11 published records
Business licenses and permits in Mobile County, Alabama
Mobile County's licensing structure runs through five distinct county agencies. The Mobile County License Commission — an independently elected office, currently Commissioner Nick Matranga — administers the Business Privilege License (Code of Alabama Title 40, Ch. 12) countywide, inside the City of Mobile, the county's other 8 municipalities, and the unincorporated area alike; a municipal license stacks on top of, rather than replaces, the county license, and the License Commission's own site states plainly that it does not publish a fee table by classification, quoting the amount due only on request. The Mobile County Health Department (MCHD) is a distinctly-governed county health department, not simply an Alabama Dept. of Public Health branch, and issues food, day-care, and pool/spa permits countywide on a fee schedule authorized by the Mobile County Commission. The Mobile County Inspection Services Dept. issues building permits, and the Mobile County Environmental Services Dept. issues the junkyard license, both in unincorporated Mobile County only; the county's own Development and Zoning page states that 'There is no zoning in the unincorporated areas of Mobile County.' The Mobile County Barber Commission (Code of Alabama §45-49-40.02) independently licenses barbers, barbershops and barber schools, one of only five Alabama counties (with Jefferson, Baldwin, Lauderdale and Madison) that still runs a pre-2013 grandfathered local barber board, separate from the state Board of Cosmetology and Barbering. Mobile County is classified 'Wet' by the Alabama ABC Board. These records cover the county layer only; the City of Mobile's own municipal requirements are listed separately under the City of Mobile.
What are you opening in Mobile County?
- RestaurantsFull-service restaurants carry the densest permit load of any small business: food, fire, occupancy, waste, and usually alcohol.See the full permit list
- Coffee shopsCafés are permitted as food service establishments even where no cooking happens, and the plan review step catches most operators by surprise.See the full permit list
- Retail storesRetail is the lightest common permit load, but the sales tax permit and the certificate of occupancy are non-negotiable in every jurisdiction.See the full permit list
- Salons and barbersPersonal care is licensed at state board level as well as locally, so the shop license and the practitioner licenses are separate obligations.See the full permit list
- Food trucksMobile food is the one category with no certificate of occupancy — but it gains a commissary agreement, and the unit itself is inspected rather than the premises.See the full permit list
- Fitness studiosPrepaid memberships trigger state registration and often a surety bond, which catches operators who budgeted only for the fit-out.See the full permit list
- Childcare centresThe heaviest permit load of any small business: state agency licensing, per-person background checks, and a stricter fire standard than ordinary commercial use.See the full permit list
- Contractors and tradesLicensed at state board level rather than locally, and the only common category with no premises permits at all — the bond is usually the long pole.See the full permit list
- Auto repair shopsOrdinary commercial permitting plus an environmental layer: waste oil, solvents and stormwater are each registered separately.See the full permit list
- Veterinary clinicsA state facility permit, controlled substances registration at both state and federal level, and a medical waste manifest — none of which a general business license covers.See the full permit list
Permits that apply to every type of business in Mobile County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Privilege License | Mobile County License Commission | The Mobile County License Commission's own 'Business License General Information' page states directly that the amount due is calculated per the applicable Code of Alabama Title 40, Chapter 12 classification for the specific business (for example §40-12-151 for restaurants or §40-12-315 for stores), and that 'each section is unique and may have different criteria for calculating the license amount due,' with several classifications keyed to gross receipts. No public dollar table by classification is published; the License Commission directs applicants to call 251-574-4800 or email SalesTaxDept@mobilecountylc.com for the specific figure. | annual; all Business Privilege Licenses expire September 30 each year and renew without penalty October 1 through October 31 | 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.
What do these permits involve in Mobile County?
Business Privilege License
Every business operating anywhere in Mobile County needs this countywide license from the Mobile County License Commission — currently Commissioner Nick Matranga, an independently elected office, not the Probate Judge and not a separate revenue department — whether the business sits inside the City of Mobile, one of the county's other 8 municipalities (including Prichard, Saraland, Chickasaw, Satsuma, Citronelle, Bayou La Batre and Dauphin Island), or the unincorporated area. Obtaining a municipal license does not replace this one: the License Commission's own FAQ page states a municipality 'is within the confines of a county and the state and is subject to the license requirements of those jurisdictions also,' so a city license and the county license stack. A business located inside a municipality's police jurisdiction (the 3-mile ring for a city of 6,000+ residents, or 1.5 miles for a smaller one, under Code of Alabama §11-40-10 and the Alabama Dept. of Revenue's own statewide guidance) can separately owe that municipality a half-rate license on top of both the full-rate city license and this county license — a general Alabama pattern, not unique to Mobile County. The License Commission's own site confirms, as its stated practice rather than a publishing gap, that it does not post a dollar fee table by Title 40, Ch. 12 classification online; call or email for the specific amount due for a given classification and gross-receipts level. The license year runs through September 30 with a penalty-free renewal window of October 1-31.
Sources
Every figure in the table above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- Business License General Information — confirms no fee table is published; amount is calculated per Title 40, Ch. 12 classification and quoted on requestMobile County License Commission · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-28
- Business Privilege License FAQ — renewal cycle (expires Sept. 30, renews without penalty Oct. 1-31); confirms a city license does not replace the county licenseMobile County License Commission · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-28
- Police Jurisdictions overview — statewide half-rate municipal license mechanism within a 3-mile (population 6,000+) or 1.5-mile police jurisdictionAlabama Department of Revenue · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-28
- About the Commissioner — Nick Matranga, License Commissioner, elected November 8, 2016Mobile County License Commission · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-28
- New Business resources — police-jurisdiction additional requirements; the county's 8 other municipalities; unincorporated-area electrical-work certification noteMobile County License Commission · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-28
Who issues business permits in Mobile County?
Permitting in Mobile County is split across 6 agencies we hold records for, with tax registration handled at state level. No single office issues everything, which is why an opening usually means filing in several places rather than one.
Mobile County issuing agencies
- Mobile County Health DepartmentFood service, limited food service, limited retail food service, commissary/mobile-unit, and food-processor permits, countywide · Day care center plan review, permit and sanitation certification, countywide · Swimming pool and spa annual operating permits, countywide6 permits
- Mobile County Barber CommissionLicenses barbershops, barbers (Master), apprentices, instructors, barber assistants, and barber schools countywide · Operates under Code of Alabama §45-49-40.02 (Act No. 89-725), separate from and in addition to the state Alabama Board of Cosmetology and Barbering1 permit
- Mobile County CommissionGoverning body of Mobile County; authorizes MCHD's fee schedule and other department fees · Acts as the local governing body whose approval the Alabama ABC Board requires before licensing an alcohol business in unincorporated Mobile County1 permit
- Mobile County Environmental Services Department (Office of the County Engineer)Junkyard Regulations license (automobile graveyard / auto-salvage), unincorporated Mobile County only, within 1,000 ft of a county road · Junk Control Ordinance enforcement (accumulation of junk/junked vehicles), unincorporated areas plus any municipality's police jurisdiction under a county enforcement contract1 permit
- Mobile County Inspection Services DepartmentBuilding, demolition, alteration and repair permits — unincorporated Mobile County only · Per the county's Development and Zoning page, there is no zoning in the unincorporated areas of Mobile County, so permits involve no zoning review1 permit
- Mobile County License CommissionBusiness Privilege License (Code of Alabama Title 40, Ch. 12), countywide — City of Mobile, the county's other 8 municipalities, and the unincorporated area · County sales/use/lease/lodging/school taxes; vehicle titling and tags1 permit
Other Alabama jurisdictions we cover
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.