Montana Launches eStop Portal: Centralized, One-Stop Online Access for State Business Licensing and Permitting

• September 22 2025

Helena, MT  – The Montana Department of Labor & Industry (DLI), together with five partner agencies, are proud to announce the launch of the new eStop Business Licenses Portal – a secure, modern, and comprehensive website that transforms how businesses in Montana complete licensing and permitting transactions.

The new eStop portal manages multiple license and permit types across several Montana state agencies – all from a single, government-wide online platform. Montana business owners and entrepreneurs now have the power to apply for, renew, and manage numerous required licenses for multiple locations, entirely online and through one easy-to-use account. Instead of navigating a maze of state agency offices, websites, and paper forms, every core state business license offered by eStop can be handled with one login and a unified application process.

“Montana’s new eStop portal is a game changer for our business community,” said Governor Greg Gianforte. “As a businessman myself, I know firsthand the challenge of navigating government in order to do business. This portal sets a new standard for customer-oriented state government by giving businesses a simple and secure service in one convenient place.”

The new eStop Portal provides online access for:

• Traditional & Sports Bet Lottery licenses
• Retail Food Establishment licenses (when paired with another eStop license)
• Nursery sales, landscaping, and sod farming licenses
• Underground Storage Tank permits
• Commercial Weighing (Scales) and Measuring (Meter) Device licenses
• Tobacco, Alternative Nicotine, and Vapor Product licenses
• Off-Premises Beer & Wine Retail licenses

Participating agencies include the Department of Labor & Industry, Department of Revenue, Department of Agriculture, Department of Public Health and Human Services, Department of Environmental Quality, and Montana Lottery. Each agency maintains regulatory oversight and approval of their licenses, while the eStop portal at DLI delivers a single point of access, unified payments, renewal reminders, and seamless license management for Montana businesses in every corner of the state.

This modernization fulfills Governor Gianforte’s directive to eliminate legacy technology, reduce technical debt, and achieves the 406 JOBS initiative’s goal of making government work better together for every Montanan.

“The eStop portal finally brings everything together, making it faster and simpler for Montana’s business owners to apply for, renew, and manage all the licenses they need from one secure, easy-to-use account,” said Sarah Swanson, Commissioner of Labor. “This upgrade isn’t just progress for our business community. It’s a major leap forward in how state government serves the people of Montana.”

To get started or learn more, visit the eStop Business Licenses page or call (406) 444-3665.