Little Rock
City of Little Rock, Department of Planning and Development
In short
City of Little Rock, Department of Planning and Development issues 4 permits we publish for Little Rock, last verified 2026-09-10. Each carries the fee as the agency publishes it, with a link to the schedule it was read from.
What this agency issues
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| On-Premises Sign Permit | City of Little Rock, Department of Planning and Development | $50 one-time, per proposed sign | one-time, per sign | 2026-09-10 |
| Building Permit (Commercial) | City of Little Rock, Department of Planning and Development | Priced by declared construction valuation under Ordinance No. 22,204: no fee for $5,000 or less (unless an inspection is required, at $25 per inspection); $50 for the first $2,000 plus $4 per additional $1,000 or fraction up to $50,000; $250 for the first $50,000 plus $3.50 per additional $1,000 up to $100,000; $420 for the first $100,000 plus $3.00 per additional $1,000 up to $500,000; $1,620 for the first $500,000 plus $2.50 per additional $1,000 above that. A $50 minimum fee applies to any permit. A Commercial Plan-Checking Fee equal to one-half of the Building Permit Fee (minimum $55) applies when the Arkansas Fire Prevention Code requires plan submission. A flat $25 Data Processing Fee and a $0.50-per-$1,000 Act 474 craft-training surcharge (capped at $1,000) apply to non-residential permits. | one-time, per project — permit valid one year from issuance, with extensions available | 2026-09-10 |
| Certificate of Occupancy | City of Little Rock, Department of Planning and Development | A new commercial building or addition issued alongside a Building Permit: $60. A Certificate of Occupancy for an existing building or a change of use only — the case that applies to most businesses moving into existing commercial space — is $100. A 90-day Temporary or Partial Certificate of Occupancy for a commercial building is $60 for the first five units plus $5 for each additional unit, with an $80 fee for a one-time 30-day extension. A Certificate of Occupancy Update is $100; a duplicate copy of an existing certificate is $11. | one-time, no expiration (a Temporary Certificate expires 90 days from issuance) | 2026-09-10 |
| Zoning Verification / Administrative Interpretationonly if it applies to you | City of Little Rock, Department of Planning and Development | No fee | not applicable | 2026-09-10 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
About each permit
On-Premises Sign Permit
Requires a rendering or photograph of the sign, a scaled site plan with a certified boundary survey, and a foundation/footing drawing sealed by a professional engineer where applicable. A sign requiring a new electrical circuit also needs a separate $35 Electrical Permit line item under Ordinance No. 22,204, in addition to this $50 sign permit fee.
Building Permit (Commercial)
Submitted to the Building Codes Division at 723 West Markham Street. A contractor pulling the permit must also provide a copy of the Arkansas Contractors License, a copy of the City's own privilege (business) license, and a $10,000 surety bond made out to the City of Little Rock before the permit desk will issue the permit.
Certificate of Occupancy
Occupying a structure without a Permanent Certificate of Occupancy after a Temporary Certificate expires can be cited to Little Rock District Court and fined up to $250 per day, and may result in utility disconnection, per the ordinance's own text.
Zoning Verification / Administrative Interpretation
The City's own 'Starting a Business' guide describes simply calling the Zoning Department (501-371-4844) to confirm a location's zoning classification before signing a lease, with no fee mentioned for that verification call — so no fee applies to a basic zoning classification check before opening. A separate, priced product exists only for a formal, contestable Administrative Appeal or Interpretation heard by the Board of Adjustment ($75 under Ordinance No. 21,676, ch. 23 § 23-3(c)(4)) — a different, optional step, not required merely to confirm zoning before a business opens.
Contact
- Jurisdiction
- Little Rock
- Phone
- (501) 371-4844
Contact details are taken from the agency’s own site or its published fee schedule. Where we have not verified a phone number we leave it blank rather than guess.
Sources
Every fee and term above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- Documents Required to be Submitted Before a Permit May be Issued — confirming the City's own use of 'city business license, aka privilege' and the mandatory $10,000 Surety Bond made out to the City of Little Rock as a precondition to a contractor's building permitCity of Little Rock, Department of Planning and Development · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-10
- On-Premises Sign Permit Application, confirming the '$50.00 fee for each proposed sign' and the required attachments (rendering, site plan, foundation drawing)City of Little Rock, Department of Planning and Development · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-10
- Ordinance No. 21,676 (passed December 11, 2018), amending Little Rock Code § 23-3 — filing fees for rezoning, subdivision, site plan, Conditional Use Permit, Board of Adjustment (including a $75 Administrative Appeal/Interpretation and a $60 sign variance), Special Use Permit and related planning applicationsCity of Little Rock, Planning and Development Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-10
- Ordinance No. 22,204 (passed December 6, 2022), amending Little Rock Code § 8-31(c) — the complete current fee schedule for Building, Electrical, Plumbing, Mechanical and Fire Department permits, including the valuation-based Building Permit Fee table, the five-tier Certificate of Occupancy fee list, and the itemized Fire Department Permits and Inspection Fees sectionCity of Little Rock, Planning and Development Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-10
- Starting a Business in Little Rock — Obtaining Permits & Licenses, describing the required zoning-approval step before a business license application, the food-service inspection requirement administered by 'the State Department of Health,' and city contractor permit requirementsCity of Little Rock, Finance Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-10
Other offices serving Little Rock
The full permit list for this jurisdiction
Industry permit lists that include this agency
Arkansas jurisdictions
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.