9 permits · verified 2026-09-28
What permits do you need to open a auto repair shop in Houston County Al?
In short
A auto repair shop in Houston County Al, AL has 3 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 6 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Alabama Secretary of State, Business Services charges $200 one-time filing for the certificate of formation (llc). 5 of the 9 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-09-28 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a auto repair shop in Houston County Al
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garage and Repair Shop Privilege License | Alabama Department of Revenue, Business and License Tax Division | $8.50 for the first man including the issuance fee, then $7.50 for each additional man, counted at the year's maximum headcount | annual — 1 October to 30 September, delinquent 1 November | 2026-09-03 |
| Store Licenseonly if it applies to you | Alabama Department of Revenue, Business and License Tax Division | $2 for a single store including the issuance fee, then $16 each for stores two to five, $23.50 for six to ten, $38.50 for eleven to twenty and $113.50 each beyond that | annual — 1 October to 30 September | 2026-09-03 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
Local permits that apply to every type of business in Houston County Al
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General County Business Privilege License | Houston County Probate Office, License Department (Judge of Probate Patrick H. Davenport) | Varies — formula on the Houston County Al page | annual; license year runs through September 30, renews each October, with penalties and interest applying after November 1 | 2026-09-28 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
AL registrations that apply to every type of business
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State and County Business Privilege Licenseonly if it applies to you | Alabama Department of Revenue, Business and License Tax Division | Varies — formula on the AL page | annual — 1 October to 30 September, delinquent 1 November | 2026-09-03 |
| Certificate of Formation (LLC)only if it applies to you | Alabama Secretary of State, Business Services | $200 one-time filing | perpetual — Alabama abolished the annual report in 2024 | 2026-09-03 |
| Certificate of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | Alabama Secretary of State, Business Services | $200 one-time filing | perpetual — Alabama abolished the annual report in 2024 | 2026-09-03 |
| Corporation Annual Report (abolished)only if it applies to you | Alabama Secretary of State, Business Services | No fee | not applicable — the filing no longer exists | 2026-09-03 |
| Business Privilege Taxonly if it applies to you | Alabama Department of Revenue, Sales and Use Tax Division | Varies — formula on the AL page | annual — due when the matching federal return is due | 2026-09-03 |
| Sales Tax License | Alabama Department of Revenue, Sales and Use Tax Division | No fee | annual — renew online between 1 November and 31 December | 2026-09-03 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
How much does it actually cost to permit a auto repair shop in Houston County Al?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 9 records listed for a auto repair shop in Houston County Al, AL, 3 apply to every business of this type and 6 are conditional. Adding every fee on the page together would overstate what most operators pay, because it would include permits they never need.
5 of the 9 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 2 have no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:
Garage and Repair Shop Privilege License: $8.50 for the first man including the issuance fee, then $7.50 for each additional man, counted at the year's maximum headcount
Store License: $2 for a single store including the issuance fee, then $16 each for stores two to five, $23.50 for six to ten, $38.50 for eleven to twenty and $113.50 each beyond that
The other 3 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Houston County Al permits page and the AL state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Houston County Al?
Permits for a auto repair shop in Houston County Al, AL come from 4 separate offices: Houston County Probate Office, License Department (Judge of Probate Patrick H. Davenport), Alabama Department of Revenue, Business and License Tax Division, Alabama Secretary of State, Business Services, Alabama Department of Revenue, Sales and Use Tax Division. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- Houston County Probate Office, License Department (Judge of Probate Patrick H. Davenport)Issues 1 permit on this page: General County Business Privilege License462 N. Oates St., Dothan, AL 36303 · 334-677-4722houstoncountyal.gov/probate/business_license
- Alabama Department of Revenue, Business and License Tax DivisionIssues 3 permits on this page: Garage and Repair Shop Privilege License, State and County Business Privilege License, Store License2545 Taylor Road, Montgomery, AL 36117 · (334) 353-7827www.revenue.alabama.gov/business-license
- Alabama Secretary of State, Business ServicesIssues 3 permits on this page: Certificate of Formation (LLC), Certificate of Incorporation, Corporation Annual Report (abolished)770 Washington Avenue, Suite 580, Montgomery, AL 36104 · (334) 242-5324www.sos.alabama.gov/business-entities
- Alabama Department of Revenue, Sales and Use Tax DivisionIssues 2 permits on this page: Business Privilege Tax, Sales Tax LicensePO Box 327710, Montgomery, AL 36132-7710 · (334) 242-1490www.revenue.alabama.gov/sales-use/business-tax-online-registration-system
What does a auto repair shop need in Houston County Al that other businesses do not?
1 of the 2 permits particular to a auto repair shop here applies to no other business type we cover in Houston County Al: Garage and Repair Shop Privilege License.
Garage and Repair Shop Privilege License
Alabama has no licensing board for auto repair — the revenue department's own list of every state board requiring a license contains no auto repair, auto body, mechanic or garage entry, and title 34 has no chapter for the trade. But a license is still required, and it is easy to miss because it is a tax license rather than an occupational one. Garages and shops where vehicles are repaired, painted, trimmed or welded for the public pay by headcount, counted at the maximum number of men employed at any point in the license year, with owners who work in the shop counted as men. It is needed for each location, including a service station or someone working from home, and the revenue department reads it to cover window tinting, fitting parts and tyres, motorcycle repair, alarm fitting and disabled vehicle lifts, but not oil changes, wheel alignment or farm machinery repair. A mechanic working exclusively from a truck at the customer's premises is outside it. Note also what is not needed: a dealer license, since every dealer class turns on selling or preparing for resale, so a shop that repairs customers' vehicles and returns them to their owners falls outside all of them.
Shared with other businesses in Houston County Al
- Store License — Alabama Department of Revenue, Business and License Tax Division, $2 for a single store including the issuance fee, then $16 each for stores two to five, $23.50 for six to ten, $38.50 for eleven to twenty and $113.50 each beyond that, annual — 1 October to 30 September. Also required for retail stores; what it involves is set out on the retail stores page.
The other 1 local permit in the tables apply to every type of business in Houston County Al, AL; what each one involves is set out on the Houston County Al permits page. The 6 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across AL and are covered on the AL state page.
How does a auto repair shop compare with other businesses in Houston County Al?
The closest match is a retail store, which shares 1 of these permits. A auto repair shop also needs Garage and Repair Shop Privilege License. A retail store needs Alcoholic Beverage Sales — Wet County, Spirituous/Vinous Retail Confined to Dothan, which a auto repair shop does not.
| Business | Its own permits | Shared with a auto repair shop | Only a auto repair shop needs | Only it needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail stores | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Childcare centres | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Coffee shops | 3 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Contractors and trades | 3 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Fitness studios | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Food trucks | 3 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Restaurants | 4 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| Salons and barbers | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Veterinary clinics | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
Sources
Every figure for the permits explained on this page was read from one of these government pages on the date shown. Sources for the permits shared with other businesses are listed with their explanations on the retail stores page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Houston County Al permits page and the AL state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- Alabama Department of Revenue — Handbook of Privilege and Store Licenses, October 2022, with the fee schedule for each business typeAlabama Department of Revenue · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
- Alabama Department of Revenue — the complete list of state regulatory boards requiring permits or licenses, which contains no auto repair boardAlabama Department of Revenue · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
Related
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.