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Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Permit in Glasgow, Montana

Required for installation of rooftop or ground-mount solar photovoltaic systems within Glasgow city limits. Requires a City Building Permit (structural/racking, issued by the City's own Code Compliance Officer) plus a State of Montana Electrical Permit (wiring/interconnection) -- Glasgow is city-certified for Building permits only; Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical permits within city limits are issued directly by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau, not the City.

Verified 2026-07-20 · Source

When you need this permit

  • City Building Permit Packet submitted to the City's Code Compliance Officer for the structural/racking scope
  • Electrical wiring/interconnection scope requires a State of Montana electrical permit application, not a City permit -- Glasgow is not electrically-certified
  • Licensed electrical contractors apply for a standard electrical permit and select 'Solar' as the Alternative Energy Source on the state application form; non-electrician installers submit the state's Alternate Energy Permit instead, per the Montana Building Codes Bureau's Alternative Energy Information guidance
  • State application must specify whether the solar installation is a Micro Inverter/AC Module System or a PV String System, and whether the system produces 90 or more volts of electricity
  • Per the state Application for Residential Contractor Electrical Permit (Rev 6/24), a residential 'Alternative Energy' line item carries its own flat state fee, separate from the amperage-based service fees

Required documents

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Fee schedule

City Building Permit Fee (all classes of work)No fixed valuation-based fee schedule was found published on the City of Glasgow website, in the Building Permit Packet, or via the Municode-hosted Code of Ordinances -- consistent with this corpus's existing residential-building-permit entry for Glasgow, which documents this same unresolved gap after exhausting the same sources. Contact the Building Codes Department at (406) 228-2476 ext. 8 for a current quote.
Not published — contact the department
State Electrical Permit -- Alternative Energy (residential, by licensed contractor)Montana Building Codes Bureau, Application for Residential Contractor Electrical Permit (Rev 6/24), line item K 'Alternative Energy' -- applies statewide to any Montana jurisdiction (including Glasgow) not certified to issue its own electrical permits
$45
State Electrical Permit -- Commercial (valuation-based, includes solar)Montana Building Codes Bureau, Application for Commercial Electrical Permit (Rev 6/24) -- the same form has a dedicated Alternative Energy Source (Solar/Wind/Hydro) question set; fee is based on total electrical project value
$45 for the 1st $500 plus 6% of balance (projects $0-$1,000); $75 for the 1st $1,000 plus 2% of balance ($1,001-$10,000); $255 for the 1st $10,000 plus 0.5% of balance ($10,000-$50,000); $455 for the 1st $50,000 plus 0.3% of balance ($50,001+)
State Electrical Permit -- Request InspectionMontana Building Codes Bureau electrical permit applications
$60 per hour (plus $30 per additional 30 minutes, plus travel time)

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Permit permit actually take in Glasgow?

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

Inspection process

  1. 1

    State Electrical Inspection

    Performed by the Montana Building Codes Bureau's regional electrical inspector; wiring, disconnect placement, and interconnection point verified before energizing

  2. 2

    City Final Inspection (Building)

    Racking/roof-penetration attachment and structural compliance verified by the City's Code Compliance Officer

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

Tips

  • Glasgow splits solar permitting across two agencies: the City issues the structural Building Permit, but the State of Montana Building Codes Bureau (not the City) issues the electrical permit, since Glasgow is certified for Building only.
  • On the state electrical permit application, be sure to check 'Yes' to the Alternative Energy Source question and specify Solar plus your system type (Micro Inverter/AC Module vs. PV String) -- this determines how the application is processed.
  • The City's own building-permit fee schedule is not published in any document found online as of this review -- get a written quote directly from the Code Compliance Officer before budgeting.
  • You can apply for the state electrical permit online at ebiz.mt.gov/bcb rather than mailing a paper form.
  • Re-chase pass (2026-07-20): downloaded and read the current (Rev 6/24) Application for Residential Contractor Electrical Permit and Application for Commercial Electrical Permit PDFs directly from bsd.dli.mt.gov — both are live today and match this entry's figures exactly (line K 'Alternative Energy' = $45 flat on the residential form; the $45/$75/$255/$455 tiered commercial schedule verbatim, including the $60 renewal/request-inspection fees). Cross-checked against ARM 24.301.461(1)(o), the codified administrative rule, which lists a separate $65 flat fee for 'Renewable energy system: net metering system or off-grid electrical generating system (photovoltaic (PV) system, wind generator, hydro turbine, etc.)' -- this figure differs from the application forms and was not found reflected on either current PDF, so the live application-form figures (what an applicant actually submits and pays against) are treated as the controlling, currently-charged fee; the ARM figure is noted here for a future re-chase in case DLI updates its forms to match the rule text.

Frequently asked questions

Glasgow requires a solar photovoltaic (pv) permit for: City Building Permit Packet submitted to the City's Code Compliance Officer for the structural/racking scope; Electrical wiring/interconnection scope requires a State of Montana electrical permit application, not a City permit -- Glasgow is not electrically-certified; Licensed electrical contractors apply for a standard electrical permit and select 'Solar' as the Alternative Energy Source on the state application form; non-electrician installers submit the state's Alternate Energy Permit instead, per the Montana Building Codes Bureau's Alternative Energy Information guidance; State application must specify whether the solar installation is a Micro Inverter/AC Module System or a PV String System, and whether the system produces 90 or more volts of electricity; Per the state Application for Residential Contractor Electrical Permit (Rev 6/24), a residential 'Alternative Energy' line item carries its own flat state fee, separate from the amperage-based service fees. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Glasgow Public Works Department / Building Codes Department — Rod Dees, Code Compliance Officer; city-certified for Building (B) permits only. Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical permits within Glasgow city limits are issued directly by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau, not the City. at (406) 228-2476 before starting work.

