Zoning Permit (Fence, Sign, Accessory Structure) in Choteau, Montana

Yes, a Zoning Permit is required for fences, signs, and similar site improvements. This is separate from (and does not replace) a Building Permit where the project also requires one. Source: City of Choteau Services page.

Choteau does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact City of Choteau — Building Official Kyle Harlan (contracted); city-certified for Building (B) permits only. Zoning permits are administered directly by the City Office; Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical permits within Choteau city limits are issued directly by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau, not the City. at (406) 466-2510 for current turnaround.

You'll need: Zoning/Building Permit Application (Zoning Permit Application number). See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Apply through City of Choteau — Building Official Kyle Harlan (contracted); city-certified for Building (B) permits only. Zoning permits are administered directly by the City Office; Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical permits within Choteau city limits are issued directly by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau, not the City. at 38 First Avenue N.W., PO Box 619, Choteau, MT 59422-0619. Phone: (406) 466-2510. Office hours: City Office: Mon-Fri 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM. Building Inspector Kyle Harlan (contracted, also serves Toole County and Pondera County as certified building official) should be called directly at (406) 788-3398 prior to construction and during the project to schedule required inspections, per the City's Zoning/Building Permit Acknowledgement Form.. Official information: https://www.choteaumt.org/services.

Choteau, 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 list (bsd.dli.mt.gov/building-codes-permits).; Choteau is a Montana DLI-certified jurisdiction for Building (B) ONLY within city limits; certified building official on file with DLI: Kyle Harlan, (406) 466-2510 (city office) / (406) 788-3398 (direct, per City's own permit packet). 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; Per Choteau Acantha reporting (April 2012 City Council coverage), the City of Choteau adopted the State Building Code as its own by ordinance (effective May 17, 2012) and contracted with Kyle Harlan of Cascade, MT as the city's certified building code inspector, so that building permit fees collected stay with the city rather than the state, and so contractors have a local point of contact. Source: choteauacantha.com, 'City adopts revised zoning codes'; The City of Choteau's own Zoning/Building Permit Acknowledgement Form lists the codes applicable to construction in the city as: the International Building Code, Energy Conservation Code (IECC), International Mechanical Code (IMC), International Fuel Gas Piping Code (IFGC), ICC A117.1 Accessibility Standards, the Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC), the National Electrical Code (NEC), the City of Choteau Zoning Code, and other Choteau Municipal Codes. Source: City of Choteau, Choteau-Zoning-and-Building-Permit-packet.pdf (choteaumt.org/s/Choteau-Zoning-and-Building-Permit-packet.pdf); 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. Choteau's own permit packet references these same code families (IBC, IECC, IMC, IFGC, ICC A117.1, UPC, NEC) without naming a locally-amended edition, consistent with a small B-only-certified jurisdiction enforcing the state-adopted editions rather than authoring independent code text. Source: bsd.dli.mt.gov/building-codes-permits/current-codes. Local amendments apply — see the Choteau overview page for the full list.