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Sign Permit in Livingston, Montana

Required for the erection or expansion of any non-exempt signage within Livingston city limits, per Section 30.50 of the City of Livingston Zoning Ordinance. Administered by the City of Livingston Department of Planning (not the Building Division) using a dedicated Sign Permit Application distinct from the general Building Permit Application.

Reviewed 2026-07-22 · Source

When you need this permit

  • A Sign Permit is required for the erection or expansion of any non-exempt sign within the City of Livingston, per Zoning Ordinance Section 30.50
  • Completed Sign Permit Application Form, including property owner and applicant contact information, zoning district, proposed sign type(s), freestanding sign height(s), sign setbacks from all property lines (front street, side, rear, side street if corner lot), sign square footage(s), lineal feet of building frontage, and whether the sign will be lit
  • Site Plan showing the location of all proposed signs and structures on the property, with distances from the signs to all property lines clearly labeled
  • Building Elevations showing the dimension and location of all proposed wall signs
  • Drawings showing color, dimensions, height, design, lighting, and support structures of all proposed signs
  • All submittal documents must be on 8 1/2" x 11" or 11" x 17" paper, plus digital PDF copies
  • Applicant must indicate whether the property is within a Historic District or Design Overlay District; signs in those districts are also subject to Historic Preservation Commission design review (a separate Historic Design Review Application, Administrative Review, is published alongside the Sign Permit Application on the City's Forms page)
  • The Sign Permit review fee must be submitted with the application

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Sign Permit review feeChecked City of Livingston Fee Schedule (Resolution 5181, approved 2/03/2026) Planning Fees and Miscellaneous Planning Fees tables (no Sign Permit line item found) and the Sign Permit Application Instructions PDF itself; confirm the current fee with the Department of Planning, (406) 222-4903 or planning@livingstonmontana.org, before submitting
Not a specific dollar figure published in the City Fee Schedule (Resolution 5181, approved 2/03/2026) or in the Sign Permit Application Instructions -- the Instructions state only that 'the Sign Permit review fee' is a required submittal item

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Sign Permit permit actually take in Livingston?

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

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Final Sign Inspection

    Installed sign(s) verified against the approved Sign Permit Application for location, height, setback, square footage, and lighting compliance

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

Tips

  • The Sign Permit is a Department of Planning product administered under Zoning Ordinance Section 30.50 -- it is a separate application from the Building Division's general Building Permit Application (which also lists 'Sign' as one of its five work-type checkboxes for structural sign-mounting review); a project may need both, depending on scope.
  • Signs proposed within a Historic District or Design Overlay District trigger an additional Historic Preservation Commission Historic Design Review Application (Administrative Review) alongside the Sign Permit.
  • No dollar amount for the Sign Permit review fee was found published in either the City Fee Schedule or the Sign Permit Application Instructions -- budget an unknown amount and confirm with the Planning Department before submitting.

Frequently asked questions

Yes, for any non-exempt sign. A Sign Permit is required for the erection or expansion of signage within Livingston city limits per Zoning Ordinance Section 30.50, issued by the Department of Planning using a dedicated Sign Permit Application (not the general Building Permit Application).

The City's Sign Permit Application Instructions require payment of 'the Sign Permit review fee' but neither that document nor the City's published Fee Schedule (Resolution 5181) lists a specific dollar amount. Contact the Department of Planning, (406) 222-4903, for the current fee.

Livingston does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact City of Livingston Building & Planning Department (Building Division) — city-certified for Building and Swimming Pool permits only; Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical/HVAC permits are issued directly by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau at (406) 222-4903 (Building & Planning); (406) 222-0083 (Interim Building Director Brad Haefs, Building Division) for current turnaround.

