Indianapolis
Department of Business and Neighborhood Services
In short
Department of Business and Neighborhood Services issues 5 permits we publish for Indianapolis, last verified 2026-09-06. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate of Completion and Compliance | Department of Business and Neighborhood Services | $215 administrative fee, charged only if the certificate is not filed within 14 days of completing work under a building permit | issued once per qualifying occupancy | 2026-09-06 |
| Commercial Building Permit (Class 1) | Department of Business and Neighborhood Services | New Class 1 (commercial/industrial/multifamily) construction up to 2,500 sq ft: $697, plus $42 per additional 1,000 sq ft. A Class 1 remodel/alteration/repair uses the same $697-plus-$42/1,000-sq-ft schedule. A general construction permit not otherwise specified is $170. An accelerated plan review is $316; a $32 additional service fee applies to demolition, master, sign, structural, and infrastructure permit applications. | one-time, per project | 2026-09-06 |
| Sign Permit (Improvement Location Permit) | Department of Business and Neighborhood Services | Outside the downtown Regional Center overlay: off-premises sign $417 (100 sq ft or less) or $838 (over 100 sq ft); on-premises freestanding sign (pole/pylon/roof/ground) $422; on-premises building sign (wall/incidental) $142; awning or canopy with a sign $170. Regional Center overlay signs are priced higher. | one-time, per sign | 2026-09-06 |
| Veterinary Clinic — Kennel Registration Exemption (Indianapolis)only if it applies to you | Department of Business and Neighborhood Services | No fee | not applicable | 2026-09-06 |
| Contractor License | Department of Business and Neighborhood Services | 2025–2026 cycle, prorated by filing date: filed January 1–June 30, 2025: $247; July 1–December 31, 2025: $185; January 1–December 31, 2026: $124. Renewal: $247. Each authorized agent beyond the first 5 free ones costs $63. | 2 years — expires December 31 of even-numbered years | 2026-09-06 |
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
Certificate of Completion and Compliance
Indianapolis has no 'Certificate of Occupancy' as such — filing this certificate itself carries no fee; the $215 applies only as a late-filing penalty under the code currently in force. City-County Council Proposal No. 239, 2025 (introduced August 11, 2025, referred to the Metropolitan and Economic Development Committee) would raise this administrative fee (Code section 536-609) to $250 alongside numerous other DBNS fee changes; the proposal's published text carries blank, undated signature lines for Council passage, mayoral presentment and mayoral approval. This record therefore uses the $215 figure that the proposal's own text lists as the fee currently in force, not the proposed replacement; confirm the current amount with DBNS before relying on it.
Commercial Building Permit (Class 1)
City-County Council Proposal No. 239, 2025 (introduced August 11, 2025, referred to the Metropolitan and Economic Development Committee) would raise these figures substantially: a new Class 1 building's base fee to $1,000 plus $150 per additional 1,000 sq ft (from $697 plus $42), a $200 Class 1 plan-review fee no longer folded into that base permit fee, new accelerated-review and reinspection charges for Class 1 structures (for example $750 for a same-day inspection), and new stop-work-order fees of $250 (Class 2) or $750 (Class 1). The proposal's published text carries blank, undated signature lines for Council passage, mayoral presentment and mayoral approval, so the pre-amendment codified figures above are used here rather than the proposed ones. Separately, DBNS's own FAQ describes a Class 1 Plan Review fee of $478 (regular, 3 hours) or $448 (accelerated, 1 hour) that matches neither the current codified treatment (plan review folded into the section 536-602/536-603 permit fee) nor Proposal 239's flat $200 replacement — confirm directly with DBNS at (317) 327-8700 which fee applies to a specific project.
Sign Permit (Improvement Location Permit)
The most recent published Metropolitan Development Commission sign fee schedule is dated 2011, and no newer version is published. Treat these figures as likely outdated and confirm directly with DBNS before relying on them.
Veterinary Clinic — Kennel Registration Exemption (Indianapolis)
According to the Kennel, Pet Shop and Stable Registrations ordinance (Revised Code chapter 836, section 836-2), 'the provisions of this section shall not be applicable to kennels operated by a veterinarian as a part of the veterinarian's medical clinic', so this record carries no fee for a veterinary clinic's own kennel. The veterinarian's professional license is a state matter handled by Indiana's State Veterinary Board.
Contractor License
The City's General Contractor License Application Packet states that all General Contractor licenses expire on December 31 of even-numbered years and are renewable every two years, and that new licensees must attend an orientation class within 60 days of initial issuance. Requires a $10,000 surety bond naming the Consolidated City of Indianapolis as obligee, plus general liability insurance (minimum $500,000/occurrence bodily injury or $500,000 combined single limit, $100,000 property damage) and workers' compensation coverage where applicable.
Contact
- Jurisdiction
- Indianapolis
- Phone
- (317) 327-8700
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.
- City of Indianapolis — Certificate of Completion and Compliance form and instructionsDepartment of Business and Neighborhood Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-06
- City-County Council Proposal No. 239, 2025 — DBNS fee, penalty, and policy amendments (introduced August 11, 2025; text read directly carries blank, undated signature lines for Council passage, mayoral presentment and mayoral approval)Indianapolis-Marion County City-County Council · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-06
- Department of Business and Neighborhood Services — Commercial Development Permits FAQDepartment of Business and Neighborhood Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-06
- Department of Business and Neighborhood Services — Contractor Licensing, 2025–2026 fee cycleDepartment of Business and Neighborhood Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-06
- Metropolitan Development Commission Fee Schedule, effective January 1, 2011Metropolitan Development Commission · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-06
- Revised Code of the Consolidated City and County, chapter 836, Kennel, Pet Shop and Stable Registrations, section 836-2Indianapolis-Marion County · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-06
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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.