Park County, Montana Building Permit Guide

A building project in unincorporated Park County starts at the Park County Planning Department, which administers seven zoning districts, the floodplain regulations, subdivisions and buildings for lease or rent. It issues zoning compliance permits ($50 to $300, depending on the district) and floodplain permits ($450 or $600), on paper forms filed at 414 East Callender Street. There is no county building permit. The State permits commercial buildings and residential buildings of five or more units, the City of Livingston issues building permits inside its limits, and Clyde Park issues a town site permit.

What needs a permit in Park County?

Park County is not a certified building-code jurisdiction, so the County has no building permit of its own. Its permits deal with where and how land is used, and the State covers the building code for the kinds of buildings it regulates.

Work in or near a stream often needs other permits before the County will take a floodplain application; the County points applicants to the Park Conservation District and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Who issues permits in Park County?

The Planning Department is in the City-County Complex in Livingston. Staff are sometimes out in the field or at meetings, so the department prefers appointments. Environmental Health shares the building.

Park County has two incorporated municipalities, and they work differently:

• Livingston is certified by the State for building and pool permits within its city limits. Its Building Department permits houses as well as commercial buildings there. Livingston does not issue electrical, plumbing or HVAC permits; those remain State permits. The City’s Zoning Coordinator also issues a zoning permit for every construction, expansion or move of a building, and the City has its own floodplain development permit.
• Clyde Park is not a certified building-code jurisdiction, so the State rules above apply in town. The Town does require its own site permit, granted at the discretion of the Mayor and Town Council, and it posts the form on its website.

Gardiner, Cooke City, Emigrant, Wilsall and the other unincorporated communities are under County land-use rules and the State building code.

Permit types and how to file

Park County has no online permit portal. Zoning applications are submitted at the Planning Department with the filing fee, on one Zoning Permit Application that covers five requests: zoning compliance permit, variance, conditional use permit, zone change and district map amendment.

The seven zoning districts are Cokedale, Cooke City–Silver Gate–Colter Pass, East Yellowstone, O’Rea Creek, Paradise Valley, Suce Creek and US Highway 89 South–East River Road–Old Yellowstone Trail. Six were initiated by residents and one by the County, and each has its own regulations posted on the zoning page. The Highway 89 South district and Cooke City signs have their own application forms.

• Floodplain permit: the joint stream-permitting application, filed under the County’s 2025 Floodplain Hazard Management Regulations. Planning also publishes an emergency work form and a permit compliance form.
• Septic permit: the Onsite Wastewater Treatment System Permit Application, signed by the property owner.
• Road work permit: the Road Department’s application, required before any work in the County right-of-way.
• Rural address: the E911 rural address application from the GIS and Rural Addressing office.

If a zoning application is missing information and the applicant leaves a formal follow-up request unanswered for more than 30 working days, the County treats it as void and requires a new application and fee.

Park County permit fees

Zoning compliance permit fees are set district by district on the Planning Department fee schedule.

In O’Rea Creek a variance is $200 and a conditional use is $350, and in the Highway 89 South district a variance is $400.

Two County documents give different septic application fees. The table follows the Wastewater Administration Fees sheet, whose file is dated August 2024: $300 for a new system and $350 when the owner installs it. Section 4.9 of the Onsite Wastewater Treatment Regulations, a document titled “Revised May 7, 2012” that the County re-posted in July 2025, prints $200 and $225, and $100 for a permit extension. Both are linked from the Environmental Health page, and fees are set by the Park County Board of Health, so ask Environmental Health at (406) 222-4145 which amount applies before writing the check.

In Clyde Park the site permit costs $25 per $25,000 of construction and a new fence permit costs $10.

Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and septic permits

No local office in Park County issues trade permits: electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits are State permits, inside Livingston and Clyde Park as well as on unincorporated land.

Environmental Health permits on-site wastewater systems and licenses the installers and site evaluators who work on them; both lists are posted on the County website. A permit for a new system lapses if the system has not been installed, inspected and approved within two years, and a permit to replace, alter or repair a system is good for three months. Owners are encouraged to ask for an extension before the date passes. Existing septic permits can be looked up online through the Environmental Health page.

