Alameda County
Alameda County Treasurer-Tax Collector, Business License Tax Unit
In short
Alameda County Treasurer-Tax Collector, Business License Tax Unit issues 2 permits we publish for Alameda County, last verified 2026-09-28. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salon and Cosmetology Licensing — State Board License Applies (Alameda County)only if it applies to you | Alameda County Treasurer-Tax Collector, Business License Tax Unit | No fee | not applicable | 2026-09-28 |
| Business License Taxonly if it applies to you | Alameda County Treasurer-Tax Collector, Business License Tax Unit | Flat $20.00 license fee plus a $4.00 CASp (disability-access) fee, both billed to every licensee. A business with gross receipts under $5,000 a year is exempt from the $20 tax itself but still owes the $4 CASp fee. Title 3, Chapter 3.04 sets additional graduated rates by business type, keyed to gross receipts, payroll or a flat schedule, for businesses above that $5,000 exemption threshold; contact the Treasurer-Tax Collector for the graduated rate that applies to a specific business. Confirm the rate that applies to a specific business type and revenue level with the Business License Tax Unit before budgeting for more than the flat $20-plus-$4 base. | annual; the license year renews every January 1 | 2026-09-28 |
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
Salon and Cosmetology Licensing — State Board License Applies (Alameda County)
Alameda County's General Ordinance Code Title 3 (Business Licenses and Regulations), whose chapters cover the business license tax and named trades such as automobile junk yards, massage establishments, secondhand and junk dealers, taxicabs and tobacco retailers, names no hair, nail or skin salon establishment license, so the County charges no fee for one; that credential comes from the State Board of Barbering and Cosmetology, recorded at the state layer. A salon still needs the county's Business License Tax if it sits in the unincorporated area, and, if it stores a large volume of chemicals such as acetone, may need HMBP/CUPA or hazardous-waste generator registration through whichever of the county's seven CUPAs covers its city, recorded separately for Alameda County.
Business License Tax
This tax applies ONLY to a business physically located in, or based from, unincorporated Alameda County — the county's own Business License Tax page states directly that its requirement does 'NOT APPLY TO ALAMEDA COUNTY IF YOU OPERATE A BUSINESS WITHIN CITY LIMITS.' A business inside any of the county's 14 incorporated cities (Oakland, Berkeley, Fremont, Hayward and the rest) instead follows that city's own business licensing, entirely out of the county's reach. Unincorporated communities covered include Ashland, Castro Valley, Castlewood, Cherryland, Fairview, Happy Valley, Hillcrest Knolls, San Lorenzo, Sunol, and unincorporated pockets of the Livermore Valley and Pleasanton area. Operating without a license in the unincorporated area is a misdemeanor. Exemptions beyond the $5,000 gross-receipts threshold include banks, insurance companies, railroads, qualifying nonprofits, agricultural producers of home-grown goods, and documented hardship cases — all of whom still owe the $4 CASp fee. The license year renews every January 1 regardless of when a business first registered.
Contact
- Jurisdiction
- Alameda County
- Phone
- Not verified — use the website
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.
- Alameda County General Ordinance Code (Title 3 Business Licenses, Title 5 Animals, Title 6 Health and Environment, Title 17 Zoning)Alameda County / Municode · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-28
- Board of Barbering and Cosmetology — home pageCalifornia Board of Barbering and Cosmetology · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-28
- Business License online application portalAlameda County · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-28
- Business License Tax — states the tax and license requirement 'DO NOT APPLY TO ALAMEDA COUNTY IF YOU OPERATE A BUSINESS WITHIN CITY LIMITS'Alameda County Treasurer-Tax Collector · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-28
- Business License Taxes FAQsAlameda County Treasurer-Tax Collector · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-28
Other offices serving Alameda County
- Alameda County Community Development Agency, Planning Department
- Alameda County Department of Environmental Health, Food Protection Program
- Alameda County Department of Environmental Health, Hazardous Materials Division (Certified Unified Program Agency)
- Alameda County Sheriff's Office, Animal Services
- Alameda County Public Works Agency, Building Inspection Department (Permit Center)
- Alameda County Clerk-Recorder
- Alameda County Fire Department, Fire Prevention Division
The full permit list for this jurisdiction
Industry permit lists that include this agency
- Restaurants in Alameda County
- Coffee shops in Alameda County
- Retail stores in Alameda County
- Salons and barbers in Alameda County
- Food trucks in Alameda County
- Fitness studios in Alameda County
- Childcare centres in Alameda County
- Contractors and trades in Alameda County
- Auto repair shops in Alameda County
- Veterinary clinics in Alameda County
California jurisdictions
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.