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Electric Vehicle Charging Station Permit (State-Issued Electrical Permit) in Cut Bank, Montana

Installing an EV charger/EVSE in Cut Bank is electrical work, and because Cut Bank is DLI-certified for Building only (no Electrical certification), it requires a permit issued directly by the Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau in Helena via the same Application for Residential Electrical Permit (or Commercial Electrical Permit) used for any other electrical work -- not a separate, EV-specific permit. No dedicated EV charger/EVSE line item exists on the state's Residential Electrical Permit fee schedule; a charger installation is billed under the form's general 'additional circuit or piece of equipment' or 'change of service' line items depending on scope, the same mechanism documented in this file's electrical-permit-state entry.

Verified 2026-07-20 · 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, whether the job is inside city limits, county, owner information, and power company must be provided
  • Apply in accordance with Title 50, Chapter 60, Section 604, MCA and ARM 24.301.431
  • No EV-charger-specific line item exists on the state's Residential Electrical Permit form (Rev. 12/22); a Level 1/Level 2 charger installed as a single new circuit/outlet is most consistent with the form's 'Single Family Interior/Exterior Wire or Rewire' category, scaled by number of circuits and whether a panel/service change is involved
  • The City of Cut Bank's own Permitting FAQ confirms electrical work of any kind routes to the state, not the City

Required documents

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

Fee schedule

1 additional circuit or piece of equipment only (typical single Level 1/2 EV charger circuit, no panel/service change)Montana Building Codes Bureau, Application for Residential Electrical Permit (Rev. 12/22), item H; no EV-specific line exists so this general 'additional circuit' fee is the applicable charge for a straightforward charger circuit
$45
2-3 additional circuits or pieces of equipmentItem G, Application for Residential Electrical Permit (Rev. 12/22); applies if the charger installation includes additional circuit work beyond the charger itself
$70
4+ circuits & change of service and/or interior panel board (e.g., a service/panel upgrade to support a charger)Item E, Application for Residential Electrical Permit (Rev. 12/22); applies if the EV charger installation requires a panel upgrade or service change; matches this file's electrical-permit-state entry's '4+ circuits and change of service' fee tier
$200

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Electric Vehicle Charging Station Permit (State-Issued Electrical Permit) permit actually take in Cut Bank?

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

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Rough-In (if new circuit run before concealment)

    Conduit/wiring for the new charger circuit before covering

  2. 2

    Final

    Charger installed, circuit verified, system energized

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

Tips

  • There is no dedicated 'EV charger permit' in Cut Bank or on the Montana Building Codes Bureau's statewide fee schedule -- a home charger is billed under the same general residential electrical fee items used for any new circuit or piece of equipment ($45 for one additional circuit, per item H of the state's own form).
  • Electrical permits for any Cut Bank address (including EV chargers) 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.
  • If the charger installation requires a panel upgrade or full service change, budget for the higher $200 (4+ circuits & change of service) fee tier instead of the $45 single-circuit rate.

Frequently asked questions

Cut Bank requires an electric vehicle charging station permit (state-issued electrical permit) 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, whether the job is inside city limits, county, owner information, and power company must be provided; Apply in accordance with Title 50, Chapter 60, Section 604, MCA and ARM 24.301.431; No EV-charger-specific line item exists on the state's Residential Electrical Permit form (Rev. 12/22); a Level 1/Level 2 charger installed as a single new circuit/outlet is most consistent with the form's 'Single Family Interior/Exterior Wire or Rewire' category, scaled by number of circuits and whether a panel/service change is involved; The City of Cut Bank's own Permitting FAQ confirms electrical work of any kind routes to the state, not the City. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Cut Bank Building Department — Building Official Kory Sandon, Certified Residential & Commercial Building Inspector; city-certified for Building (B) permits only. Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical permits within Cut Bank city limits are issued directly by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau, not the City. at (406) 873-5526 before starting work.

There is no EV-specific fee line. The state's Application for Residential Electrical Permit bills a straightforward single-circuit charger installation as '1 additional circuit or piece of equipment' at $45; a charger requiring a panel or service upgrade is billed at the higher $200 tier for '4+ circuits & change of service and/or interior panel board.'

Cut Bank does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact City of Cut Bank Building Department — Building Official Kory Sandon, Certified Residential & Commercial Building Inspector; city-certified for Building (B) permits only. Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical permits within Cut Bank city limits are issued directly by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau, not the City. at (406) 873-5526 for current turnaround.

You'll need: Application for Residential Electrical Permit (or Commercial Electrical Permit for non-residential chargers). See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Cut Bank requires 2 inspection(s) for an electric vehicle charging station permit (state-issued electrical permit), in order: Rough-In (if new circuit run before concealment), Final. Schedule each through City of Cut Bank Building Department — Building Official Kory Sandon, Certified Residential & Commercial Building Inspector; city-certified for Building (B) permits only. Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical permits within Cut Bank city limits are issued directly by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau, not the City. ((406) 873-5526).

Apply through City of Cut Bank Building Department — Building Official Kory Sandon, Certified Residential & Commercial Building Inspector; city-certified for Building (B) permits only. Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical permits within Cut Bank city limits are issued directly by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau, not the City. at 221 West Main Street, Cut Bank, MT 59427. Phone: (406) 873-5526, email: ksandon@cityofcutbank.org. Office hours: City Hall (Winter Hours): Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM. Building Official Kory Sandon can be reached directly at (406) 873-5526 or ksandon@cityofcutbank.org.. Official information: https://www.cityofcutbank.org/building-department.

Cut Bank, 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 (building, plumbing, electrical, mechanical, swimming pool, etc.); 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 City, County and Town Programs list (bsd.dli.mt.gov/building-codes-permits).; Cut Bank is a Montana DLI-certified jurisdiction for Building (B) ONLY within city limits; certified building official on file with DLI: Kory Sandon, (406) 873-5526. 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 — roster row: 'Cutbank | B | Kory Sandon | 873-5526 | City Limits' (verified directly via pdftotext extraction of the primary-source PDF, not a third-party mirror).; The City of Cut Bank's own Building Permit Fee Schedule and Permitting FAQ (published on cityofcutbank.org) confirm the City issues Building permits only, while explicitly directing applicants to the Montana DLI for mechanical, electrical, and plumbing permits: 'Where do I get my mechanical, electrical, or plumbing permit? Online from the Montana Department of Labor and Industry.' Source: City of Cut Bank Permitting FAQ's (PDF), cityofcutbank.org/media/2616; Per the Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau's Current Codes page (statewide effective date June 11, 2022, applicable to all certified and state-enforced jurisdictions alike): 2021 IBC, 2021 IRC, 2021 IEBC, 2021 IMC, 2021 IFGC, 2021 IECC, 2021 ISPSC, 2021 UPC, 2020 NEC, 2017 ICC A117.1 Accessibility. Cut Bank's own Building Permit Application checklist references the adopted Uniform/International Residential Code framework (IRC Section R105.2 exemptions, R301.1.3 engineered design, R314/R315 smoke and CO alarms, R311.4 egress) consistent with enforcement of the state-adopted IRC edition rather than a locally-amended one. Source: bsd.dli.mt.gov/building-codes-permits/current-codes; City of Cut Bank Building Permit Application Checklist (PDF), cityofcutbank.org/media/2766. Local amendments apply — see the Cut Bank overview page for the full list.

The Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau issues the electrical permit for an EV charger installation in Cut Bank -- the city itself only holds Building certification, not Electrical, so the charger's circuit work routes to the state, the same as any other electrical permit.