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St. Johns County

St. Johns County Growth Management, Planning and Zoning Division

In short

St. Johns County Growth Management, Planning and Zoning Division issues 5 permits we publish for St. Johns County, last verified 2026-10-20. Each carries the fee as the agency publishes it, with a link to the schedule it was read from.

What this agency issues

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Zoning Approval of the Business Location (Unincorporated St. Johns)only if it applies to youSt. Johns County Growth Management, Planning and Zoning Division$28 per application: "Certificate for Home Office, Rural Industry or Business Office (includes Change of Use)" (FY 27 Schedule of Fees and Services, amended 09/15/2026)one-time, for each new business location or change of use in unincorporated St. Johns County, before the county business tax receipt is issued2026-10-20
Alcoholic Beverage Special Use Permit (Unincorporated St. Johns)only if it applies to youSt. Johns County Growth Management, Planning and Zoning DivisionSpecial Use Permit, Major Review: $760.00 plus the cost of advertising (FY 27 Schedule of Fees and Services, amended 09/15/2026, "all Special Uses found in Section 2.03; includes GIS & Fire Fee"; Development Review Manual Sec. 18.01). Administrative transfer of an alcoholic beverage Special Use Permit to a new owner: $75.00 per hour, one-hour minimum.one-time for the location; a qualifying transfer to a new owner is approved administratively2026-10-20
Child Care Center Special Use Permit (Unincorporated St. Johns)only if it applies to youSt. Johns County Growth Management, Planning and Zoning DivisionSpecial Use Permit, Major Review: $760.00 plus the cost of advertising (FY 27 Schedule of Fees and Services, amended 09/15/2026; Development Review Manual Sec. 18.01).one-time for the site2026-10-20
Sign Permit (Unincorporated St. Johns)only if it applies to youSt. Johns County Growth Management, Planning and Zoning DivisionLand Development Code Sec. 7.00.08 requires the appropriate fee to be paid to the County; the FY 27 Schedule of Fees and Services (amended 09/15/2026) does not publish a line titled "Sign Permit". Contact Growth Management at (904) 209-0675 for the current amount.one-time per sign; a new permit is needed for structural alteration or for work on more than one-sixth of a sign structure in a year2026-10-20
Temporary Use Permit for Outdoor Sales and Markets (Unincorporated St. Johns)only if it applies to youSt. Johns County Growth Management, Planning and Zoning DivisionPer the FY 27 Schedule of Fees and Services (amended 09/15/2026): Temporary Use Permit, Administrative (Section 2.02.05, includes Fire Fee) $190.00; requiring a public hearing (exceeding the limits of 2.02.05) $330.00 plus the cost of advertising; starting without a permit, double the application fee.per event, within the time limits of Land Development Code Sec. 2.02.052026-10-20

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

Zoning Approval of the Business Location (Unincorporated St. Johns)

Development Review Manual Section 27.0 states: "In order to ensure the location of a business within an appropriate zoning district Growth Management Department will review such locations prior to the issuance of a Business Tax Receipt by the County Tax Collectors Office." The county's FAQ on doing business in St. Johns County describes the steps: a business located in the county and not within the City of St. Augustine or the City of St. Augustine Beach gets zoning approval through the Planning and Zoning Division, a home office completes only page one of the application, the signature must be notarized unless signed in front of county staff, and a home-based business inside a homeowners association adds a signed affidavit. The approved zoning application is then taken to the Tax Collector with the business tax receipt application. The fee of $28.00 is the line in the FY 27 Schedule of Fees and Services (amended 09/15/2026), the county's adopted fee schedule for October 1, 2026 to September 30, 2027. Applications go to the Planning and Zoning Office, 4040 Lewis Speedway, St. Augustine, or by email to plandept@sjcfl.us. A location inside either city gets zoning approval from that city instead.

Alcoholic Beverage Special Use Permit (Unincorporated St. Johns)

The state alcoholic beverage license is issued by DBPR's Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco; the county's part is zoning. Land Development Code Sec. 2.03.02 (Article II, June 2, 2026) states that alcohol beverage establishments may be permitted as a Special Use, reviewed under Part 9.03.00, and that, except for beer and wine vendors licensed under ss. 563.02(1)(a) and 564.02(1)(a), F.S., no vendor in unincorporated St. Johns County may maintain a place of business within 1,000 feet of an established school or church, measured property line to property line. Sec. 2.03.02.C exempts retail establishments that sell only malt beverages and wine under those licenses from the section, so they do not need this permit. Development Review Manual Sec. 18.01 places all special uses in Section 2.03 not on its Minor list, including alcohol, in Major Review, and the FY 27 schedule sets that at $760.00 plus the cost of advertising. Under Sec. 2.03.02.B the County Administrator may approve the transfer of a valid alcoholic beverage Special Use Permit for 2APS licenses (retail or bona fide restaurants) or 1COP and 2COP licenses (bona fide restaurants, indoor consumption only, in listed commercial districts), at $75.00 per hour with a one-hour minimum. Planning and Zoning: 4040 Lewis Speedway, (904) 209-0675.

