Bismarck
City of Bismarck Administration Department (City Auditor as License Officer)
In short
City of Bismarck Administration Department (City Auditor as License Officer) issues 4 permits we publish for Bismarck, last verified 2026-09-14. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auto Repair Shop Licensing — City of Bismarck positiononly if it applies to you | City of Bismarck Administration Department (City Auditor as License Officer) | No fee | not applicable | 2026-09-14 |
| Fitness Studio Licensing — City of Bismarck position (pool license if a pool is operated)only if it applies to you | City of Bismarck Administration Department (City Auditor as License Officer) | No fee | not applicable to the studio itself | 2026-09-14 |
| General Business License — City of Bismarck positiononly if it applies to you | City of Bismarck Administration Department (City Auditor as License Officer) | No fee | not applicable | 2026-09-14 |
| Veterinary Practice — State Board License Applies (Bismarck)only if it applies to you | City of Bismarck Administration Department (City Auditor as License Officer) | No fee | not applicable | 2026-09-14 |
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
Auto Repair Shop Licensing — City of Bismarck position
The City's New Business Licenses and Permits page states that Bismarck 'does not presently have a general business license' and that only certain occupations need a use-specific license, and the chapter lists of Title 5 (Business Regulations), Title 8 (Health) and Title 4 (Building Regulations) name no automotive, garage, service station or vehicle repair licensing chapter, so no city fee applies to a repair shop as such. A repair shop's real city obligations are the building permit for fit-out, the sign permit priced off the building table, any fire permit its systems trigger, and a special use permit where zoning requires one. Vehicle dealers are licensed by the North Dakota Department of Transportation at state level.
Fitness Studio Licensing — City of Bismarck position (pool license if a pool is operated)
The City's New Business Licenses and Permits page states that Bismarck 'does not presently have a general business license,' and the chapter lists of Title 5, Title 8 and Title 4 name no gym, health club, fitness studio or exercise facility category, so no city fee applies to a fitness studio as such. A studio's real city obligations are the building permit, the sign permit priced off the building table, any fire permit its systems trigger, and a special use permit where zoning requires one. One exception adds a genuine license with a published price: a studio operating a pool or spa is licensed by Bismarck-Burleigh Public Health at $220.00 for a year-round pool, $110.00 for a seasonal pool, $55.00 for each additional body of water and $55.00 for a year-round spa or whirlpool.
General Business License — City of Bismarck position
The City's New Business Licenses and Permits page states: 'The City of Bismarck does not presently have a general business license, however certain occupations may require a license or permit, specific to that use, to operate.' Because the City's own page names no general license, no city fee applies to a business merely for operating in Bismarck. The City Code's chapter lists are consistent with that page. Title 5 covers alcohol, advertising, amusements, auctions, taxicabs, pawnbrokers, junk and secondhand dealers, door-to-door sales, ambulances, the license officer and fees, Sunday closing, tobacco and smoking. Title 8 covers frozen desserts, food handling, lodging, animal processing, pesticides, solid waste, construction sites, rodents, smoking, noise, body art, sewage and tanning. Neither title's chapter list names a childcare, cosmetology, veterinary, auto repair or fitness chapter, and Title 4's chapter list names Chapter 4-10, Mechanical Contractor Licensing, as its only chapter titled for licensing, with §4-02-09 governing electricians annotated 'Repealed January 23, 2018.' The Community Development Department's Licenses page states: 'The Community Development Department issues licenses for the following: Mechanical / HVAC Installers; Sign Installers; Mobile Home Parks.' Occupation-specific licenses priced on the City's 2026 Fees and Charges schedule include a pawnbroker at $100.00, junk dealer at $75.00, second-hand dealer at $50.00, door-to-door sales at $225.00 plus $50.00 per salesperson, and taxi licensing at $125.00 plus $25.00 per vehicle. Tobacco carries no separate city fee — §5-11-03 grants authority to holders of a North Dakota State Tobacco Dealers License under N.D.C.C. ch. 57-36 instead.
Veterinary Practice — State Board License Applies (Bismarck)
The City's New Business Licenses and Permits page states that Bismarck 'does not presently have a general business license,' and the City Code's chapter lists name no veterinary chapter in Titles 4, 5 or 8, so no city fee applies to a veterinary practice as such. Title 3 (Animal Control and Protection) contains Chapter 3-05, Pet Shop Operators, which sets out prohibited activities for pet shop operators rather than a license. Under N.D.C.C. 43-29-06 the State licenses the practitioner rather than the practice: 'An individual must have a license or temporary license issued by the board to practice veterinary medicine or veterinary technology.' The board sets standards for the inspection of veterinary premises. Bismarck's animal license, issued through the police at $6.00 per year for a neutered or spayed animal and $18.00 otherwise, falls on owners rather than on clinics; Title 3 provides that the fee is 'set by the city commission.'
Contact
- Jurisdiction
- Bismarck
- Phone
- (701) 355-1300
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.
- Building Inspections — the department's own current page, listing the licenses Community Development issues (mechanical/HVAC installers, sign installers, mobile home parks)City of Bismarck Community Development Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-14
- City of Bismarck Fees and Charges, 2026 — the consolidated schedule carrying the Environmental Health food, mobile food, temporary food, body art and tanning fees, the fire permit and inspection fees, the mechanical contractor license fees and the alcoholic beverage license classesCity of Bismarck · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-14
- New Business Licenses and Permits — the City's own current page stating that Bismarck has no general business license and that only certain occupations require a use-specific license or permitCity of Bismarck · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-14
Other offices serving Bismarck
The full permit list for this jurisdiction
Industry permit lists that include this agency
North Dakota jurisdictions
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