Public accommodations include hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts, roominghouses, and tourist homes (short-term rentals such as Airbnb's and VRBO's).
Hotels, Motels, & Roominghouses
Hotels and motels are required to license prior to operation. If your hotel or motel will offer food service, a separate plan review application for a retail food license must be submitted.
A roominghouse may provide a shared kitchen facility or meals without a separate retail food license.
Tourist Homes
A tourist home is a short-term rental such as an Airbnb and VRBO. These short-term rentals are required to be licensed as tourist homes if they are rented to guests in their entirety.
If your short-term rental is within the City of Missoula, in addition to your health license, the city has a required Short Term Rental Registration.
Bed and Breakfasts
A bed and breakfast is a type of public accommodation where the owner or manager lives on site and provides breakfast as part of the accommodation. The maximum number of daily guests is eighteen.
1. Create a defined plan for your public accommodation and gather all required documents. Review the appropriate Plan Review Application and the list of required documents.
2. Submit your plan review packet and pay the plan review fee. The base review fee is $285. Additional fees may apply if your plan review includes reviews for septic systems or private wells.
Remember that Missoula Public Health is just one agency that has regulations that apply to public accommodation establishments. There may be building permits, zoning restrictions, business licensing, and other regulations you are required to follow.
To avoid expensive mistakes or delays, do not start building, remodeling, or purchasing equipment until you have approval from Missoula Public Health and other applicable agencies.
3. Respond to questions and comments from your reviewer. Once your plans are approved, your reviewer will email your approval letter to you. Our goal is to complete reviews within 30-60 days of submittal.
4. Schedule a pre-operational health inspection. After you receive your approval letter and your project is complete, contact your reviewer to conduct a pre-operational health inspection. This inspection should take place after all other inspections have been passed, if required (building, plumbing, etc).
At the end of a successful inspection, your reviewer will issue your health license and collect the annual licensing fee. An additional inspection and fee will be required if work is not completed at time of inspection.
Public accommodation licenses are tied to the establishment’s location and owner. Licenses cannot be transferred. If either the location or the owner changes, a new license is required, and plan review must be submitted to Missoula Public Health. See “How to get a new public accommodation license” above for a step-by-step guide of this process.
Licenses expire December 31st every year. To avoid late fees and license deactivation, you must pay for your license renewal on or before December 31st. License fees for renewals are collected directly by the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Safety (DPHHS). Follow the instructions on the Montana DPHHS website to pay for your renewal: Montana DPHHS License Renewal
Phone numbers, email addresses, and your mailing address can be updated directly on the Montana DPHHS website: Montana DPHHS Update License Contact Information
Please note that a change in ownership or establishment address requires a new plan review and license and cannot simply be updated.
Please note
Missoula Public Health is just one of the agencies that has regulations that apply to public accommodation establishments. There may be building permits, zoning restrictions, business licensing and other requirements that apply. If your business is within city limits, contact the City of Missoula building department and business licensing. If you are outside city limits, contact Missoula County.
If you are operating a tourist home within the City of Missoula, in addition to your health license, the city has a required Short Term Rental Registration.
Have questions about your permit?
Licensed Establishment Sanitarians are available for calls and walk-in questions Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 to 5 p.m. No Sanitarian is available on Thursdays.