Businesses Able to Obtain and Renew Licenses in One Convenient Place

Going from one state agency to another to obtain and renew all the licenses that a business needs to operate in Montana can be a process for owners and managers, as can having to fill out separate forms for each of the licenses and cutting several checks for each of their fees. That’s why Montana lawmakers enacted a bill in 1997 that launched the “one-stop business licensing” project. The project consolidated the application and renewal process of seven state licenses under one roof at the Montana Department of Revenue.

The product of that project, One-Stop Business Licensing, offers business owners the convenience of having:

One point of contact for obtaining and renewing certain licenses required for operating a business; one master form to apply for and renew licenses, eliminating the trouble of having to enter the same information again and again for different forms; one payment covering all licenses rather than one for each of them.

Through One-Stop Business Licensing, businesses can often obtain seven different licenses administered by five different agencies. Currently, there are over 6,300 business locations in the state with one or more licenses issued through the project.

“This method of licensing has become incredibly convenient for hundreds of businesses, especially for grocery and convenience stores, which can get their food, tobacco and petroleum licenses all in one fell swoop,” said Department of Revenue Director Mike Kadas.

Here’s a breakdown of the types of licenses One-Stop Business Licensing offers, along with the total number of each license that is either active or pending:

Food purveyor: 848; Tobacco retail and wholesale: 1,840; Off-premise beer and wine (liquor): 885; Nursery: 866; Petroleum dealers (meters): 1,488; Weighing device (scales): 3,999; Underground storage tank: 1,321.

The licensing process will soon become even more convenient. The Department of Revenue is currently developing software that will allow businesses to apply for, pay for and renew licenses online. The software should be ready to use by the end of the year.

For more information about One-Stop Licensing, please visit http://revenue.mt.gov/forbusinesses/onestop_licensing/default.mcpx.