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Sign Permit (Zoning Permit for Signs) in Shelby, Montana

Shelby Municipal Code Title 13, Chapter 9 (Signs) sets substantive placement, lighting, and duration standards for on-site, off-site, and temporary signs, while Title 13, Chapter 12 (Administration and Enforcement) establishes the actual permit mechanism: Section 13-12-2.A requires a ZONING PERMIT from the City's Zoning Administrator prior to erecting 'any sign or group of signs having permanent geographical location.' The Zoning Administrator may also serve as the City Building Inspector (13-12-1.A), so the same city office typically handles both reviews.

Verified 2026-07-22 · Source

When you need this permit

  • A zoning permit must be secured from the Zoning Administrator prior to the construction, erection, enlargement, relocation, or structural alteration of any sign or group of signs having permanent geographical location (Shelby Municipal Code 13-12-2.A)
  • Permit application must be accompanied by plans in duplicate, drawn to scale, showing dimensions/shape of the lot, location of existing structures, and the location and dimensions of the proposed sign (13-12-2.B.1); the zoning permit application may be combined with the building permit application (13-12-2.B.4)
  • Substantive sign standards under Chapter 9 apply regardless of permit mechanics: on-site signs may not be set nearer to the street lot line than the district's minimum building setback, and wall signs mounted on a building may not project more than 8 feet from the building or within 2 feet of the curb, and must clear at least 10 feet from grade to the sign's lowest point (13-9-4)
  • Off-site signs are subject to the same setback standard and to state electrical code compliance for illuminated signs (13-9-5)
  • Temporary signs may be erected for a period of sixty (60) days plus the construction period (13-9-6); this is more specific than the general temporary-use zoning permit's 6-month maximum under 13-12-2.D.2
  • Certain sign types are listed as 'permitted in all districts' under 13-9-3 (real estate/lease signs, address/occupant-identification signs without commercial connotation, integral architectural features, private traffic-directional signs, and religious/school/educational bulletin boards set back at least 10 feet from the right-of-way) — whether these are also exempt from the 13-12-2 zoning-permit requirement is not explicitly stated in the code; confirm with the Zoning Administrator
  • If the work described in a zoning permit has not begun within 6 months of issuance, the permit expires; a single 6-month extension may be granted by the Zoning Administrator (13-12-2.D.1)
  • Electrically illuminated signs must comply with the state electrical code for all wiring, fittings, and materials (13-9-4.B, 13-9-5.B) — see this file's electrical-permit-state entry for the separate state DLI electrical permit that governs the wiring itself

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Zoning Permit / Certificate of Zoning Compliance Fee (signs)Shelby Municipal Code 13-12-5.A states the city council sets fees 'by resolution' and cross-references Shelby Municipal Code 1-12-15 (Zoning), which itself states only 'Refer to the current "schedule of fees and permits" on file at the City Hall or Department of Public Works' — no fixed dollar figure is published in the codified ordinances themselves. This is the same honest publication gap already documented in this file's fence-zoning-permit entry, confirmed via direct review of 13-12-5 and its 1-12-15 cross-reference. Applicants must contact City Hall at (406) 434-5222 for the current fee.
Not published — contact the department

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Sign Permit (Zoning Permit for Signs) permit actually take in Shelby?

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

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Zoning Administrator Plan Review

    Zoning Administrator reviews the duplicate plans submitted with the application, marks one copy approved or disapproved, and returns it to the applicant (Shelby Municipal Code 13-12-2.B.3)

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

Tips

  • Shelby's sign ordinance (Title 13, Chapter 9) sets substantive design/placement standards but does NOT itself establish the permit mechanics — the actual zoning-permit requirement for 'any sign or group of signs having permanent geographical location' is in the separate Administration and Enforcement chapter, Shelby Municipal Code 13-12-2.A.
  • Temporary signs have their own tighter duration cap (60 days plus construction period, 13-9-6) than the general temporary-use zoning permit (up to 6 months, 13-12-2.D.2) — the more specific sign rule controls.
  • The zoning permit application can be combined with the building permit application (13-12-2.B.4) — ask the Zoning Administrator/Building Official whether a combined submission is appropriate for your sign project.
  • Illuminated signs must also comply with the state electrical code (13-9-4.B) — a separate Montana DLI electrical permit may be required for the wiring itself; see this file's electrical-permit-state entry.
  • Contact Shelby City Hall at (406) 434-5222 for the current zoning permit fee amount, since it is not published as a fixed table in the code.

