Please complete this form to apply for any or all of the following County permits.  Fees are listed next to each permit. You may pay by debit/credit card or mail check to County (instructions to follow). 

In addition to these permits, you may be responsible for the completion of other state or federal permits including floodplain, sanitary (septic) approval and impact to Sage Grouse habitat. Please refer to the Development Permit Guide if you are unsure which permits you will need to obtain.  It is best to apply for all necessary permits at one time. Please wait for approval of all permit applications PRIOR TO BEGINNING DEVELOPMENT. Issuance of a Planning Department Development permit IS NOT authorization for other necessary permits.

For specific information about the Group 1, Group 2 and Conditional Use permits, please see the County's Development Regulations.

It is strongly recommended that you prepare the Required Information listed under each permit prior to starting your application. 

Group 1 Development ($50)

This is a permit for residential development. These permits are administratively reviewed by the Planning Director and are not subject to conditions of approval.

Required Information

• Property site plan (See Sample)
• Property location (Legal description, Certificate of Survey or COS, Lot or Tract #)
• Contractor contact information (if applicable)

Group 2 Development ($150)

This is a permit for commercial or industrial use that is not specifically identified as a Conditional Use. This includes telecommunications towers, signage (in US Highway 212 corridor) and commercial kennels.  These permits are reviewed by the Zoning Commission (County Planning Board) and may be subject to conditions of approval.

Required Information

• Property site plan (See Sample)
• Property location (Legal description, Certificate of Survey or COS, Lot or Tract #)
• Contractor contact information (if applicable)
• Adjacent property owner's names and mailing addresses

Conditional Use ($850, Variance $250)

This is a permit for industrial-type uses including wind energy projects, animal feed lots, commercial salvage or wrecking yards, shooting ranges and oil & gas developments.  Conditional uses will be evaluated by the County Planning Board with a recommendation to be approved, conditionally approved or denied by the Carbon County Commissioners.

Required Information

• Property site plan (See Sample)
• Property location (Legal description, Certificate of Survey or COS, Lot or Tract #)
• Contractor contact information (if applicable)
• Adjacent property owner's names and mailing addresses

Address ($40)

This is an official physical address for your development.  It will be used by the post office, courier services (FedX, UPS) and 9-1-1 calls for emergency response. 

Required Information

• Property location (Legal description, Certificate of Survey or COS, Lot or Tract #)
• Approach location (e.g., 200 feet north of SW property corner along Smith Rd). 
• Contractor contact information (if applicable)

Road Approach ($100 Residential, $400 Commercial)

This permit is needed if your improvement will be accessed from a County Road Right-of-Way.

Required Information

• Property location (Phyiscal address, legal description, Certificate of Survey or COS, Lot or Tract #)
• Site distances along road on both sides approach
• Estimated number of trips per day
• Slope, width and flare of approach
• Site distances to the left/right of approach

On-Site Wastewater Treatment (Septic) System ($200, but additional fees may apply)

This permit is needed if you wish to develop a wastewater/septic system on your property.  You may not begin Septic Installation until your application has been reviewed and you have received a signed Construction Authorization from Carbon County.  In order to process your application, you will need to have applied for a Group 1 or 2 permit previously, or concurrently with this application.  Due to high volume of development in Carbon County, please know that wait times may be months, not days, to get your Construction Authorization.  We apologize for the inconvenience this may cause. 

Required Information

The data required for an approval can be seen here.  

• Property location (Phyiscal address, legal description, Certificate of Survey or COS, Lot or Tract #)
• Property site plan (See Sample)
• Number of bedrooms or estimated wastewater flow (Gallons Per Day). This includes rooms/offices that a subsequent owner might use as a bedroom.
• Name of person/contractor doing the installation

* indicates a required field and must be completed.

Please conduct a property search on the Montana Cadastral website to provide accurate property information for the Assessment Code and Legal Description (to include Plat/COS and Tract/Lot) in the following fields. You can search under owner name, address, subdivision, or Certificate of Survey.