Child Care Center Special Use Permit (Unincorporated St. Johns)

Land Development Code Sec. 2.03.04 provides that child care centers (other than family day care homes as defined by the Code and Florida Statutes), kindergartens and adult day care centers may be permitted as a Special Use within the districts set by Section 2.03.01, subject to conditions including a minimum lot area of 6,000 square feet and design in compliance with s. 402.305, F.S. The Code's use table marks child care as a Special Use in some zoning districts and as allowed in others, so this permit applies where the district lists child care as a Special Use. Development Review Manual Sec. 18.01 lists the uses that take Minor Review, and child care is not among them, so the application is a Major Review at $760.00 plus the cost of advertising under the FY 27 Schedule of Fees and Services (amended 09/15/2026), whose Major Review line includes the GIS and fire review fees. The state child care license from the Department of Children and Families is separate. Planning and Zoning Division: 4040 Lewis Speedway, St. Augustine, (904) 209-0675, plandept@sjcfl.us.

Sign Permit (Unincorporated St. Johns)

Land Development Code Sec. 7.00.08 states: "Unless exempt from permitting, no Permanent Sign shall be Erected, altered, relocated, maintained, or displayed until a Sign Permit is obtained from, and the appropriate fee paid to, the County. The Sign Permit is in addition to any Building Permit required to be obtained pursuant to the provisions of the FBC." A lawfully erected sign may be maintained, repainted or have ordinary repairs, including replacing plastic or glass panels, without a new permit, but a structural alteration, or replacing, repairing, disassembling or refurbishing more than one-sixth of a sign structure in a year, requires a new Sign Permit and full compliance with Article VII. Temporary signs identified in Sections 7.02.01 and 7.02.02 do not need a Sign Permit. A storefront business in unincorporated St. Johns County therefore needs a Sign Permit for its permanent sign; a business inside either city follows that city's sign rules.

Temporary Use Permit for Outdoor Sales and Markets (Unincorporated St. Johns)

Land Development Code Sec. 2.02.05 allows certain temporary uses in non-residential zoning districts that do not allow them by right. They include outdoor seasonal sales such as Christmas tree, pumpkin, plant and fresh produce sales (no more than two a year per parcel, up to 45 days each), and farmer markets, bazaars and similar events that primarily sell arts, crafts and local food products (up to three days per event). In the CI, CHT, CHI, CW and Planned Development districts where cited, outdoor display and sales vendors are allowed no more than once a month for up to three days, limited to products customary and incidental to the existing establishments on the site. The FY 27 Schedule of Fees and Services sets an administrative Temporary Use Permit at $190.00, including the fire review fee, and a temporary use that exceeds the Sec. 2.02.05 limits and needs a public hearing at $330.00 plus the cost of advertising. This applies in unincorporated St. Johns County. Planning and Zoning Division: 4040 Lewis Speedway, St. Augustine, (904) 209-0675.

Contact

Jurisdiction
St. Johns County
Phone
904-209-0675

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.

  1. Development Review Manual Section 18.0 — Special Uses (Sec. 18.01 Fee Schedule)St. Johns County Growth Management · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-20
  2. Development Review Manual Section 27.0 — Home Office, Rural Home Industry or All Other Non-Residential UsesSt. Johns County Growth Management · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-20
  3. Do I need a license to do business in St. Johns County?St. Johns County · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-20
  4. Local Business TaxSt. Johns County Tax Collector · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-20
  5. St. Johns County Land Development Code, Article II (Secs. 2.02.05, 2.03.02, 2.03.04)St. Johns County · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-20
  6. St. Johns County Land Development Code, Article VII (Sec. 7.00.08 Sign Permits)St. Johns County · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-20
  7. St. Johns County's Schedule of Fees and Services, Exhibit "A" (Amended 09/15/2026, FY 27 Current)St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-20

Other offices serving St. Johns County

The full permit list for this jurisdiction

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