San Mateo County
San Mateo County Treasurer-Tax Collector (business licenses approved by the County Business License Board)
In short
San Mateo County Treasurer-Tax Collector (business licenses approved by the County Business License Board) issues 3 permits we publish for San Mateo County, last verified 2026-10-09. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| County Business License Application (Title 5 business types, unincorporated area)only if it applies to you | San Mateo County Treasurer-Tax Collector (business licenses approved by the County Business License Board) | $50 non-refundable application fee, as published on the Treasurer-Tax Collector's Business Licenses page on 2026-10-09; the license fee itself is set by the Title 5 chapter for the business type | 1 year, January 1 to December 31 (Ordinance Code §5.04.260) | 2026-10-09 |
| Pawnbroker / Secondhand Dealer / Junk Dealer License (unincorporated area)only if it applies to you | San Mateo County Treasurer-Tax Collector (business licenses approved by the County Business License Board) | $60 annual license fee (Ordinance Code §5.32.080); plus a $10 deposit per badge for work away from the fixed place of business (§5.32.170) | annual | 2026-10-09 |
| Mobile Food Preparation Unit License (County roads)only if it applies to you | San Mateo County Treasurer-Tax Collector (business licenses approved by the County Business License Board) | $200 per license, one-year term (Ordinance Code §5.52.030) | 1 year (Ordinance Code §5.52.030) | 2026-10-09 |
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
County Business License Application (Title 5 business types, unincorporated area)
The Treasurer-Tax Collector's Business Licenses page states that 'Business Licenses are issued for certain businesses in Unincorporated San Mateo County Only' and that all applications 'are reviewed and approved by the County's Business License Board'. Ordinance Code §5.04.020 requires the license for a business 'liable for License fees as required in title 5', so it applies only to the business types Title 5 lists — among the industries here, a mobile food preparation unit on County roads (Chapter 5.52) and a secondhand or junk dealer (Chapter 5.32), each recorded separately with its own license fee. The $50.00 non-refundable application fee is as published on the Tax Collector's page on 2026-10-09; the page suggests confirming that a license is needed before buying an application by calling the Planning Division at 650-363-1825 or the Tax Collector at 866-220-0308. Under §5.04.030(b) a business operating at more than one location needs a separate license for each. A business inside one of the county's 20 cities and towns deals with that city's own licensing instead.
Pawnbroker / Secondhand Dealer / Junk Dealer License (unincorporated area)
A resale shop operating as a pawnbroker, secondhand dealer, junk dealer or junk collector in unincorporated San Mateo County needs this license; an ordinary retail store selling new goods does not fall under Chapter 5.32. Section 5.32.060 bars carrying on that business 'without first making Application therefor, paying the annual License fee therefor, and receiving a License from the License Board', and §5.32.080 sets 'The annual License fee for each License issued pursuant to the provisions of this chapter' at $60.00. Section 5.32.070 requires the applicant's and badge-holding employees' fingerprints on a Sheriff's form, and under §5.32.170 each person pursuing the business away from the fixed place of business is issued a metal badge, with 'A deposit in the amount of $10' for each badge. The license is issued through the Treasurer-Tax Collector's business license process, separate from the $50 application fee.
Mobile Food Preparation Unit License (County roads)
Ordinance Code §5.52.020 provides that no person shall operate a mobile food preparation unit 'on County roads without first receiving License therefor from the License Board of the County of San Mateo', and §5.52.030 sets the fee: 'Every person conducting the business of a mobile food preparation unit on County roads shall pay a fee of $200 for the License, the term of which shall be one year.' County roads are in the unincorporated area; a truck working city streets follows that city's rules. This license is separate from, and in addition to, the Environmental Health mobile food facility permit and, inside County Fire's service area, the County Fire annual operational permit for mobile food preparation vehicles. Applications go through the Treasurer-Tax Collector's business license process, which the Business License Board reviews.
Contact
- Jurisdiction
- San Mateo County
- Phone
- (866) 220-0308
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.
- Business License ApplicationCounty of San Mateo · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-09
- Business License BoardSan Mateo County Planning and Building Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-09
- Business Licenses — 'issued for certain businesses in Unincorporated San Mateo County Only'; $50.00 non-refundable application feeSan Mateo County Treasurer-Tax Collector · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-09
- Cities in San Mateo CountySan Mateo Local Agency Formation Commission · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-09
- San Mateo County Ordinance Code Chapter 5.04 — Business Licenses GenerallyCounty of San Mateo / Municode · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-09
- San Mateo County Ordinance Code Chapter 5.32 — Pawn Brokers, Secondhand Dealers and Junk DealersCounty of San Mateo / Municode · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-09
- San Mateo County Ordinance Code Chapter 5.52 — Mobile Food Preparation UnitsCounty of San Mateo / Municode · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-09
Other offices serving San Mateo County
- San Mateo County Health, Environmental Health Services
- San Mateo County Agricultural Commissioner / Sealer of Weights and Measures
- San Mateo County Fire Department (operated cooperatively with CAL FIRE), Fire Marshal
- San Mateo County Planning and Building Department
- California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control
The full permit list for this jurisdiction
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Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.