If access to the property is new and the approach will originate from a county road, you will need to apply for a Road Approach Permit. 

This permit application is for residential development. Group 1 permit applications are administratively reviewed by the Planning Director and are not subject to conditions of approval.  Please refer to the County's Development Regulations. 

For the following question, please refer to the FEMA's National Flood Hazard Layer

For the following question, please refer to the Montana Sage Grouse Habitat Conservation Map.

Group 1 Development Permit applications require a Property Site Plan.  A site plan must include:

• Property boundary
• Footprint of existing and proposed structures
• Existing and proposed access to property (roads, driveways, parking, etc.)
• Existing and proposed well, septic tank and drainfield
• Existing and proposed road, utility or other easements
• Open water including ponds, streams and ditches
• Setback distances from property lines, roadways, easements, surface water and Right-of-Ways. 

Below is a sample property site plan.  If you are also applying for an On-Site Wastewater Treatement (Septic System), your Site Plan should provide further details on setback distances (an example can be found here.)

Email property site plan to Forrest@forrestmandevilleconsulting.com

Or mail plan to 

Carbon County Planning

PO Box 887

Red Lodge, MT 59068

Administrative Review Process.

The Planning Director will issue a Development Permit within 30 days of complete application based on the application's compliance with the following approval criteria: water supply, floodplain, site design, setbacks, access, and agricultural interference.

Everything included in this application is true and meets all application submittal requirements as found in the Carbon County Development Regulations.

This permit is for commercial or industrial use that is not specifically identified as a Conditional Use. This includes telecommunications towers, signage in US Highway 212 corridor and commercial kennels.  Group 2 permit applicatoins are administratively reviewed by the Planning Director and may be subject to conditions of approval.  Please refer to the County's Development Regulations. 

For the following question, please refer to the FEMA's National Flood Hazard Layer

For the following question, please refer to the Montana Sage Grouse Habitat Conservation Map.

Group 2 Development Permits require notice to all neighboring properties. Please provide the NAME and ADDRESS for all properties that are within 500 feet of your property)

Group 2 Development Permit applications require a Property Site Plan.  A site plan must include:

• Property boundary
• Footprint of existing and proposed structures
• Existing and proposed access to property (roads, driveways, parking, etc.)
• Existing and proposed well, septic tank and drainfield
• Existing and proposed road, utility or other easements
• Open water including ponds, streams and ditches
• Setback distances from property lines, roadways, easements, surface water and Right-of-Ways

Email property site plan to Forrest@forrestmandevilleconsulting.com

Or mail plan to 

Carbon County Planning

PO Box 887

Red Lodge, MT 59068

Review Process. The Zoning Commission (County Planning Board) will consider athe application and will issue a Development Permit within 60 days of a complete application. The Zoning Commission may issue CONDITIONAL APPROVAL of the permit related to ingress and egress, parking, fencing, screening, landscaping, setbacks, signs and lighting, weed control and conditions to address other reviewing agency concerns.

This permit is for industrial-type uses including wind energy projects, animal feed lots, commercial salvage or wrecking yards, shooting ranges and oil & gas developments.  Conditional uses will be evaluated by the County Planning Board with a recommendation to be approved, conditionally approved or denied by the Carbon County Commissioners. Please refer to the County's Development Regulations. 

For the following question, please refer to the FEMA's National Flood Hazard Layer

For the following question, please refer to the Montana Sage Grouse Habitat Conservation Map.

Conditional Use Permits require notice to all neighboring properties. Please provide the NAME and ADDRESS for owners of all properties within 500 ft your property. 

