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Bexar County

Bexar County Fire Marshal's Office

In short

Bexar County Fire Marshal's Office issues 12 permits we publish for Bexar County, last verified 2026-09-28. 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
Fitness Studio / Gym — State Health Spa Registration and County Site Permits (Bexar County)only if it applies to youBexar County Fire Marshal's OfficeNo feenot applicable2026-09-28
Annual Fire/Life-Safety InspectionBexar County Fire Marshal's Office$100.00 per hour, half-hour minimum, for a routine annual inspection. After-hours inspection: $150.00 per hour, two-hour minimum. Reinspection: $65.00. State Licensed Facility Inspection (e.g., a licensed child-care home): $100.00 flat.ongoing; the Fire Marshal's Office aims to inspect each commercial occupancy on an annual cycle2026-09-28
Fire Marshal Building/Construction Permitonly if it applies to youBexar County Fire Marshal's OfficeCommercial/public-access construction valued under $6,250: $400.00 flat. Construction valued at $6,250 or above is charged under a valuation-tiered schedule set by the Fire Marshal's fee schedule; contact the Fire Marshal's Office for the tier applicable to a specific project's construction valuation. Final Inspection/Certificate of Occupancy: $200.00. Permit renewal (if construction lapses): $150.00 plus 30% of the original fee. Public-school projects receive a 10% discount. Temporary Certificate of Occupancy: $550.00. Temporary structure: under 750 square feet $100.00; 750 square feet or more, $100.00 plus $0.05 per square foot over 750. Modular or mobile structure installation: $750.00. Foundation permit: $500.00. Every fee on this schedule includes a 4.5% Technology Improvement Surcharge and is non-refundable.project-based (not recurring), except a renewal fee if construction lapses before completion2026-09-28
Flammable/Combustible Liquid & Fuel System Operational Permitsonly if it applies to youBexar County Fire Marshal's OfficeUnderground or aboveground storage tank (UST/AST) installation or removal: $400.00 each. Underground fuel line or dispensing system installation: $250.00. AST annual renewal: $150.00. Fuel-dispensing facility annual inspection/registration: $150.00.per installation/removal event; AST registration/inspection renews annually2026-09-28
Knox Box / Access-Control Device Registrationonly if it applies to youBexar County Fire Marshal's Office$30 flat, per Knox Box, Knox Padlock, or siren-operated electric gate registrationone-time registration, unless the device is replaced2026-09-28
Veterinary Clinic Licensing — State Board License Applies (Bexar County)only if it applies to youBexar County Fire Marshal's OfficeNo feenot applicable2026-09-28
Salon / Cosmetology Licensing — State TDLR License Applies (Bexar County)only if it applies to youBexar County Fire Marshal's OfficeNo feenot applicable2026-09-28
General Contractor Licensing — Bexar County Contractors Page Positiononly if it applies to youBexar County Fire Marshal's OfficeNo feenot applicable2026-09-28
Change of Occupancy Permit/InspectionBexar County Fire Marshal's OfficeChange of Occupancy Use Inspection: $200.00, covering the cost of one reinspection. An additional $150.00 applies if a business opens before obtaining Change of Occupancy approval and a reinspection is required as a result. Change of Owner/Owner Name, with no change of occupancy or use: $150.00.issued once per change of occupancy, business, or ownership event; not a recurring renewal2026-09-28
Fire Inspection for State-Licensed Child-Care HomesBexar County Fire Marshal's Office$100 flat, per inspection (State Licensed Facility Inspection)tied to the state child-care facility license cycle; performed as a precondition of that state licensing2026-09-28
Mobile Food Vendor (MFV) Fire Marshal Operational PermitBexar County Fire Marshal's OfficeMobile Vendor Inspection & Registration (annual): $200.00. Mobile Food Inspection in Field: $300.00.annual (Mobile Vendor Inspection & Registration); a field inspection is billed separately as needed2026-09-28
Auto Repair Shop — Fire Marshal and Site Permits Apply (Bexar County)only if it applies to youBexar County Fire Marshal's OfficeNo feenot applicable2026-09-28

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

Fitness Studio / Gym — State Health Spa Registration and County Site Permits (Bexar County)

No fee applies at county level: the County's own Businesses page lists no fitness-studio license among its programs. The State does regulate gyms that sell memberships: the Texas Secretary of State's Health Spa FAQ defines a health spa as 'A business that offers for sale, or sells, memberships that provide the members instruction in or the use of facilities for a physical exercise program,' quotes Occupations Code §702.101 that a person may not operate one 'unless the person holds a health spa operator's certificate of registration,' and states that 'The fee for an original certificate of registration or renewal is $100,' with security required for each location unless an exemption applies. At county level, only the generic unincorporated-area Fire Marshal and Public Works requirements, each listed as a separate Bexar County requirement, such as the building permit, Change of Occupancy, and Places-of-Assembly-style annual fire inspection, would apply if a studio is sited in unincorporated Bexar County.

