9 permits · verified 2026-09-29
What permits do you need to open a retail store in Lauderdale County Al?
In short
A retail store in Lauderdale County Al, AL has 2 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 7 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Lauderdale County License Commissioner charges $2 first store, state-only total ($1 license plus $1 fee); no county license fee is due (October 2022 ALDOR Handbook, §40-12-315) for the store license (title 40-12, §315). 3 of the 9 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-09-29 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a retail store in Lauderdale County Al
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Store License (Title 40-12, §315) | Lauderdale County License Commissioner | $2 first store, state-only total ($1 license plus $1 fee); no county license fee is due (October 2022 ALDOR Handbook, §40-12-315) | annual; the license year runs October 1 to September 30, renewal is due October 1-31, and a 15 percent penalty plus interest applies to renewals after October 31 | 2026-09-29 |
| Alcoholic Beverage Sales — Dry County with Five Wet Citiesonly if it applies to you | Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board | No fee | not applicable at the county level; any license comes from the Alabama ABC Board and the wet city on their own renewal cycles | 2026-09-29 |
| 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.
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 retail store in Lauderdale 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 retail store in Lauderdale County Al, AL, 2 apply to every business of this type and 7 are conditional. Adding every fee on the page together would overstate what most operators pay, because it would include permits they never need.
Of the 2 that always apply, 1 carry a flat fee, coming to $2.00. That is a floor, not a total. 3 of the 9 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 3 have no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:
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 2 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Lauderdale County Al permits page and the AL state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Lauderdale County Al?
Permits for a retail store in Lauderdale County Al, AL come from 5 separate offices: Lauderdale County License Commissioner, Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, 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.
- Lauderdale County License CommissionerIssues 1 permit on this page: Store License (Title 40-12, §315)102 S. Court St., 1st Floor, Florence, AL 35630 · 256-760-5745www.lauderdalecountyal.gov/home/departments/license-commissioner
- Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control BoardIssues 1 permit on this page: Alcoholic Beverage Sales — Dry County with Five Wet Citiesalabcboard.gov/wet-cities
- Alabama Department of Revenue, Business and License Tax DivisionIssues 2 permits on this page: 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 retail store need in Lauderdale County Al that other businesses do not?
1 of the 3 permits particular to a retail store here applies to no other business type we cover in Lauderdale County Al: Store License (Title 40-12, §315).
Store License (Title 40-12, §315)
A retail store buys the section 315 store license through the Lauderdale County License Commissioner. The Handbook prints a $2 total for the first store, $1 for the license and $1 for the fee, and states that no license fee or license is due or payable for the use of any county, so the amount is state-only with no county portion. Product-specific licenses, such as for tobacco, are separate sections of Title 40, Chapter 12 and carry their own fees. Cities inside the county, Florence most of all, require their own business license in addition to this one.
Store License
The store license reaches essentially every retail and wholesale merchant, which makes it the closest thing Alabama has to a universal business license — and it is remarkably cheap for a single-location business at $2 all in. The price climbs per store as a chain grows, reaching $113.50 for each store past the twentieth. Unlike the privilege license, this one is state-only: the statute says expressly that no fee is due for the use of any county. An auto repair shop needs it only if it sells parts to the public over the counter; keeping a stock of parts to fit to customers' vehicles does not trigger it, even where the parts are itemised on the repair bill.
Shared with other businesses in Lauderdale County Al
- Alcoholic Beverage Sales — Dry County with Five Wet Cities — Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, No fee, not applicable at the county level; any license comes from the Alabama ABC Board and the wet city on their own renewal cycles. Also required for restaurants and coffee shops; what it involves is set out on the restaurants 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 retail store compare with other businesses in Lauderdale County Al?
The closest match is a auto repair shop, which shares 1 of these permits. A retail store also needs Store License (Title 40-12, §315) and Alcoholic Beverage Sales — Dry County with Five Wet Cities. A auto repair shop needs Auto Repair Shop Privilege License (Title 40-12, §54) and Garage and Repair Shop Privilege License, which a retail store does not.
| Business | Its own permits | Shared with a retail store | Only a retail store needs | Only it needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auto repair shops | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Coffee shops | 7 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| Restaurants | 7 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| Childcare centres | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| Contractors and trades | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Food trucks | 5 | 0 | 3 | 5 |
| Salons and barbers | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Veterinary clinics | 2 | 0 | 3 | 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 restaurants page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Lauderdale 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
- Code of Alabama §45-39-200.04, License Commissioner duties (Lauderdale County, Act 79-107)law.justia.com (Code of Alabama mirror) · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-29
- Lauderdale County License Commissioner — Business License page (fiscal-year term, October renewal, city-license stacking)Lauderdale County · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-29
Related
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.