Administrative overview · FIPS 30101
Toole County permit authority
The first compliance decision is jurisdictional: identify the office with statutory authority over your parcel, then use its filing and inspection sequence to keep the project moving.
Jurisdictional status
County
This county profile is the primary starting point for unincorporated-area permitting.
Responsible agency
Toole County certified building-code program for commercial building permits; Montana Department of Labor & Industry, Building Codes Bureau for residential and other work outside the county’s commercial certification
For a project in or near Toole County, this office is the identified point of contact for permit intake, statutory code enforcement, plan review coordination, and inspection release conditions. Confirm the parcel’s boundary and project type before relying on the county lane.
Direct contact
(406) 424-8310 (Toole County/certified county building contact); (406) 841-2056 (Montana Building Codes Bureau)
Call before mobilizing if the project has a boundary, occupancy, fire, septic, or utility question.
Permit counter
Toole County Courthouse, 226 1st Street South, Shelby, MT 59474; Montana Building Codes Bureau, 301 South Park Avenue, Helena, MT 59620
Operating hours
Toole County Courthouse: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-5:00 PM, closed on federal holidays. State Bureau hours were not published on the reviewed permit page.
Review expectation
N/A; Toole County does not publish a standard commercial building-permit review timeline. Montana state plan review averages three weeks where the State Building Codes Bureau has jurisdiction.
Compliance workbench
Choose the next project decision.
Apply online
Open the verified digital gateway, application form, and review timeline.
Open guide →Fees & penalties
Understand fee schedules, enforcement exposure, and stop-work liabilities.
Open guide →Codes & exemptions
Read the code framework, minor-work exemptions, and inspection lane.
Open guide →Agency website
Visit the primary public source for current notices and contact changes.
Open guide →Source trail
Official sources for this profile
Use these direct agency or licensing links to confirm current instructions before you file, pay, or schedule work. External pages control if their information differs from this directory.
Project questions
Frequently asked questions for Toole County
Who handles permitting for this jurisdiction?
Toole County certified building-code program for commercial building permits; Montana Department of Labor & Industry, Building Codes Bureau for residential and other work outside the county’s commercial certification is the identified county-level authority for this profile. Confirm that the property is in its service area before filing.
How should I begin an application?
Begin with the online permit gateway listed in the application guide. If the portal does not recognize the address or project type, contact (406) 424-8310 (Toole County/certified county building contact); (406) 841-2056 (Montana Building Codes Bureau).
How long might review take?
N/A; Toole County does not publish a standard commercial building-permit review timeline. Montana state plan review averages three weeks where the State Building Codes Bureau has jurisdiction.
How are inspections scheduled?
For commercial building work within Toole County’s certified scope, contact the county building inspection program at (406) 424-8310. For residential or other state-scope work, contact Montana’s Building Codes Bureau at (406) 841-2056 for permit and inspection instructions.
Which codes and exemptions should I review?
Toole County is certified for building-code enforcement for commercial work only. Current Montana codes include the 2021 International Building Code, 2021 International Residential Code, 2021 International Existing Building Code, 2021 International Mechanical Code, 2021 International Fuel Gas Code, 2021 International Energy Conservation Code, 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code, 2020 National Electrical Code, 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code, and 2021 Wildland-Urban Interface Code, as amended by ARM Title 24, Chapter 301; state jurisdiction applies to residential and other non-certified scopes. For state-scope work, exemptions generally include farm or ranch buildings, mine buildings on mining property, petroleum refineries and pulp/paper mills except office/shop buildings, residential buildings with fewer than five dwelling units unless serving transient guests, and owner-used private garages/storage buildings. Toole County’s certified program covers commercial building permits only; other county, septic, floodplain, zoning, or land-use approvals may still apply.