Annual Fire/Life-Safety Inspection

Every commercial occupancy in unincorporated Bexar County is subject to an ongoing fire/life-safety inspection program, billed hourly rather than through a flat annual permit fee: $100.00 an hour with a half-hour minimum for a standard inspection, $150.00 an hour with a two-hour minimum after hours, $65.00 for a reinspection, and a flat $100.00 for a State Licensed Facility Inspection. The Fire Marshal's own published rationale is that these services are funded through incorporated-city tax revenue where a city exists, but unincorporated Bexar County has no equivalent tax base for fire services, so the cost is recovered through inspection fees instead. Inside San Antonio or another incorporated city, that city's fire department performs the inspection and sets its own fee.

Fire Marshal Building/Construction Permit

The Bexar County Fire Marshal's Office, working with Public Works, acts as the county's building department for any new commercial or public-access construction, pre-built building placement, or substantial improvement of an existing commercial building in unincorporated Bexar County. The permit expressly does not apply to single-family, duplex, or triplex residential buildings — the county's own Public Works Permit Verification Guidance names all three as exempt, up to three dwelling units. A project under $6,250 of construction valuation is charged a flat $400.00; higher-valuation projects move onto a valuation-tiered schedule. Additional line items include a $200.00 final inspection/certificate of occupancy, a $150.00-plus-30% renewal, a $550.00 temporary certificate of occupancy, and separate fees for temporary structures, modular/mobile installations, and foundation permits, all carrying a 4.5% Technology Improvement Surcharge. Inside San Antonio or another incorporated city, that city's own building department and permit apply instead.

Flammable/Combustible Liquid & Fuel System Operational Permits

An auto-repair shop that installs, removes, or operates underground or aboveground fuel storage or dispensing systems in unincorporated Bexar County needs this operational permit from the Fire Marshal's Office: $400.00 for each UST or AST installation or removal, $250.00 for an underground fuel line or dispensing-system installation, and $150.00 a year for AST renewal or for a fuel-dispensing facility's annual inspection/registration. A restaurant, coffee shop, or food truck that stores bulk LPG or propane above the fire code's threshold quantity is conditionally reached by the same permit category. Inside San Antonio or another incorporated city, that city's fire department administers the equivalent permit instead.

Knox Box / Access-Control Device Registration

Where the Bexar County Fire Marshal's Office requires rapid-entry fire-department access to a commercial building in unincorporated Bexar County — a Knox Box, a Knox Padlock, or a siren-operated electric security gate — the business registers the device for a flat $30.00 fee. This applies only when a Knox Box or equivalent access device is fire-code-required for the specific building or gate; it is not a requirement that reaches every commercial occupancy automatically. Inside San Antonio or another incorporated city, that city's fire department administers the equivalent registration instead.

Veterinary Clinic Licensing — State Board License Applies (Bexar County)

No fee applies. The County's own Businesses page lists no veterinary clinic permit among its programs; veterinary practice is licensed by the Texas Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners under Texas Occupations Code Chapter 801, a state-level credential. Bexar County Animal Care's programs — stray intake, owner-surrender fees, and rabies-exposure reporting — regulate pet owners and animal control, not the veterinary business itself. Only the generic unincorporated-area Fire Marshal and Public Works requirements listed as a separate Bexar County requirement, such as the building permit, Change of Occupancy, and annual fire inspection, would apply if a clinic is sited in unincorporated Bexar County.

Salon / Cosmetology Licensing — State TDLR License Applies (Bexar County)

No fee applies. The County's own Businesses page lists no salon license among its programs; cosmetology and barbering are licensed statewide by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation under Texas Occupations Code Chapters 1602 and 1603, a state-level credential. Only the generic unincorporated-area Fire Marshal and Public Works requirements listed as a separate Bexar County requirement, such as the building permit and annual fire inspection, would apply if a salon is sited in unincorporated Bexar County.

General Contractor Licensing — Bexar County Contractors Page Position

No fee applies. Bexar County's own Contractors page lists no general contractor license or registration; its content is the Stormwater Quality Site Development Permit and post-construction permits. Texas counties have only the regulatory powers the Legislature expressly grants them. A contractor doing work in unincorporated Bexar County still needs whatever state trade credential applies to the specific trade, such as a Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation electrical contractor license, and still needs the project-specific building, floodplain, stormwater, post-construction, and right-of-way permits listed as a separate Bexar County requirement. A city where the contractor works may separately require its own registration, out of scope here.

