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EV Charger / EVSE Permit — State-Issued Electrical Permit (No Distinct Line Item) — East Helena, Montana · Requirements sheet
Verified 2026-07-20 · Source: https://bsd.dli.mt.gov/building-codes-permits/permit-applications/electrical-permits/
PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency. Requirements change and vary by project — confirm current details with the building department before you submit.
EV Charger / EVSE Permit — State-Issued Electrical Permit (No Distinct Line Item) in East Helena, Montana
Installation of a Level 2 (or higher) electric vehicle charger/EVSE anywhere in East Helena (city limits) requires an electrical permit, since East Helena is not DLI-certified for Electrical and all electrical permitting for East Helena addresses is issued directly by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau (Helena) under the 2020 NEC. The Bureau's own Application for Residential Electrical Permit form (Rev. 12/22) has NO dedicated 'EV charger' or 'EVSE' line item — its explicit 'Alternative Energy Source' add-on fee is defined only for Solar/Wind/Hydro generation systems, not vehicle-charging equipment. An EV charger circuit is billed under the same general per-circuit/per-service fee table used for any other electrical equipment addition: as an added circuit to an existing panel (options G/H) if no service or panel change is needed, or under the applicable service-upgrade tier (options A-D) if the charger install requires a panel/service upgrade.
Verified 2026-07-20 · Source
When you need this permit
- Apply using the same statewide Application for Residential Electrical Permit used for all East Helena electrical work, since the state DLI Building Codes Bureau (not the city) issues electrical permits for East Helena addresses
- Select the base work-type fee matching the actual scope: '1 additional circuit or piece of equipment' (option H) or '2-3 additional circuits or pieces of equipment' (option G) for a charger added to an existing panel with no service change; or the applicable amp-rated service-upgrade tier (options A-D) if a panel/service upgrade is required to support the charger
- Application must be signed and dated by the licensed electrical contractor's person in charge; payment must be submitted with the application
- Apply in accordance with Title 50, Chapter 60, Section 604, MCA and ARM 24.301.431
- Governed by the 2020 NEC as statewide-adopted (effective June 11, 2022); EV charger circuits fall under NEC Article 625 (Electric Vehicle Power Transfer System), not separately itemized on the state fee form
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Fee schedule
EV Charger as 1 additional circuit or piece of equipment (existing service/panel, no change)Montana Building Codes Bureau, Application for Residential Electrical Permit (Rev. 12/22), fee option H — the general per-circuit line item; no EV-specific line item exists on the form
$45
EV Charger as 2-3 additional circuits or pieces of equipmentApplication for Residential Electrical Permit (Rev. 12/22), fee option G
$70
EV Charger requiring panel/service upgrade — up to 200-amp serviceApplication for Residential Electrical Permit (Rev. 12/22), fee option A — applies if the charger install requires a new/upgraded service rather than an added circuit only
$200
Request inspection, per hourApplication for Residential Electrical Permit (Rev. 12/22), fee option CC
$60 (additional $30 for each 30 minutes or fraction thereof in excess of one hour, plus travel time)
Review timeline
Plan review
Not published — contact the department
Inspection process
- 1
State electrical inspection
Requested per-hour from the DLI Building Codes Bureau ($60/hr, plus travel), covering the EV charger circuit, breaker sizing, and disconnect/GFCI protection per NEC Article 625
See the full East Helena inspection guide — scheduling & re-inspection fees →
Tips
- There is no dedicated 'EV charger permit' or EV-specific fee line in East Helena or on the statewide DLI electrical permit form — a home EV charger/EVSE install is billed as an ordinary additional-circuit fee (typically $45-$70) or, if it requires a service/panel upgrade, under the amp-rated service tiers ($200+).
- Do NOT check the 'Alternative Energy Source' box for an EV charger — that $65 add-on line is explicitly limited to Solar/Wind/Hydro generation systems on the DLI form, not vehicle-charging load equipment.
- Mail the application and payment to PO Box 200517, Helena, MT 59620-0517, or apply online at ebiz.mt.gov — not to East Helena City Hall, since the city holds no electrical certification.
Frequently asked questions
East Helena requires an ev charger / evse permit — state-issued electrical permit (no distinct line item) for: Apply using the same statewide Application for Residential Electrical Permit used for all East Helena electrical work, since the state DLI Building Codes Bureau (not the city) issues electrical permits for East Helena addresses; Select the base work-type fee matching the actual scope: '1 additional circuit or piece of equipment' (option H) or '2-3 additional circuits or pieces of equipment' (option G) for a charger added to an existing panel with no service change; or the applicable amp-rated service-upgrade tier (options A-D) if a panel/service upgrade is required to support the charger; Application must be signed and dated by the licensed electrical contractor's person in charge; payment must be submitted with the application; Apply in accordance with Title 50, Chapter 60, Section 604, MCA and ARM 24.301.431; Governed by the 2020 NEC as statewide-adopted (effective June 11, 2022); EV charger circuits fall under NEC Article 625 (Electric Vehicle Power Transfer System), not separately itemized on the state fee form. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of East Helena Department of Building & Safety — city-certified for Building (B) and Swimming Pool (SP) only; Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical permits are issued directly by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau at (406) 227-5321 before starting work.
