Which license each job needs in Missoula
| Work | Credential | Where to check |
|---|---|---|
| Any construction work by a contractor with employees | Construction Contractor Registration (CR), $70 | Registration search |
| A one-person outfit without employees | Independent Contractor Exemption Certificate (ICEC), about workers' compensation status | Same search |
| Electrical | Electrical Board license, including electrical contractor | Lookup Licensed Individual |
| Plumbing | Board of Plumbers license | Same |
| Roofing, remodels, HVAC, fences | No state trade license that we found; CR if the firm has employees | Registration search |
The Department's registration page says registration exists to make sure contractors follow the Workers' Compensation Act, and that contractors "can be fined up to $500 per violation" for working without one (read 26 October 2026). The search shows only active registrations and certificates; expired and pending ones are left out, so a firm that does not appear is not currently registered.
How to run the lookup in five minutes
- Ask whether the firm has employees. If yes, it needs a CR; a sole worker may hold an ICEC instead.
- Search the registration search, then open the suspended list on the same page. Or call (406) 444-7734.
- Electrician or plumber: look the person up through Lookup Licensed Individual, which links the licensee lookup for the Electrical Board and Board of Plumbers.
- Look up the house with the City's permit tools, as the Missoula building permit search guide shows, and get the permit number before work starts.
Doing the work yourself
For wiring, Montana law says it "does not require an individual to hold a license ... to perform electrical work on the individual's own property or residence if the property or residence is maintained for the individual's own use", but not for work on a grid-tied generator (37-68-103, MCA, 2025). The City's Building Division pages do not say how a homeowner takes out an electrical, plumbing or mechanical permit, so ask the permit coordinators on (406) 552-6060 first.
What our Missoula pages add
The state searches answer "is this firm registered". Our Missoula page shows what the City permits, October 2024 to September 2026:
| Kind of work | Permits (Oct 2024–Sep 2026) | Oct 2025–Sep 2026 | Trade license |
|---|---|---|---|
| HVAC | 2,420 | 1,175 | No state license found; CR |
| Electrical | 2,044 | 984 | Electrical Board |
| Plumbing | 1,871 | 851 | Board of Plumbers |
| Roofing | 1,857 | 777 | No state license found; CR |
| Solar | 815 | 343 | Electrical Board for the wiring |
| Fences and walls | 255 | 145 | No state license found; CR |
| New homes | 233 | 108 | No state license found; CR |
| Remodels and repairs | 206 | 104 | No state license found; CR |
67% of the permits were for homes, and 84% of those issued October 2024 to September 2025 were finished. Roofing fell from 1,080 permits in the first year to 777 in the second, after a 2024 storm surge. The permit statistics page has the months, and permits by ZIP code the areas. Local permit rules: electrical, plumbing and HVAC permits. Statewide rules: How to check a contractor's license in Montana.
What this lookup does not tell you
The City's permit file names no contractor, so we cannot show who did a job or match firms to registrations. Lolo, Frenchtown and the rest of Missoula County outside the City's building jurisdiction permit through the County. A CR proves workers' compensation paperwork, not skill.
How we know this
Registration rules, the fee and penalties are quoted from the Montana Department of Labor & Industry's Construction Contractor Registration page and its registration search, the board names from the Electrical Board and Board of Plumbers pages, and the owner exemption from 37-68-103, MCA (2025), read 26 October 2026. Counts are the City of Missoula's permit file, read 19 October 2026: permits applied for October 2024 to September 2026.
Numbers come from public permit records in 57 cities, data through October 19, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- Does Montana license general contractors?
Not by exam. Montana requires Construction Contractor Registration (CR) with the Department of Labor & Industry: "All construction contractors with employees must register." The fee is $70. Registration is about workers' compensation compliance, not skill.
- How do I check a Missoula contractor's registration?
In the Department of Labor & Industry's Contractor Registration search (erdcontractors.mt.gov), or by phone on (406) 444-7734. It shows only active registrations and exemption certificates; separate lists show suspended registrations and revoked certificates.
- How do I check a Missoula electrician or plumber?
Montana's Electrical Board and Board of Plumbers license them. Search the person through the Business Standards Division's Lookup Licensed Individual page, which links its licensee lookup system.
- Can I do my own electrical work on my house in Missoula?
State law does not require a license for electrical work on your own property or residence if it is maintained for your own use, except work on a grid-tied generator (37-68-103, MCA). Ask the City's permit coordinators on (406) 552-6060 how to take out the permit.
- What is the fine for working without registration in Montana?
Up to $500 per violation, for working without a required registration, working while it is suspended, or transferring it to someone else (Montana Department of Labor & Industry).
Build your own list
Pick your city and the kind of work. Every firm with a permit on record, sorted by what you value.
Related guides
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- Arlington, VA contractor license lookup: DPOR class and specialty, the County permit search, and what the permits show
- Construction Contractor Registration — Montana Department of Labor & Industry (2026-10-26)
- Contractor Registration and Independent Contractor Exemption Certificate Search — Montana DLI (2026-10-26)
- Lookup Licensed Individual — Montana Business Standards Division (2026-10-26)
- Electrical Board — Montana Department of Labor & Industry (2026-10-26)
- Board of Plumbers — Montana Department of Labor & Industry (2026-10-26)
- 37-68-103. Exemptions, MCA (2025) (2026-10-26)