Change of Occupancy Permit/Inspection

Whenever a new business or tenant occupies an existing commercial building in unincorporated Bexar County, the Fire Marshal's Office requires a Change of Occupancy inspection before the new occupant opens. The standard fee is $200.00, which covers one reinspection. A business that opens before obtaining this approval and then requires a reinspection is charged an additional $150.00. A change limited to the owner or owner's name, with no change in occupancy or use, is $150.00. Inside San Antonio or another incorporated city, that city's own building or fire department handles occupancy changes instead.

Fire Inspection for State-Licensed Child-Care Homes

Texas Human Resources Code §42.0443 requires coordination between a childcare facility's state licensing process and a local fire-safety inspection; in unincorporated Bexar County, the Bexar County Fire Marshal's Office performs that inspection using a dedicated Licensed Child-Care Home Checklist, and charges the same flat $100.00 State Licensed Facility Inspection fee used on its general fee schedule. Passing this inspection is a precondition of the facility's state child-care license from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. This fee and inspection are separate from the $150.00-a-year Child Care Facility Food Service Fee charged by Bexar County Environmental Services, listed as a separate Bexar County requirement. Inside San Antonio or another incorporated city, that city's fire department performs the equivalent inspection instead.

Mobile Food Vendor (MFV) Fire Marshal Operational Permit

Any mobile food unit operating in unincorporated Bexar County needs this fire-safety registration from the Fire Marshal's Office, independent of the food-safety license the operator carries: $200.00 for the annual Mobile Vendor Inspection & Registration and $300.00 for a Mobile Food Inspection performed in the field. This permit covers fire-safety items such as propane and LPG equipment aboard the unit, and it is unaffected by Texas HB 2844's July 1, 2026 transfer of mobile food unit food-safety licensing to Texas DSHS: the state's own rule framework preserves non-conflicting local fire-code permitting even as it took over food-safety licensing, so this Fire Marshal permit continues to apply from Bexar County directly.

Auto Repair Shop — Fire Marshal and Site Permits Apply (Bexar County)

No fee applies to an auto-repair-specific county permit, because the County's own Businesses page lists none among its programs. Only conditional or generic items apply: the flammable/combustible-liquid and fuel-system operational permits listed as a separate Bexar County requirement if the shop stores fuel or oil above the Fire Code's threshold quantity in unincorporated Bexar County, and the generic building, Change of Occupancy, and annual fire-inspection requirements if the shop is sited in unincorporated Bexar County.

Contact

Jurisdiction
Bexar County
Phone
Not verified — use the website

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. Bexar County Fire Marshal Fee Schedule (content dated January 1, 2024) — building/construction, Change of Occupancy, annual fire inspection, childcare inspection, flammable-liquid, Knox Box, and Mobile Food Vendor operational feesBexar County Fire Marshal's Office · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-28
  2. Bexar County Public Works Permits Verification Guidance, updated October 6, 2025 (confirms the single-family/duplex/triplex residential exemption from the commercial building permit)Bexar County Public Works · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-28
  3. Building Permits (unincorporated-area scope and process)Bexar County Fire Marshal's Office · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-28
  4. Businesses (the County's own index of business-facing programs; contains no general business license, veterinary, salon, fitness-studio, or auto-repair license)Bexar County · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-28
  5. Contractors (contains no Bexar County general contractor license or registration)Bexar County · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-28
  6. Fire Inspections FAQs (states that unincorporated-area fire/life-safety inspections are fee-funded because they fall outside the taxing authority that pays for city fire services)Bexar County Fire Marshal's Office · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-28
  7. HB 2844 Overview — Consumer Protection Division, Food & Drug SectionTexas Department of State Health Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-08-22
  8. New Constructions FAQsBexar County Fire Marshal's Office · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-28
  9. Texas Human Resources Code Chapter 42, Regulation of Certain Facilities, Homes, and Agencies That Provide Child-Care Services (§42.0443, Coordination of Fire Safety and Sanitation Inspections)Texas Legislature · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-28
  10. Texas Local Government Code Chapter 233, Regulation of Land Use, Structures, Businesses, and Other Matters in Unincorporated Areas (Subchapter C, county building-permit authority)Texas Legislature · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-28

Other offices serving Bexar County

The full permit list for this jurisdiction

Industry permit lists that include this agency

Texas jurisdictions

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