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Sign / Billboard Permit in Conrad, Montana

Conrad has no freestanding, dedicated 'Sign Permit' application or fee schedule. Instead, signage is regulated through two documented mechanisms: (1) City Code 4-1-9 (Billboards), which requires City Council permission before erecting any billboard or other structure for advertising purposes, plus one week's written notice to owners/occupants of property within 200 feet; and (2) Zoning Code (Ordinance No. 411) 10-7-4.G, which lists 'Billboard, if fire resistive' as a permitted use in the C-1 General Commercial District only -- billboards are not a listed permitted use in the C-2 Neighborhood Commercial District. The Zoning Code separately defines 'WALL SIGN' (10-1) and lists sign location, height, area, and number among the specific elements the zoning commission/board of adjustment may condition (10-2-13.B.2.x, Conditional Uses) or vary (10-2-14.A.7, Variances). The City's own Building Permit Packet 'Validity of Permit/Disclaimer' form refers to these provisions collectively as 'the City of Conrad Zoning and Sign Code,' but no separately codified, standalone Sign Code chapter, application form, or numeric size/setback threshold for ordinary on-premise signs (wall, monument, window) was found published after reviewing the full current Title 10 Zoning Code (Ord. #411, 55 pages) and the codified Title 4 Chapter 1.

Reviewed 2026-07-22 · Source

When you need this permit

  • For a billboard or other structure used for advertising purposes: obtain City Council permission per City Code 4-1-9.A before erecting the sign/structure
  • Give one week's written notice, personally or by mail, to the owners, occupants, or agents of all houses and lots within two hundred feet (200') of the location where the billboard or structure is to be erected (City Code 4-1-9.A)
  • No billboard/advertising-structure application may be considered by the City Council without verified proof of service of the required notice, or the written consent of the owners/occupants/agents notified
  • Under Zoning Code 10-7-4.G, a billboard is a permitted use only in the C-1 General Commercial District, and only if of fire-resistive construction; billboards are not listed as a permitted use in the C-2 Neighborhood Commercial District (10-8-4)
  • Using a fence, barn, shed, building, or other structure as a billboard/advertising structure requires the same City Council consent and 200-foot neighbor notice process (City Code 4-1-9.B)
  • A sign proposal involving location, height, area, or number outside the district's standard parameters may require a conditional use permit (Zoning Code 10-2-13) or variance (10-2-14), both of which are filed with the city finance officer and require a public hearing before the zoning commission and/or board of adjustment

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Billboard / sign permit fee
No dedicated sign or billboard fee was found published. Show full citationNo dedicated sign or billboard fee was found published. City Code 4-1-9 requires City Council consent but states no fee amount; general Building/Zoning permit fees are set by city council resolution 'from time to time' per City Code 4-1-7, the same unpublished-fee gap already documented for Conrad's other permit types in this record. Contact City Hall at (406) 271-5821 or (406) 271-3623 for a current quote.
Not published — contact the department

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Sign / Billboard Permit permit actually take in Conrad?

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Inspection process

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

    Tips

    • Conrad has no separate, dedicated 'Sign Permit' product or fee schedule -- signage is regulated through City Code 4-1-9 (Billboards) and Zoning Code 10-7-4 (permitted uses), referred to collectively on the City's own disclaimer form as the 'Zoning and Sign Code.'
    • A billboard or other advertising structure requires City Council permission, not just a building-inspector sign-off -- budget time for the one-week neighbor notice and a council meeting, in addition to any building-permit plan review.
    • Billboards are a permitted use (if fire-resistive) only in the C-1 General Commercial District; they are not a permitted use in the C-2 Neighborhood Commercial District.
    • Sign location, height, area, and number are explicit regulated criteria under the Zoning Code's conditional-use (10-2-13) and variance (10-2-14) provisions -- a nonstandard sign proposal may require a public hearing before the zoning commission or board of adjustment.

    Frequently asked questions

    Conrad requires a sign / billboard permit for: For a billboard or other structure used for advertising purposes: obtain City Council permission per City Code 4-1-9.A before erecting the sign/structure; Give one week's written notice, personally or by mail, to the owners, occupants, or agents of all houses and lots within two hundred feet (200') of the location where the billboard or structure is to be erected (City Code 4-1-9.A); No billboard/advertising-structure application may be considered by the City Council without verified proof of service of the required notice, or the written consent of the owners/occupants/agents notified; Under Zoning Code 10-7-4.G, a billboard is a permitted use only in the C-1 General Commercial District, and only if of fire-resistive construction; billboards are not listed as a permitted use in the C-2 Neighborhood Commercial District (10-8-4); Using a fence, barn, shed, building, or other structure as a billboard/advertising structure requires the same City Council consent and 200-foot neighbor notice process (City Code 4-1-9.B); A sign proposal involving location, height, area, or number outside the district's standard parameters may require a conditional use permit (Zoning Code 10-2-13) or variance (10-2-14), both of which are filed with the city finance officer and require a public hearing before the zoning commission and/or board of adjustment. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Conrad Building & Zoning Department — Building Official Keith Thaut; city-certified for Building (B) permits only. Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical/HVAC permits within Conrad city limits are issued directly by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau, not the City. at (406) 271-5821 before starting work.

