Thurston County
Thurston County Auditor, Licensing Services
In short
Thurston County Auditor, Licensing Services issues 4 permits we publish for Thurston County, last verified 2026-10-06. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| County Fireworks Permit (retail sale stand and other fireworks permits)only if it applies to you | Thurston County Auditor, Licensing Services | $5–$10 per permit: $5 for a permit for the retail sale of fireworks; $10 for each other permit required by TCC ch. 6.68 and RCW ch. 70.77 (TCC 6.68.020) | per permit, for the season or event the Board grants it for | 2026-10-06 |
| County Pet Shop Licenseonly if it applies to you | Thurston County Auditor, Licensing Services | $150 nonrefundable application fee (TCC 6.80.020(2)(g)); annual renewal $125 (TCC 6.80.030); transfer to a new owner $100 (TCC 6.80.040) | annual; expires December 31 | 2026-10-06 |
| County Flea Market, Junk, Secondhand, Antique and Itinerant Dealer Licenseonly if it applies to you | Thurston County Auditor, Licensing Services | $10–$50 a year: $50 for a flea market, junk, secondhand or antique dealer; $10 for an itinerant dealer (TCC 6.29.060); one license per premises | one year from the date of issuance (TCC 6.29.050) | 2026-10-06 |
| County Peddler License (goods, wares and merchandise)only if it applies to you | Thurston County Auditor, Licensing Services | $25 a year (TCC 6.48.010), plus a $500 special deposit required by RCW 36.71.020 | one year from the date of issue (RCW 36.71.020) | 2026-10-06 |
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
County Fireworks Permit (retail sale stand and other fireworks permits)
A retailer or seasonal stand selling consumer fireworks needs a county fireworks permit. Thurston County Code §6.68.020 (current Municode text) states: 'The fee for each permit required by this chapter and Chapter 70.77 RCW shall be ten dollars except in the case of permits for the retail sale of fireworks which shall require a permit fee of five dollars.' So a retail sale permit is $5 and every other fireworks permit is $10. The written application goes to the Thurston County Auditor's office at least ten days before the permit is to issue (TCC 6.68.030); the Auditor sends it to the building department, which investigates and reports to the Board of County Commissioners (TCC 6.68.040); the Board grants or denies the permit, with any conditions it sets, and the Auditor issues it (TCC 6.68.050). The county's Retail Firework Stand guide lists the stand operating conditions of TCC 6.68.055 (hours, age and supervision rules, fire extinguishers and signage) and notes that the seller must also secure a license from the director of the Washington State Patrol fire protection bureau, a separate state license. Contact the Auditor's Licensing team at 360-786-5406.
County Pet Shop License
A store that sells pet animals (dogs, cats, birds, fish, reptiles, small mammals and other species kept as household pets) needs a pet shop license from the Thurston County Auditor. The fees are set in the Thurston County Code itself, current Municode text: a $150 nonrefundable fee on filing the application (TCC 6.80.020(2)(g)), a $125 annual renewal (TCC 6.80.030), and a $100 transfer fee when the shop changes hands (TCC 6.80.040). The license expires on December 31 and must be renewed every year. Chapter 6.80 speaks of pet shops 'within Thurston County'; the Auditor's Business Licenses page and the Auditor's application form, headed 'For Unincorporated Thurston County', apply the county license to businesses in the unincorporated area, and the Auditor's page tells businesses inside city limits to contact their city. The application lists the species to be sold and names a licensed veterinarian who will care for sick or injured animals, and attaches any health-department sanitary approvals. The Auditor sends the application to the planning department and to joint animal control; the license issues within thirty days unless the premises do not conform to zoning or building, fire, mechanical or plumbing codes, or the applicant has a cruelty or neglect conviction or a revoked pet-shop license. Contact the Auditor's Licensing team at 360-786-5406.
County Flea Market, Junk, Secondhand, Antique and Itinerant Dealer License
A used-goods, antique, consignment or junk business in unincorporated Thurston County needs a dealer license from the Thurston County Auditor under chapter 6.29 of the Thurston County Code. The chapter defines 'County' as 'the unincorporated area of Thurston County,' so the license reaches businesses outside city limits only. Per TCC 6.29.060 (current Municode text, Ord. 7204, 1982), the annual fee for a new or renewal license is $50 for a flea market, junk, secondhand or antique dealer and $10 for an itinerant dealer. A secondhand or antique dealer includes dealers in used or remanufactured automobile parts or tires, but the chapter does not apply to businesses selling only operational used motor vehicles or boats. A license is valid for one year from issuance (TCC 6.29.050), each premises needs its own license, and a license cannot be transferred to another person or location. The Auditor sends each new or renewal application to the planning department, which has twenty-one days to report findings or conditions before the license issues. Contact the Auditor's Licensing team at 360-786-5406.
County Peddler License (goods, wares and merchandise)
A peddler selling goods, wares or merchandise in Thurston County applies to the county Auditor for a county peddler's license under RCW chapter 36.71. Thurston County Code §6.48.010 fixes the license fee at $25 a year (current Municode text, Ord. 9406, 1990). RCW 36.71.020 additionally requires the applicant to file a sworn statement of the quantity and value of the stock of goods in the county and to make a special deposit of $500, and sets the license term at one year from its date. The license is not transferable and covers only the licensee selling in person. RCW 36.71.010 excludes sellers of agricultural and farm products, books, periodicals and newspapers from the peddler definition. The Auditor's Business Licenses page lists the peddler license among the county licenses for businesses in the unincorporated area and links both the county code and the state statute. Contact the Auditor's Licensing team at 360-786-5406.
Contact
- Jurisdiction
- Thurston County
- Phone
- 360-786-5406
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.
- Auditor Business License Application, 'For Unincorporated Thurston County' (pet shop application and supplement)Thurston County Auditor · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-06
- Business Licenses — the Auditor's list of business types that require a County Business License, with the unincorporated-area statement and the State Master Business License statementThurston County Auditor · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-06
- RCW 36.71.020, Peddler's license — application, $500 special deposit, one-year termWashington State Legislature · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-06
- Retail Firework Stand guide (stand conditions under Thurston County Code 6.68.055)Thurston County · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-06
- Thurston County Code §6.48.010, Peddlers — Fee (Ord. 9406 §1, 1990)Thurston County (Municode) · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-06
- Thurston County Code ch. 6.29, Flea Market, Itinerant, Junk, Secondhand and Antique Dealers (§6.29.010 definitions; §6.29.050 term; §6.29.060 fees; Ord. 7204, 1982)Thurston County (Municode) · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-06
- Thurston County Code ch. 6.68, Fireworks Permits (§6.68.020 fees; §§6.68.030-.050 application, investigation, Board decision; Ord. 5421, 1977)Thurston County (Municode) · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-06
- Thurston County Code ch. 6.80, Pet Shop License (§§6.80.020-.040; Ord. 9702 §1, 1991), Municode Supp. 78Thurston County (Municode) · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-06
Other offices serving Thurston County
- Thurston County Public Health and Social Services, Environmental Health Division
- Thurston County Community Planning and Economic Development, Building Development Center
- Thurston County Board of County Commissioners (county legislative authority)
- Thurston County Public Works, Development Review Division
The full permit list for this jurisdiction
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