9 permits · verified 2026-09-28
What permits do you need to open a retail store in Morgan County Al?
In short
A retail store in Morgan 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. 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 retail store in Morgan County Al
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alcohol Sales — Wet/Dry Status and ABC Licensingonly if it applies to you | Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board | Morgan County is classified 'Dry - Contains Wet Cities' by the Alabama ABC Board: Decatur, Hartselle, Priceville and Trinity are wet by local option, while Falkville, Eva and all unincorporated Morgan County remain dry. Alcohol retail licenses themselves are issued and priced by the state ABC Board, not by Morgan County; every ABC application also requires an approval letter from the relevant local governing body — the city council for a premises inside one of the four wet cities. No county-collected fee applies to this wet/dry status determination itself, and because the unincorporated county and the non-wet towns remain dry, no ABC retail license can be obtained for a premises located there absent a further local-option change. | not applicable — this documents wet/dry classification and licensing scope, not a permit with its own renewal term | 2026-09-28 |
| 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 Morgan County Al
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morgan County General Privilege/Business License | Morgan County Commissioner of Licenses | Varies — formula on the Morgan County Al page | annual | 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 retail store in Morgan 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 Morgan 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.
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:
Alcohol Sales — Wet/Dry Status and ABC Licensing: Morgan County is classified 'Dry - Contains Wet Cities' by the Alabama ABC Board: Decatur, Hartselle, Priceville and Trinity are wet by local option, while Falkville, Eva and all unincorporated Morgan County remain dry. Alcohol retail licenses themselves are issued and priced by the state ABC Board, not by Morgan County; every ABC application also requires an approval letter from the relevant local governing body — the city council for a premises inside one of the four wet cities. No county-collected fee applies to this wet/dry status determination itself, and because the unincorporated county and the non-wet towns remain dry, no ABC retail license can be obtained for a premises located there absent a further local-option change.
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 Morgan County Al permits page and the AL state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Morgan County Al?
Permits for a retail store in Morgan County Al, AL come from 5 separate offices: Morgan County Commissioner of Licenses, 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.
- Morgan County Commissioner of LicensesIssues 1 permit on this page: Morgan County General Privilege/Business License302 Lee Street NE, Decatur, AL 35601 (P.O. Box 668, Decatur, AL 35602) · (256) 351-4770; (256) 351-4779; fax (256) 350-1127www.morgancountylicense.com
- Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control BoardIssues 1 permit on this page: Alcohol Sales — Wet/Dry Status and ABC Licensingalabcboard.gov/licensing-compliance/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 Morgan County Al that other businesses do not?
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 Morgan County Al
- Alcohol Sales — Wet/Dry Status and ABC Licensing — Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, Morgan County is classified 'Dry - Contains Wet Cities' by the Alabama ABC Board: Decatur, Hartselle, Priceville and Trinity are wet by local option, while Falkville, Eva and all unincorporated Morgan County remain dry. Alcohol retail licenses themselves are issued and priced by the state ABC Board, not by Morgan County; every ABC application also requires an approval letter from the relevant local governing body — the city council for a premises inside one of the four wet cities. No county-collected fee applies to this wet/dry status determination itself, and because the unincorporated county and the non-wet towns remain dry, no ABC retail license can be obtained for a premises located there absent a further local-option change., not applicable — this documents wet/dry classification and licensing scope, not a permit with its own renewal term. Also required for restaurants; what it involves is set out on the restaurants page.
The other 1 local permit in the tables apply to every type of business in Morgan County Al, AL; what each one involves is set out on the Morgan 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 retail store compare with other businesses in Morgan County Al?
The closest match is a auto repair shop, which shares 1 of these permits. A retail store also needs Alcohol Sales — Wet/Dry Status and ABC Licensing. A auto repair shop needs 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 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Restaurants | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Childcare centres | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Coffee shops | 3 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Contractors and trades | 4 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| Fitness studios | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Food trucks | 3 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Salons and barbers | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 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 restaurants page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Morgan 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
Related
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.