There is no separate EV-specific permit or fee. A home EV charger is billed under the state DLI's general per-circuit electrical fee schedule — $45 for a single added circuit to an existing panel (option H), $70 for 2-3 added circuits (option G), or the applicable amp-rated service-upgrade tier starting at $200 (option A) if the install requires a panel/service upgrade — per the Montana Building Codes Bureau's Application for Residential Electrical Permit (Rev. 12/22).
East Helena does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact City of East Helena Department of Building & Safety — city-certified for Building (B) and Swimming Pool (SP) only; Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical permits are issued directly by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau at (406) 227-5321 for current turnaround.
You'll need: Application for Residential Electrical Permit. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.
East Helena requires 1 inspection(s) for an ev charger / evse permit — state-issued electrical permit (no distinct line item), in order: State electrical inspection. Schedule each through City of East Helena Department of Building & Safety — city-certified for Building (B) and Swimming Pool (SP) only; Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical permits are issued directly by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau ((406) 227-5321).
Apply through City of East Helena Department of Building & Safety — city-certified for Building (B) and Swimming Pool (SP) only; Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical permits are issued directly by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau at 306 E. Main Street, PO Box 1170, East Helena, MT 59635. Phone: (406) 227-5321, email: building@easthelenamt.us. Office hours: City Hall, 306 E. Main Street, East Helena, MT 59635 (Administration Department, general questions: (406) 227-5321); Building Official/LEAP staff in Room 201 of City Hall, (406) 457-8583. Official information: https://easthelenamt.us/coeh/planning-zoning-building/.
East Helena, 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, WUI, etc.); non-certified trades within a certified jurisdiction, and all trades in non-certified areas, 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).; East Helena is a Montana DLI-certified jurisdiction for Building (B) and Swimming Pool (SP) ONLY within East Helena city limits — Colin Thomas is the certified building official of record, (406) 594-6322. East Helena is NOT certified for Electrical (E), Plumbing (P), or Mechanical (M); those permits are issued directly by the state DLI Building Codes Bureau for all addresses within East Helena city limits. Source: Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau, 'CITY CODES BUILDING OFFICIAL PHONE JURISDICTION' certified-jurisdictions PDF (https://bsd.dli.mt.gov/_docs/building-codes-permits/certified-city.pdf), updated 04/22/2026 — East Helena row reads 'B, SP / Colin Thomas / 594-6322 / City Limits'; independently cross-confirmed against the DLI 'Certified City, County and Town Programs' HTML page (bsd.dli.mt.gov/building-codes-permits/certified-government), same B, SP result. Legend on the PDF: B = Building, P = Plumbing, M/G = Medical Gas, E = Electrical, M = Mechanical, SP = Pool, W = WUI (Wildland-Urban Interface).; The City of East Helena's own Construction Permit Application confirms the split directly: 'Separate permits are required for building, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical work,' and the city's Planning/Zoning/Building webpage links its 'Electrical Permits' quick-link directly to the Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau's electrical-permits page (bsd.dli.mt.gov/Building-Codes-Permits/Permit-Information/electrical-permits), not to any city-issued electrical form. Source: City of East Helena Construction Permit Application (PDF), easthelenamt.us/PDF/building_permit.pdf; City of East Helena Planning/Zoning/Building page, easthelenamt.us/coeh/planning-zoning-building/.; 2021 International Building Code (IBC) — statewide edition effective June 11, 2022, referenced directly on the City of East Helena Construction Permit Application (IBC Sec. 109.3 and 109.3.8 quoted verbatim on the inspection-requirements side of the form) and enforced locally by the city's own DLI-certified building official. Source: City of East Helena Construction Permit Application (PDF).; 2021 International Residential Code (IRC) — statewide edition effective June 11, 2022; the City of East Helena's Residential One- and Two-Family Dwellings Plan Submittal Requirements document cites IRC Section R301 and IRC Section R602.10 directly for structural/lateral-bracing plan-review purposes. Source: City of East Helena Residential Plan Submittal Requirements (PDF), easthelenamt.us/PDF/COEH_BuildingPlanSubmittalInfo_2021.pdf.; 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) — statewide edition effective June 11, 2022; East Helena's Plan Submittal Requirements require insulation R-values for foundations, walls, and roofs to be shown on submitted plans. Source: City of East Helena Residential Plan Submittal Requirements (PDF); Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau Current Codes page.; 2021 International Existing Building Code (IEBC), 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC), and 2017 ICC A117.1 Accessibility Standard — statewide editions effective June 11, 2022, applicable within East Helena as the locally-enforced editions for the Building and Swimming Pool trades the city is certified for. Source: Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau, Current Codes page, bsd.dli.mt.gov/building-codes-permits/current-codes.; 2021 International Mechanical Code (IMC), 2021 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC), 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC), and 2020 National Electrical Code (NEC) all apply within East Helena city limits as the statewide-adopted editions (effective June 11, 2022) but are administered directly by the Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau (Helena), not the City of East Helena, because East Helena holds no local certification for those trades. Source: Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau, Current Codes page; DLI Building Codes Bureau Electrical/Plumbing/Mechanical Permits pages.. Local amendments apply — see the East Helena overview page for the full list.
No. East Helena is DLI-certified only for Building and Swimming Pool permits. Electrical permits — including EV charger/EVSE circuits — are issued directly by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau in Helena, the same office that handles all electrical permitting for East Helena addresses.
Sources & verification
Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-07-20.
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 East Helena building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.
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