You'll need: City of Livingston Sign Permit Application; Site Plan; Building Elevations; Sign Drawings. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Livingston requires 1 inspection(s) for a sign permit, in order: Final Sign Inspection. Schedule each through City of Livingston Building & Planning Department (Building Division) — city-certified for Building and Swimming Pool permits only; Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical/HVAC permits are issued directly by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau ((406) 222-4903 (Building & Planning); (406) 222-0083 (Interim Building Director Brad Haefs, Building Division)).

Apply through City of Livingston Building & Planning Department (Building Division) — city-certified for Building and Swimming Pool permits only; Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical/HVAC permits are issued directly by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau at 220 E. Park Street, Livingston, MT 59047 (Building Division field office: 330 Bennett Street). Phone: (406) 222-4903 (Building & Planning); (406) 222-0083 (Interim Building Director Brad Haefs, Building Division), email: jseverson@livingstonmontana.org (Planning Director Jennifer Severson); bhaefs@livingstonmontana.org (Interim Building Director Brad Haefs). Office hours: City Hall, 220 E. Park Street, Livingston, MT 59047. Official information: https://www.livingstonmontana.org/buildingplanning.

Livingston, 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 areas/trades 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).; Livingston is a Montana DLI-certified jurisdiction for Building (B) and Swimming Pool (SP) ONLY within Livingston city limits; certified building official on file with DLI: Jim Woodhull, (406) 222-0083. Source: Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau, Certified City, County and Town Programs / Current Codes page, bsd.dli.mt.gov/building-codes-permits/certified-government; Livingston is NOT certified for Electrical (E), Plumbing/Mechanical-Gas (P(M/G)), or Mechanical (M). Per the City of Livingston Building Department page: 'The City of Livingston does not issue permits or conduct inspections for electrical, plumbing, or HVAC work. These services are regulated at the state level.' Source: City of Livingston Building Department page, https://www.livingstonmontana.org/buildingplanning/page/building-department; Park County (unincorporated, outside Livingston city limits) does not appear on the Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau's certified local government list at all — unincorporated Park County is entirely state-enforced for Building, Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical permitting. Source: Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau, Certified City, County and Town Programs list, bsd.dli.mt.gov/building-codes-permits/certified-government; 2021 International Building Code (IBC) — statewide effective June 11, 2022; per the City of Livingston Building Department, new 2021-edition building codes took effect locally September 23, 2022 ('NEW BUILDING CODES (2021) TAKE EFFECT SEPTEMBER 23, 2022'). Source: City of Livingston Building Department page; 2021 International Residential Code (IRC) — statewide effective June 11, 2022; adopted locally effective September 23, 2022 per City of Livingston Building Department page; 2021 International Existing Building Code (IEBC) — statewide effective June 11, 2022; 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC) — statewide effective June 11, 2022; Livingston is DLI-certified for swimming pool (SP) permitting; 2021 International Mechanical Code (IMC) and 2021 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) — statewide editions; state-administered permits in Livingston (city is not Mechanical-certified); 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC) — statewide edition; state-administered permits in Livingston (city is not Plumbing-certified) — Montana uses the Uniform Plumbing Code, not the International Plumbing Code; 2020 National Electrical Code (NEC) — statewide edition; state-administered permits in Livingston (city is not Electrical-certified); 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) — statewide effective June 11, 2022; All codes amended by the Administrative Rules of Montana (ARM) Title 24, Chapter 301. Source: Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau, Current Codes page, bsd.dli.mt.gov/building-codes-permits/current-codes; The Livingston Building Department reviews plans and performs inspections using the ICC's IBC and IRC; codes are 're-adopted approximately every three years' per the City of Livingston Building Department page. No Livingston-specific Municode text of Chapter 6 (Uniform Building Code) confirming a distinct local amendment ordinance number could be retrieved (Municode's dynamic content did not resolve via direct fetch or Wayback Machine snapshot); the City's own Building Department page is used as the authoritative statement of adopted-code editions and effective date.. Local amendments apply — see the Livingston overview page for the full list.

Sources & verification

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

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