Application documents

Variance, conditional use, zone change and map amendment requests must also list the names and mailing addresses of all adjoining owners and address each review criterion in the district’s regulations. Clyde Park asks for plans or blueprints showing the dimensions of the building, its position and its distances to property lines, streets and alleys; for a garden shed, a simple sketch with a written explanation is enough.

How to apply: 6 steps for a Park County project

Inspections

No County office inspects building construction. Environmental Health inspects septic work, charging $300 for a site visit and $150 for a re-inspection, and the floodplain page carries a permit compliance certification form for finished work. In Clyde Park, every septic tank or wastewater installation must pass inspection by the County Sanitarian or the Montana Department of Environmental Quality.

State inspectors inspect the work done under State permits. Inside Livingston, the City’s Building Inspector inspects under the City permit.

Local Park County details that matter

Subdivision rules under revision: the County Commission is updating the Park County Subdivision Regulations. The draft is out for written comment until October 15, 2026, with Planning Board and Commission hearings to follow.

Zoning by petition: the Planning Board is also taking comment on a draft process for citizen-initiated zoning districts, with listening sessions in October 2026 at Gardiner, Emigrant, the County Fairgrounds and Clyde Park.

County roads: the Road Department maintains 873 miles of road and applies the Park County Transportation Standards adopted in October 2014, which include standard details for drive approaches.

Clyde Park setbacks: buildings must sit 20 feet from the edge of the street in front and 5 feet from the alley and from adjoining property lines, and corner lots may have no fence or vegetation over 4 feet. A site permit lasts one year and costs $5 to renew.

Septic records: the installer’s as-built drawings go back to Environmental Health, which will not renew an installer’s licence while a permit is missing them.

Montana building code

Montana adopts one building code, based on the 2024 International Codes from 26 September 2026; a certified local program or the state Building Codes Program enforces it, and the state code does not reach houses of fewer than five units, farm and ranch buildings or private garages unless a local government has made it apply to them. How Montana’s statewide code works

Official permitting resources for Park County

These are the primary sources behind this guide. Codes, fee schedules and procedures change — confirm the position for your filing date.

• Montana effective construction code editions
• Montana certified local building programs
• Montana DLI state building permit application
• Park County Planning fee schedule
• Park County subdivision review
• Park County Planning Department
• Park County zoning districts, regulations and forms
• Park County Zoning Permit Application (PDF)
• Park County floodplain permits
• Park County Environmental Health
• Park County Wastewater Administration Fees sheet, file dated August 2024 (PDF)
• Park County Onsite Wastewater Treatment Regulations, re-posted July 2025 (PDF)
• Park County Roads and Bridges
• Montana electrical permits
• City of Livingston Building Department
• Town of Clyde Park building permits page (site permit form)
• Town of Clyde Park town codes
• Livingston Municipal Code

Park County permit FAQs

Does Park County issue building permits?

No. The County issues zoning compliance and floodplain permits. Building-code permits come from the State outside Livingston and from the City of Livingston inside it.

Do I need a permit to build a house in Paradise Valley?

You need a County zoning compliance permit, which costs $100 to $150 for construction valued at $5,000 or more, plus a septic permit and State electrical permit. A house with fewer than five units does not need a State building permit.

How much is a floodplain permit in Park County?

$450 for agricultural projects and fencing and $600 for all other projects. A floodplain variance is $800.

How much is a septic permit?

The County’s Wastewater Administration Fees sheet lists $300 for a new system put in by a licensed installer and $350 if the owner installs it, and $200 or $250 for a replacement or upgrade. The County’s septic regulations print $200 and $225 for a new system, so check the amount with Environmental Health at (406) 222-4145.

Where do I file a Park County zoning application?

At the Park County Planning Department, 414 East Callender Street, Livingston, with the filing fee. Appointments are preferred; the number is (406) 222-4102.

Do I need a permit for a driveway onto a County road?

Yes. The Road Department’s road work permit is required for driveway approaches and for any work in the County right-of-way.

Does Clyde Park require a permit?

Yes, a town site permit for new structures, mobile homes, enlargements, new sidewalks and new fences. The fee is $25 per $25,000 of construction, or $10 for a new fence.

Simplify Park County permitting with Alliance Permitting

Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and submission company in Montana. We prepare your paperwork, file it correctly and coordinate with the permitting authority through issuance. We are not a contractor and we do not perform licensed plan review or inspections; that work stays with your licensed team and the jurisdiction.

This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Park County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.