Frequently asked questions

Yes, for any sign or group of signs having a permanent geographical location. Shelby Municipal Code 13-12-2.A requires a zoning permit from the Zoning Administrator before such a sign is erected, enlarged, relocated, or structurally altered, in addition to the substantive design standards in Title 13, Chapter 9 (setbacks, lighting, wall-sign projection limits).

Sixty (60) days plus the construction period, per Shelby Municipal Code 13-9-6.

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

Shelby requires 1 inspection(s) for a sign permit (zoning permit for signs), in order: Zoning Administrator Plan Review. Schedule each through City of Shelby Building Department — Building Official Keith Thaut (per the City's live Building & Zoning page, https://www.shelbymt.com/building, fetched 2026-07-16: 'Keith Thaut Building Inspector'); city-certified for Building (B) permits only. Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical/HVAC permits within Shelby city limits are issued directly by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau, not the City. NOTE: the Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau's own certified-jurisdictions roster PDF (updated 04/22/2026) spells the same position 'Ken Thaut' — a name-spelling discrepancy between two current primary sources (city website vs. state roster) that could not be independently resolved as of 2026-07-16; both are cited so nothing is silently reconciled. ((406) 434-5222).

Apply through City of Shelby Building Department — Building Official Keith Thaut (per the City's live Building & Zoning page, https://www.shelbymt.com/building, fetched 2026-07-16: 'Keith Thaut Building Inspector'); city-certified for Building (B) permits only. Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical/HVAC permits within Shelby city limits are issued directly by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau, not the City. NOTE: the Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau's own certified-jurisdictions roster PDF (updated 04/22/2026) spells the same position 'Ken Thaut' — a name-spelling discrepancy between two current primary sources (city website vs. state roster) that could not be independently resolved as of 2026-07-16; both are cited so nothing is silently reconciled. at 112 1st Street South, Shelby, MT 59474. Phone: (406) 434-5222. Office hours: Shelby City Hall: contact (406) 434-5222 for all building inspection and ordinance enforcement matters, per the City's current Building & Zoning page (the former 'City Building Inspector' page at /city-building-inspector/ is a 404 as of 2026-07-16 — the City's site re-platformed from a custom/WordPress-style CMS to Wix, and this content now lives at /building). Building Official Keith Thaut is named on that live page; the Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau's certified-jurisdictions roster lists the same position as 'Ken Thaut' (see department name note).. Official information: https://www.shelbymt.com/building.

Shelby, 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).; Shelby is a Montana DLI-certified jurisdiction for Building (B) ONLY within city limits; certified building official on file with DLI: Ken Thaut, (406) 434-5222. Verified directly against the DLI Building Codes Bureau's 'Montana Certified Local Government Program' roster PDF (fetched and text-extracted directly from the primary-source PDF, updated 04/22/2026): 'Shelby | B | Ken Thaut | 434-5222 | City Limits'. Source: https://bsd.dli.mt.gov/_docs/building-codes-permits/certified-city.pdf. NOTE (2026-07-16 re-check): this DLI roster quote is preserved verbatim and re-confirmed current (re-fetched and re-extracted from the same PDF this session, still reading 'Ken Thaut'), but the City of Shelby's own live website (shelbymt.com/building, fetched the same day) spells the position 'Keith Thaut.' This is a genuine discrepancy between two current primary sources that could not be independently resolved — both spellings are recorded rather than one being silently chosen as correct.; Shelby Municipal Code Title 10 (Building Regulations), Chapter 1 (Building Codes), Section 10-1-1 (Adoption Of Model Building And Technical Codes By Administrative Action), last amended by Ordinance 803 (9-20-2010): adopts by reference, through administrative action of the building inspector as authorized by Mont. Code Ann. Section 50-60-301(1)(b), 'the current editions of the building, mechanical and related codes and all accompanying appendices, amendments and modifications adopted by the bureau of building and measurement standards, Montana department of labor and industry (or its successor), as set out in the administrative rules of Montana.' Source: City of Shelby Code of Ordinances, https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/shelbymt/latest/shelby_mt/0-0-0-2417 (section 10-1-1); 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. Shelby's own municipal code (Title 10, Chapter 1) adopts the state-published editions by administrative reference rather than 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 Shelby overview page for the full list.

The fee is not published as a fixed dollar figure in the codified ordinances. Shelby Municipal Code 13-12-5 sets fees by city council resolution, cross-referenced to a non-codified fee schedule on file at City Hall. Contact (406) 434-5222 for the current amount.

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