Glasgow does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact City of Glasgow Public Works Department / Building Codes Department — Rod Dees, Code Compliance Officer; city-certified for Building (B) permits only. Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical permits within Glasgow city limits are issued directly by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau, not the City. at (406) 228-2476 for current turnaround.

You'll need: City Building Permit Packet; Montana Application for Residential (or Commercial) Contractor Electrical Permit. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Glasgow requires 2 inspection(s) for a solar photovoltaic (pv) permit, in order: State Electrical Inspection, City Final Inspection (Building). Schedule each through City of Glasgow Public Works Department / Building Codes Department — Rod Dees, Code Compliance Officer; city-certified for Building (B) permits only. Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical permits within Glasgow city limits are issued directly by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau, not the City. ((406) 228-2476).

Apply through City of Glasgow Public Works Department / Building Codes Department — Rod Dees, Code Compliance Officer; city-certified for Building (B) permits only. Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical permits within Glasgow city limits are issued directly by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau, not the City. at 319 3rd Street South, Glasgow, MT 59230. Phone: (406) 228-2476, email: codecompliance@cityofglasgowmt.com. Office hours: City Hall: Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM-12:00 PM and 1:00 PM-5:00 PM, closed federal holidays. Code Compliance Officer Rod Dees: (406) 228-2476 ext. 8, cell (406) 263-3386. Public Works Department can also be reached at (406) 228-2476 ext. 4 for pre-submittal project discussions.. Official information: https://www.cityofglasgowmt.com/public-works-department.

Glasgow, 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).; Glasgow is a Montana DLI-certified jurisdiction for Building (B) ONLY within city limits; certified building official on file with DLI: Rod Dees, (406) 228-2476. 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 — verified directly against the PDF: 'Glasgow | B | Rod Dees | 228-2476 | City Limits'.; Per the City of Glasgow's own 'General Information for Building Permit Applications' packet (Public Information Sheet GIPBA No. 4, dated 11/17/2021): all building designs and plans must adhere to the 2018 International Residential Code, 2018 International Building Code, 2018 International Mechanical Code, 2018 International Existing Building Code, 2018 International Fuel Gas Code, 2018 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code, 2012 International Energy Code, and the 2018 Uniform Plumbing Code, plus applicable local zoning codes. Source: City of Glasgow Building Permit Packet, cityofglasgowmt.com/_files/ugd/2ff7f3_a263251865d842a9b7db016c72ebf448.pdf; Note on code-edition discrepancy: the City's own packet (last dated 2021) cites 2018-edition I-codes and the 2012 IECC, while the Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau's statewide 'Current Codes' page lists the newer 2021-edition codes (2021 IBC, IRC, IMC, IFGC, ISPSC, IEBC, UPC; 2021 IECC; 2020 NEC) as effective statewide since June 11, 2022. Because Glasgow is a certified local Building program, ARM 24.301.202 requires its adopted code to be one 'adopted by the Building Codes Bureau' — the City's own document may not have been updated to reflect the 2021-cycle codes. This discrepancy is reported as found rather than resolved by assumption; applicants should confirm current code edition in effect with the City Building Codes Department, (406) 228-2476 ext. 8. Source: bsd.dli.mt.gov/building-codes-permits/current-codes vs. City of Glasgow Building Permit Packet.; The City of Glasgow's own Building Permit Packet contains an internal inconsistency regarding Mechanical permits: one bullet in the 'General Information' page states 'The City of Glasgow also issues plumbing/mechanical permits,' while a later 'NOTICE' section in the same packet states plainly: 'The City of Glasgow covers Building Permits and Mechanical Permits; the State of Montana issues plumbing and electrical plans for work in the city.' The DLI's own certified-jurisdictions roster (updated 04/22/2026) lists Glasgow's certification as 'B' ONLY, with no 'M' code shown (contrast with e.g. Havre or Choteau, also 'B' only, or Belgrade/Billings which show explicit 'M' certification). Given the DLI roster is the authoritative statewide certification record, this KB treats Mechanical permits in Glasgow as STATE-ISSUED (routed to the DLI Building Codes Bureau) consistent with the official 'B'-only certification, while flagging the City's own document's contrary claim as an unresolved discrepancy applicants should verify directly with (406) 228-2476 ext. 8 before assuming which office issues a mechanical permit.. Local amendments apply — see the Glasgow overview page for the full list.

The State of Montana Building Codes Bureau, not the City of Glasgow. Glasgow is certified only for Building permits; Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical permits within city limits are issued directly by the state.

$45 flat, under the 'Alternative Energy' line item (K) on the Montana Building Codes Bureau's Application for Residential Contractor Electrical Permit (Rev 6/24), when installed by a licensed electrical contractor. Non-electrician installers instead file the state's Alternate Energy Permit.

Other permits in Glasgow

Residential Building Permit (New Construction / Addition / Alteration)Electrical Permit (State-Issued)Plumbing Permit (State-Issued, incl. Water Heater)Mechanical / HVAC Permit (State-Issued)Fencing PermitDemolition PermitAccessory Structure / Deck PermitEV Charger / Electric Vehicle Charging Station PermitSign Permit / Commercial Sign StandardsFire Sprinkler / Fire Alarm PermitChange of Use / Change of Occupancy (Certificate of Occupancy)

Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Permit in other cities

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