    Conrad does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact City of Conrad Building & Zoning Department — Building Official Keith Thaut; city-certified for Building (B) permits only. Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical/HVAC permits within Conrad city limits are issued directly by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau, not the City. at (406) 271-5821 for current turnaround.

    You'll need: Written Notice to Adjacent Property Owners (or their written consent). Depending on your project, Conrad may also ask for: Zoning and Building Permit Application. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

    Apply through City of Conrad Building & Zoning Department — Building Official Keith Thaut; city-certified for Building (B) permits only. Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical/HVAC permits within Conrad city limits are issued directly by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau, not the City. at 413 South Main Street, Conrad, MT 59425-2337. Phone: (406) 271-5821, email: office@cityofconrad.com. Office hours: City Hall: Monday-Friday, 7:00 AM - 3:30 PM. Building Inspector Keith Thaut should be called directly at (406) 271-5821 before construction begins so inspections can be scheduled; approval times from the Building Inspector may vary. Building & Zoning general line (406) 271-3623, fax (406) 271-5602..

    Conrad, 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 City, County and Town Programs (bsd.dli.mt.gov/building-codes-permits).; Conrad is a Montana DLI-certified jurisdiction for Building (B) only, within city limits; the certified building official on file with DLI is Keith Thaut, (406) 271-5821. The DLI Building Codes Bureau's 'Montana Certified Local Government Program' roster PDF, updated 04/22/2026, reads: 'Conrad | B | Keith Thaut | 271-5821 | City Limits'. Source: https://bsd.dli.mt.gov/_docs/building-codes-permits/certified-city.pdf; City of Conrad Municipal Code Title 4, Chapter 1 (Building Codes and Regulations), Section 4-1-1 (Adoption of Codes), last amended by Ordinance 425 (8-9-2022): adopts 'the state building code' referenced in Mont. Code Ann. Section 50-60-203 (2021), consisting of: (1) International Building Code (IBC), 2021 Edition, as described in and amended by ARM 24.301.131; (2) International Residential Code (IRC), 2021 Edition, as described in and amended by ARM 24.301.154; (3) International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), 2021 Edition, as amended by ARM 24.301.161; (4) International Existing Building Code (IEBC), 2021 Edition, as described in and amended by ARM 24.301.171. Source: City of Conrad Municipal Code 4-1-1, https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/conradmt/latest/conrad_mt/0-0-0-728 (also verified via the City's own Building Permit Packet PDF); The City's Building Permit Packet 'Validity of Permit/Disclaimer' form (signed by every applicant) additionally names the International Mechanical Code, International Fuel Gas Piping Code, ICC A117.1 Accessibility Standards, the Uniform Plumbing Code, and the National Electrical Code as codes/standards referenced for construction in Conrad — consistent with the statewide code set enforced by the DLI even though Conrad itself is not separately certified in the Mechanical/Plumbing/Electrical trades. Source: City of Conrad Building Permit Packet PDF (Validity of Permit/Disclaimer page), https://www.cityofconrad.com/_files/ugd/984806_971dc8cb30b84475b0f2cd026eed99df.pdf; Per the Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau's Current Codes page (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. Conrad's own municipal code (Title 4-1-1) names the same 2021 IBC/IRC/IECC/IEBC editions without authoring independently amended code text, consistent with a small B-only-certified jurisdiction enforcing the state-adopted editions. Source: bsd.dli.mt.gov/building-codes-permits/current-codes. Local amendments apply — see the Conrad overview page for the full list.

    No. The City of Conrad has no standalone Sign Permit product or published fee schedule. Billboards and other advertising structures require City Council consent under City Code 4-1-9 plus written notice to neighbors within 200 feet; a 'WALL SIGN' is defined in the Zoning Code, and sign location/height/area/number are otherwise addressed only through the general conditional-use and variance provisions of Title 10.

    Only in the C-1 General Commercial District, and only if it is fire-resistive construction, per Zoning Code 10-7-4.G. Billboards are not a permitted use in the C-2 Neighborhood Commercial District. You must also obtain City Council consent and give one week's written notice to owners/occupants of property within 200 feet, per City Code 4-1-9.

    Sources & verification

    Key facts verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-07-22.

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

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