lewistown, MT). Phone: (406) 535-1776, email: building@ci.lewistown.mt.us. Office hours: Not published on the City's Building Department page as of this review. Building Inspector: Joe Ward, (406) 535-1776, building@ci.lewistown.mt.us; general Building Department line/fax (406) 535-1760 / (406) 535-3323 per city directory listings.. Official information: https://www.cityoflewistown.com/services/building-department.

    Lewistown, 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; non-certified trades in a partially-certified jurisdiction fall under direct state administration by the DLI Building Codes Bureau. Source: Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau, Certified Local Government Program roster (bsd.dli.mt.gov/building-codes-permits).; Lewistown is a Montana DLI-certified jurisdiction for Building (B) ONLY within city limits; certified building official on file with DLI: Holy Phelps, (406) 535-1776. Source: Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau, 'Montana Certified Local Government Program' roster, updated 04/22/2026, https://bsd.dli.mt.gov/_docs/building-codes-permits/certified-city.pdf — verified directly against the PDF (row: 'Lewistown | B | Holy Phelps | 535-1776 | City Limits').; Per the City of Lewistown's own Public Notice 'Adoption of Building Codes' (Lewistown Public Works Administrative Order, dated August 12, 2022, issued pursuant to Lewistown Ordinance Section 4-4-1 adopted by the City Commission May 6, 2002, signed by Public Works Director Tim Majerus), the following codes are adopted and effective within the City of Lewistown as of September 1, 2022: International Building Code 2021 Edition (as amended by ARM 24.301.131), International Residential Code 2021 Edition (as amended by ARM 24.301.154), International Energy Conservation Code 2021 Edition (as amended by ARM 24.301.161), and International Existing Building Code 2021 Edition (as amended by ARM 24.301.171). Source: City of Lewistown, images/pdf/2021-Code-adoption.pdf; The City's Commercial Building Permit Checklist (Revised 9/1/2022) additionally references the International Fire Code, 2012 Edition, as amended by ARM 23.12.601, and the City of Lewistown's Ordinance #1749 and #1750 as part of the adopted codes and ordinances applicants must show compliance with. Source: City of Lewistown, images/pdf/Commercial-Permit-Checklist-10.2022.pdf; The City's Residential Building Permit Application Procedure (Admin approved 1/30/2015) states plans must comply with the '2012 International Residential Code (IRC), 2012 International Energy Conservation Code as amended by ARM 24.301.161' — this is a stale reference predating the City's own September 2022 code-adoption notice; the governing current codes are the 2021 editions per the City's 2022 Public Works Administrative Order above. Source: City of Lewistown, images/pdf/Respremit012015.pdf (dated 2015, superseded in substance by the 2022 adoption notice but still the only published residential application-procedure document found); Per the Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau's Current Codes reference (statewide effective date June 11, 2022): 2021 IBC, 2021 IRC, 2021 IEBC, 2021 IMC, 2021 IFGC, 2021 IECC, 2021 ISPSC, 2021 UPC, 2020 NEC, 2017 ICC A117.1 Accessibility — consistent with the codes the City of Lewistown's own 2022 adoption notice cites for its Building-certified scope.. Local amendments apply — see the Lewistown overview page for the full list.

    The Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau issues electrical permits for Lewistown — the city itself only holds Building certification, not Electrical. Apply by mail to PO Box 200517, Helena, MT 59620-0517, or online at ebiz.mt.gov, under the 2020 NEC.

    Sources & verification

    Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-07-03.

    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 Lewistown building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.