Conditional Use permit applications require 1) property site plan and 2) a time schedule for completion of development .  The site plan must include:

• Map of property location and lot lines
• Existing buildings or structures
• Proposed buildings or structures and dimensions
• Setbacks
• Existing and proposed access to property (roadways, driveways, etc.)
• Any parking or loading areas
• Service and refuse areas
• Existing surface water
• Proposed sewer, water, agricultural water, and/or drainage
• Any easements or right-of-ways
• Signage
• Fencing or screening
• Any other required features

Email property site plan and time schedule to Forrest@forrestmandevilleconsulting.com

Or mail plan to 

Carbon County Planning

PO Box 887

Red Lodge, MT 59068

Administrative Review Process. The Carbon County Commissioners will issue a Development Permit within 60 days of a complete application. The Carbon County Commissioners may issue CONDITIONAL APPROVAL of the permit related to ingress and egress, parking, fencing, screening, landscaping, setbacks, signs and lighting, weed control and conditions to address other reviewing agency concerns.

1. Applicant must complete this form prior to construction.

2. The undersigned applicant shall bear all costs and expenses associated with the construction, maintenance, and/or removal of the irrigation pipe, and reclamation of the road Right-of-Way following completion of such activities.

3.  Applicant understands and agrees to the Terms and Conditions of the Carbon County Road Approach Permit

This appication is to request an official physical address for your development.  The address will be used by the post office, courier services (FedX, UPS) and 9-1-1 calls for emergency response.  You will receive a reflective green and white address placard when the application is approved.

* If your as-built approach location differs from your planned approach locaiton (as submitted with this application), your address may be subject to change to comply with County addressing standards.    

If you are unsure if your property has a certificate of Subdivision Approval from Montana Department of Environmental Quality, you can request a search at https://carboncomt.seamlessdocs.com/f/SanitarianReq for a nominal fee.

If your property has not been issued an approval statment by MT DEQ, you will need to hire a consultant/engineer to submit an application to MT DEQ for an approval before a Carbon County septic permit can be applied for.

Please know, the application process through MT DEQ is a time intensive process that does not involve Carbon County. To contact a consultant that can submit the application on your behalf and answer any questions you have, please see this list. You may also call MT DEQ at 406-444-4400.

If the property is greater than 20 acres (not counting county road frontage) you will need a sanitary approval issued by Carbon County. Unless the developer or current owner can provide documentation of a local Cabon County Sanitary approval or septic permit an authorized consultant from this list, will need to submit plans for water and wastewater approval to Carbon County on your behalf. 

Mail Complete Septic Application to the Carbon County Sanitarian

P.O. BOX 466

Red Lodge, MT 59068

(REQUIRED ELEMENTS FOR A COMPLETE SEPTIC APPLICATION).

1) Soil Description Test Hole (8ft. minimum)-applicant to provide description of the following

a) Depth to seasonal ground water (may require ground water monitoring if applicable, ground water monitoring in accordance with DEQ circular 4 Appendix C). 

b) Depth to bedrock (if applicable)

c) Soil Types (In accordance with DEQ circular 4 appendix B)

d) SCS/NRCS Soil data provided

2) Demonstrate compliance with Non-Degradation Requirements (75-5-303 MCA) - applicant must submit the following data. 

a) A copy of USGS topo map including location of property, locations of well logs for calculating hydraulic conductivity, and the location of the well where the nitrate sample was obtained. 

b) Water Sample (Nitrate Background Analysis Report)

c) Nitrate Sensitivity Analysis (Include hydraulic conductivity and hydraulic gradient calculations)

d) Phosphorus Breakout determination

How to Perform "Non-Deg" Analysis can be found here. 

3) Septic Lot-Layout Plan (Applicant must provide the following details)

a) Scale

b) Legend

c) North Arrow

d) Water Source (type and location i.e. well, cistern) with applicable isolation zone

e) Drainfield Location (Primary Drainfield and 100% Replacement Drainfield Area)

f) Slope given for drainfield area

g) Dwelling location

h) Mixing Zone

i) Soil test pit and percolation (if necessary) location

j) Location of any streams, ditches and any neighboring wells 

     -Wells, drainfield and/or mixing zones withing 100ft perimeter outside of boundaries shown. 

k) 100-year floodplain requirements met, and floodplain and drainages shown

Carbon County Septic fee schedule can be found at: https://co.carbon.mt.us/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/RES-2022-01-Adopt-Amended-Fee-Schedule.pdf.