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Certificate of Occupancy / Business Registration (Change of Use) in Havre, Montana

Since May 1, 2024, the City of Havre has required every business operating within city limits — new or existing — to complete a General Business Registration Application and obtain a Certificate of Occupancy from the City before operating. Per the city's own Public Works page: 'no person or entity shall engage in state-filed business without first receiving a business registration, and obtaining a certificate of occupancy from the City.' The application is routed internally to five departments for sign-off (Building Department, Planning/Zoning Department, Public Works Department, 911 Coordinator, and Fire Department), making it Havre's functional change-of-occupancy/change-of-use review gate. This local process operates within the framework of Montana Code Annotated 50-60-107, under which a certificate of occupancy for a building constructed under the state or local building code is binding and conclusive proof that the building conforms to applicable building-code requirements.

Verified 2026-07-22 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Required for every new or existing business operating within Havre city limits — 'no person or entity shall engage in state-filed business without first receiving a business registration, and obtaining a certificate of occupancy from the City' (City of Havre Public Works page)
  • In effect since May 1, 2024
  • Applicant must specify whether the business is New or Existing, describe the business activity as specifically as possible, and provide location address, mailing address, and owner/applicant contact information
  • Checklist disclosures required where applicable: Home Occupation status; sale of alcoholic beverages (State of Montana License #); six or more gaming machines; auctioneer or pawnbroker services (Federal ID #); sale of tobacco/tobacco products; marijuana dispensary or grow operation (State of Montana License #, permitted only in certain zoning districts per Title 11, Chapter 1, Section 9); mobile vendor status (with vehicle description)
  • Registrant must notify the City within 30 days of any change to the information on file; failure may result in penalties and/or suspension or revocation of the registration
  • Application is internally reviewed and approved/denied following sign-off from five departments: Building Department, Planning/Zoning Department, Public Works Department, 911 Coordinator, and Fire Department
  • A Zoning Variance Y/N field is completed by the City on intake, alongside a Permit # and Date Submitted

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Business Registration / Certificate of Occupancy Fee
The General Business Registration Application records a 'Fee due' amount in its Office Use Only block, but neither the application itself nor the City of Havre Fee Schedule (effective 3/25/2026,… Show full citationThe General Business Registration Application records a 'Fee due' amount in its Office Use Only block, but neither the application itself nor the City of Havre Fee Schedule (effective 3/25/2026, which covers only Building Department valuation-based permit fees) publishes a fixed dollar figure for business registration/certificate of occupancy. Confirm the current amount with the City of Havre Finance/City Clerk or Public Works Department.
Not a fixed published amount

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Certificate of Occupancy / Business Registration (Change of Use) permit actually take in Havre?

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Inspection process

    Tips

    • This process doubles as Havre's change-of-use/change-of-occupancy check — even an existing business changing hands or changing its activity at the same address should re-file to keep its registration and certificate of occupancy current.
    • Five departments sign off internally (Building, Planning/Zoning, Public Works, 911 Coordinator, Fire) — budget time for multi-department review, even though no fixed turnaround is published.
    • Marijuana dispensaries and grow operations are only permitted in certain zoning districts under Title 11, Chapter 1, Section 9 of the Havre City Code — confirm zoning eligibility before registering that business type.

    Frequently asked questions

    Havre requires a certificate of occupancy / business registration (change of use) permit for: Required for every new or existing business operating within Havre city limits — 'no person or entity shall engage in state-filed business without first receiving a business registration, and obtaining a certificate of occupancy from the City' (City of Havre Public Works page); In effect since May 1, 2024; Applicant must specify whether the business is New or Existing, describe the business activity as specifically as possible, and provide location address, mailing address, and owner/applicant contact information; Checklist disclosures required where applicable: Home Occupation status; sale of alcoholic beverages (State of Montana License #); six or more gaming machines; auctioneer or pawnbroker services (Federal ID #); sale of tobacco/tobacco products; marijuana dispensary or grow operation (State of Montana License #, permitted only in certain zoning districts per Title 11, Chapter 1, Section 9); mobile vendor status (with vehicle description); Registrant must notify the City within 30 days of any change to the information on file; failure may result in penalties and/or suspension or revocation of the registration; Application is internally reviewed and approved/denied following sign-off from five departments: Building Department, Planning/Zoning Department, Public Works Department, 911 Coordinator, and Fire Department; A Zoning Variance Y/N field is completed by the City on intake, alongside a Permit # and Date Submitted. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Havre Public Works Department (Building Division) — city-certified for Building permits only; Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical permits are issued directly by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau at (406) 265-4941 before starting work.

    The City of Havre does not publish a fixed fee for business registration or the certificate of occupancy; the amount is recorded at intake on the application's Office Use Only block. Confirm the current fee with the City of Havre Finance/City Clerk or Public Works Department.

    Havre does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact City of Havre Public Works Department (Building Division) — city-certified for Building permits only; Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical permits are issued directly by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau at (406) 265-4941 for current turnaround.

    You'll need: General Business Registration Application. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

    Apply through City of Havre Public Works Department (Building Division) — city-certified for Building permits only; Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical permits are issued directly by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau at 520 4th Street, PO Box 231, Havre, MT 59501. Phone: (406) 265-4941, email: PWinfo@ci.havre.mt.us. Office hours: Mon–Fri 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM. Official information: https://www.ci.havre.mt.us/public-works.

    Havre, Montana has adopted: 2021 International Building Code (IBC) — adopted by the City of Havre by reference of the code adopted by the Building Codes Bureau, Montana Department of Labor & Industry (Havre City Code 4-1-1; Ord. 852, 2-21-2006; Ord. 846, 2-18-2003); statewide effective date June 11, 2022; 2021 International Residential Code (IRC) — statewide edition referenced by Havre's Roofing Permit checklist (citing 2021 IRC Sections 905.2.1, 905.1.2, R806); statewide effective June 11, 2022; 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) — statewide edition referenced by Havre's Roofing Permit checklist (citing 2021 IECC Section C504); statewide effective June 11, 2022; 2021 International Existing Building Code (IEBC) — statewide edition per Montana Building Codes Bureau Current Codes page; statewide effective June 11, 2022; 2021 International Mechanical Code (IMC) — statewide edition, state-administered permit (Havre is not Mechanical-certified); effective June 11, 2022; 2021 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) — statewide edition; effective June 11, 2022; 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC) — statewide edition, state-administered permit (Havre is not Plumbing-certified); effective June 11, 2022; 2020 National Electrical Code (NEC) — statewide edition per Montana Building Codes Bureau Current Codes page, state-administered permit (Havre is not Electrical-certified); effective June 11, 2022; 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC) — statewide edition; effective June 11, 2022; 2017 ICC A117.1 Accessibility Standard — statewide edition per Montana Building Codes Bureau Current Codes page. Local amendments apply — see the Havre overview page for the full list.

    Yes. Since May 1, 2024, every business operating in Havre — new or existing — must complete a General Business Registration Application and obtain a certificate of occupancy from the City before operating. The application is reviewed internally by the Building Department, Planning/Zoning Department, Public Works Department, 911 Coordinator, and Fire Department.

    Sources & verification

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

    Fee schedules

    Applications & forms

    Checklists & handouts

    Codes & ordinances

    Department & other records

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

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