# Montana HB 443: Repeal county licensing of transient retail merchants

Montana HB 443, Repeal county licensing of transient retail merchants, is a 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) House bill sponsored by Braxton Mitchell (Republican); status signed, last action 2025-05-05 (Chapter Number Assigned) (as of 2026-10-19).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-HB443-2025
- As of: 2026-10-19
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Montana HB 443
- State: Montana
- Session: 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025)
- Title: Repeal county licensing of transient retail merchants
- Status: signed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2025-02-10
- Last action: 2025-05-05, Chapter Number Assigned
- Sponsor: Braxton Mitchell (Republican)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Subjects: Local Government
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 4 (221 yes, 75 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 1

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Transient vendors: state license ends, local rules: mixed, low. The law ends Montana’s statewide license for transient retail merchants. Counties now decide licensing. They can require a local license and set fees. Vendors must follow the rules in each county where they sell, including fairs, booths, and other temporary sites. State rules on bonds, applications…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Braxton Mitchell (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Dave Fern (Democrat), Senate

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2025-04-14 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 47 | 1 |   |
| 2025-04-12 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 44 | 6 |   |
| 2025-03-03 | House | Do Pass | pass | 63 | 35 |   |
| 2025-03-01 | House | Do Pass | pass | 67 | 33 |   |

## Actions (25)

- 2025-05-05: Chapter Number Assigned (House)
- 2025-05-01: Signed by Governor (House)
- 2025-04-25: Transmitted to Governor (House)
- 2025-04-25: Signed by President (Senate)
- 2025-04-23: Signed by Speaker (House)
- 2025-04-15: Returned from Enrolling (House)
- 2025-04-14: Sent to Enrolling (House)
- 2025-04-14: 3rd Reading (Senate)
- 2025-04-12: 2nd Reading (Senate)
- 2025-03-24: Committee Report (Senate)
- 2025-03-21: Committee Executive Action (Senate)
- 2025-03-05: Hearing (Senate)
- 2025-03-04: Referred to Committee (Senate)
- 2025-03-04: 1st Reading (Senate)
- 2025-03-03: Transmitted to Senate (House)
- 2025-03-03: 3rd Reading (House)
- 2025-03-01: 2nd Reading (House)
- 2025-02-26: Committee Report (House)
- 2025-02-25: Committee Executive Action (House)
- 2025-02-17: Hearing (House)
- 2025-02-13: Hearing Canceled (House)
- 2025-02-11: 1st Reading (House)
- 2025-02-11: Hearing (House)
- 2025-02-11: Referred to Committee (House)
- 2025-02-10: Introduced (House)

## Bill text

- Enrolled, 2025-04-14: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=756a7d79-a0a2-41d5-bdfc-f0038ed4dd03)
- As Amended (Version 2), 2025-02-26: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=fa1faf25-b6f6-4804-bfe6-cd7e3db7a0e0)
- Introduced, 2025-02-10: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=23ce94ad-4cb2-43ae-9ef6-4bb730cfb1c8)

## Related bills

- SB 437: Revise definition of sex in Montana law (signed)
- HB 831: Increase elderly homeowner and renter income tax credit (vetoed)
- HB 628: Revise early literacy targeted intervention laws (vetoed)
- SB 410: Provide for Montana genomic security act (vetoed)
- SB 424: Revising the disabled veteran property tax assistance program (vetoed)
- SB 422: Generally revise laws relating to insurance coverage relating to cancer (vetoed)

## Sources
- [Enrolled (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=756a7d79-a0a2-41d5-bdfc-f0038ed4dd03)
- [As Amended (Version 2) (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=fa1faf25-b6f6-4804-bfe6-cd7e3db7a0e0)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=23ce94ad-4cb2-43ae-9ef6-4bb730cfb1c8)

## Related
- [SB 437: Revise definition of sex in Montana law](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-SB437-2025)
- [HB 831: Increase elderly homeowner and renter income tax credit](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-HB831-2025)
- [HB 628: Revise early literacy targeted intervention laws](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-HB628-2025)
- [SB 410: Provide for Montana genomic security act](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-SB410-2025)
- [SB 424: Revising the disabled veteran property tax assistance program](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-SB424-2025)
- [SB 422: Generally revise laws relating to insurance coverage relating to cancer](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-SB422-2025)
- [Montana bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/montana/bills)
- [Montana state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/montana)
- [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-HB443-2025 (as of 2026-10-19).