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Houston County

Houston County Board of Commissioners, Commissioner's Office

In short

Houston County Board of Commissioners, Commissioner's Office issues 3 permits we publish for Houston County, last verified 2026-10-31. 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
Occupational Tax Certificate (business license), unincorporated Houston CountyHouston County Board of Commissioners, Commissioner's OfficeThe occupation tax amount is set under the Houston County Code of Ordinances and is not printed on the county's Occupational Tax Application or published on its Business Forms page; contact the Commissioner's Office, (478) 542-2115, for the amount that applies to the business. The application states that "All monies are due and payable once the application is approved."current calendar year; the county's application states that "all fees are due and payable by February 28 of each year"2026-10-31
County Alcohol License (unincorporated Houston County)only if it applies to youHouston County Board of Commissioners, Commissioner's OfficeLicense fees are set in Chapter 6 (Alcoholic Beverages) of the Houston County Code of Ordinances, whose fee provisions the Board of Commissioners amended on June 2, 2026; the county's notice of public hearing states the amendments "redefine fees for retail licenses and wholesale licenses". Contact the Commissioner's Office, (478) 542-2115, for the current amount.as set in Chapter 6 of the Houston County Code of Ordinances; contact the Commissioner's Office for the license period2026-10-31
Home Occupation Special Exception (home-based businesses)only if it applies to youHouston County Board of Commissioners, Commissioner's OfficeNo Special Exception fee is printed on the county's Home Occupation form; contact Building Inspection, Planning & Zoning, (478) 542-2018, for any amount that applies.until the applicant leaves the premises or the home occupation stops for six consecutive months (Land Development Regulations Section 95.2)2026-10-31

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

Occupational Tax Certificate (business license), unincorporated Houston County

The county's business license procedure page states that "The Houston County Code of Ordinance requires all businesses to annually register and pay an occupation tax", and that "Failure to register and pay the annual occupation tax will result in legal action and fines." The Occupational Tax Application for Unincorporated Houston County issues the certificate for the current year only, states that applications are processed within three (3) business days, and has the applicant certify that they "will not open until my business has been registered and occupation tax paid for this location." The procedure page makes zoning compliance the first step, followed by building and fire inspection of the business location. The application packet also includes an Affidavit Verifying Status (O.C.G.A. 50-36-1), an E-Verify affidavit and the Sheriff's Office E-911 Business Emergency Contact form, and lists businesses that need other approvals first, including barber and beauty shops, electrical, general and HVAC contractors, children's daycare, animal hospitals and kennels. Apply at the Commissioner's Office, 200 Carl Vinson Parkway, Warner Robins, (478) 542-2115.

County Alcohol License (unincorporated Houston County)

A restaurant or store selling beer, wine or liquor in unincorporated Houston County needs a county alcohol license approved by the Board of Commissioners, in addition to its Occupational Tax Certificate and the state license from the Georgia Department of Revenue; a coffee shop or other business is covered only if it sells alcohol. The county's business license packet notes that "Beer and Liquor Sales also require the Commissioners approval." The county's Alcohol Business License application collects recommendations from Zoning, the Sheriff, the Commissioner's Office and the Fire Department, a notarized affidavit to apply for a State of Georgia alcohol license, and a background check with fingerprinting. The 2026 Board minutes show each new license given a first reading, then a second reading and public hearing at a later Board meeting (July 7 and July 21, 2026), and the October 6, 2026 minutes record a hearing postponed because of "an error by the applicant in placing the required notice in the newspaper." The Board adopted amendments to Chapter 6 on June 2, 2026, and the September 22, 2026 minutes state that "County ordinances regarding the approval of liquor store applications have recently changed."

Home Occupation Special Exception (home-based businesses)

This record applies only as a scope consequence: a business run from a home in unincorporated Houston County needs it, and a business at a commercial location does not. The 2026 Board of Commissioners minutes show home occupations approved as Special Exception Applications after a public hearing, "to include any and all stipulations as noted on the Zoning & Appeals recommendation and Section 95 Requirements staff report" (June 2, 2026, approving among others a coffee truck), after which the applicant completes a business license application in the Commissioner's Office. Under Section 95 of the Comprehensive Land Development Regulations, as printed on the county's Home Occupation form, only family members may work in the business, it may use no more than 25 percent of the main building's floor area, and any sign is limited to 2 square feet, unlighted and wall-mounted. Section 95.4.1 lists one-chair beauty or barber shops, home day care and retail sale of goods produced on the premises as examples; Section 95.4.2 excludes the repair or maintenance of motor vehicles and any business requiring a Federal Alcohol, Tobacco or Firearm License, and Section 95.4.3 bars group instruction or assembly. The form's acknowledgment adds that employees report to job sites, with no visible storage, no customer traffic and one commercial vehicle at the residence. The County Attorney told 2026 applicants that neighborhood covenants are not superseded by the Board's approval.

Contact

Jurisdiction
Houston County
Phone
(478) 542-2115

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. 2020 Census place-by-county relationship file, Georgia (st13_ga_place_by_county2020)U.S. Census Bureau · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-22
  2. Alcohol Business LicenseHouston County Board of Commissioners · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-31
  3. Building Inspection, Planning & ZoningHouston County, Georgia · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-31
  4. Business FormsHouston County, Georgia · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-31
  5. Commercial Business License (Occupational Tax Application for Unincorporated Houston County)Houston County Board of Commissioners · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-31
  6. FAQsHouston County, Georgia · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-31
  7. Home Occupation (Occupational Tax Application for Unincorporated Houston County; Home Occupations Regulations)Houston County Board of Commissioners · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-31
  8. Houston County Commissioners Meeting Minutes, July 21, 2026Houston County Board of Commissioners · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-31
  9. Houston County Commissioners Meeting Minutes, July 7, 2026Houston County Board of Commissioners · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-31
  10. Houston County Commissioners Meeting Minutes, June 2, 2026Houston County Board of Commissioners · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-31
  11. Houston County Commissioners Meeting Minutes, October 6, 2026Houston County Board of Commissioners · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-31
  12. Houston County Commissioners Meeting Minutes, September 22, 2026Houston County Board of Commissioners · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-31
  13. Notice of Public Hearing: Amendments to the Houston County Code of Ordinance Chapter 6 Alcoholic BeveragesHouston County, Georgia · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-31

Other offices serving Houston County

The full permit list for this jurisdiction

Industry permit lists that include this agency

Georgia jurisdictions

Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.