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EV Charger / EVSE Installation Permit in Billings, Montana

Billings has no separate EV charger/EVSE permit category. A dedicated circuit for a home Level 2 EV charger is billed under the City of Billings Electrical Permit Fees schedule's existing 'Interior Rewire Only or New Addition to Home' line item, issued by the City of Billings Building Division (Billings is a Montana DLI-certified local jurisdiction for electrical permitting).

Verified 2026-07-20 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Electrical permit required for installing a new dedicated circuit, receptacle, or hardwired connection for an EV charger — governed by the 2020 NEC as adopted by the City of Billings (Administrative Order #150)
  • No distinct 'EV charger' or 'EVSE' line item appears on the City's published Electrical Permit Fees schedule; the applicable category is 'Interior Rewire Only or New Addition to Home' for a circuit added to an existing panel with capacity, or 'Residential Change of Service' if the electrical service/panel must be upsized
  • Apply through the CityView Portal (cityview.billingsmt.gov/Portal/)

Required documents

Check off what you have — your progress is saved on this device.

Not ready yet0 of 1 required documents checked.

This checker covers one permit. A full project usually triggers several — our paid checklist will assemble all of them, from $29

Fee schedule

Interior Rewire Only or New Addition to Home (typical for a dedicated EV charger circuit added to an existing panel with capacity)City of Billings Electrical Permit Fees schedule — general fee category, not EV-specific
$40.00
Residential Change of Service (applies if panel upgrade is needed to support EV charger load)City of Billings Electrical Permit Fees schedule
$25.00
Private Property Accessory Building — to 200 amp service (if charger is installed on a new detached garage/carport service)City of Billings Electrical Permit Fees schedule
$40.00

Review timeline

Plan reviewTypical estimate — confirm current times with the Billings building department
~4–7 business days

How long did your EV Charger / EVSE Installation Permit permit actually take in Billings?

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

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Rough-In / Final

    Same inspection sequence as any electrical permit: wiring and box placement before walls closed, then final device/panel verification per 2020 NEC

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

Tips

  • Billings does not publish a distinct EV charger/EVSE fee line — apply for a standard electrical permit through the CityView Portal and select the rewire/addition or change-of-service category matching your project scope.
  • If a new accessory structure (e.g., detached garage) houses the charger, the Private Property Accessory Building fee category applies instead.

Frequently asked questions

Yes — a dedicated circuit for a home EV charger requires a standard City of Billings Electrical Permit, billed under the general 'Interior Rewire Only or New Addition to Home' fee ($40.00). No separate EV-specific permit or fee category is published.

In Billings, the published Interior Rewire Only or New Addition to Home (typical for a dedicated EV charger circuit added to an existing panel with capacity) is: $40.00. Additional published fees: Residential Change of Service (applies if panel upgrade is needed to support EV charger load) — $25.00; Private Property Accessory Building — to 200 amp service (if charger is installed on a new detached garage/carport service) — $40.00. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Plan review for an ev charger / evse installation permit in Billings typically runs 4–7 business days. This is an estimate, not a published figure — confirm current review times with City of Billings Building Division at (406) 657-8270.

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

Billings requires 1 inspection(s) for an ev charger / evse installation permit, in order: Rough-In / Final. Schedule each through City of Billings Building Division ((406) 657-8270).

Apply through City of Billings Building Division at 316 N 26th St, 5th Floor, Billings, MT 59101. Phone: (406) 657-8270, email: permits@billingsmt.gov. Office hours: Building Division front counter, 5th Floor, City Hall, 316 N. 26th St., Billings, MT 59101 (inspection requests: inspections@billingsmt.gov or 406-657-8270). Official information: https://www.billingsmt.gov/67/Building.

Billings, 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.); a certified local program's adopted code 'may include only codes adopted by the Building Codes Bureau' (ARM 24.301.202). Non-certified areas 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).; Billings is a Montana DLI-certified jurisdiction for Building (B), Plumbing — Mechanical/Gas (P(M/G)), Electrical (E), Mechanical (M), and Swimming Pool (SP) within Billings city limits; certified program contact on file with DLI: Jessica Fust, (406) 657-8270. Source: Montana DLI Building Codes Bureau, Current Codes page (list of certified jurisdictions), bsd.dli.mt.gov/building-codes-permits/current-codes; 2021 International Building Code (IBC) — effective statewide June 11, 2022; adopted by City of Billings, last readopted September 1, 2022 per Administrative Order #150; 2021 International Residential Code (IRC) — effective statewide June 11, 2022; adopted by City of Billings per Administrative Order #150. Note: per the City's Adopted Codes page, IRC Chapters 11-14 and 16-43 are deleted in their entirety; IRC Chapter 15 (Exhaust Systems) is adopted as an alternative to the IMC for exhaust systems only, with all other mechanical-system requirements for detached 1-2 family dwellings and townhouses (3 stories or less) found in the adopted IMC; 2021 International Existing Building Code (IEBC) — effective statewide June 11, 2022; 2021 International Mechanical Code (IMC) — effective statewide June 11, 2022; adopted by City of Billings per Administrative Order #150; 2021 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) — effective statewide June 11, 2022; adopted by City of Billings per Administrative Order #150; 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) — effective statewide June 11, 2022; adopted by City of Billings per Administrative Order #150; 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC) — effective statewide June 11, 2022; adopted by City of Billings per Administrative Order #150 (Montana uses the Uniform Plumbing Code, not the International Plumbing Code); 2020 National Electrical Code (NEC) — effective statewide June 11, 2022; adopted by City of Billings per Administrative Order #150; 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC) — effective statewide June 11, 2022; Billings is DLI-certified for swimming pool (SP) permitting; 2021 International Fire Code (IFC) — per City of Billings Building Division FAQ, current adopted code list; ICC A117.1-2017 Accessibility — effective statewide June 11, 2022 (state-adopted; referenced for commercial accessibility compliance); NFPA 99c, Standard on Gas and Vacuum Systems (medical gas), 2021 Edition — per City of Billings Adopted Codes page; All codes amended by the Administrative Rules of Montana (ARM) Title 24, Chapter 301. City of Billings Building Codes were last (re)adopted September 1, 2022 per Administrative Order #150. Local amendments apply — see the Billings overview page for the full list.

Sources & verification

Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-07-20.

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