3 published records
Business licenses and permits in Craighead County, Arkansas
Craighead County, Arkansas, has two county seats: Jonesboro (Western District) and Lake City (Eastern District); the county's Departments page lists the Eastern District's Lake City Courthouse at 107 Cobean Blvd, Lake City. Population 115,852 (U.S. Census Bureau vintage-2024 county estimate). The County Judge, or his or her designee, is the Floodplain Administrator under the Flood Damage Prevention Code adopted by Ordinance 24-15, and development in a Special Flood Hazard Area needs a Floodplain Development Permit and, before use or occupancy, a Certificate of Compliance. The Road Department's E-911 Addressing Coordinator issues addresses in the unincorporated areas, and Ordinance 2021-33 and Code §1200.01 both require an address or number before construction and before occupancy. Code §1200.02(5), in the Code of Ordinances enacted by Ordinance 2022-007, requires authorization from the County Judge or his representative before anyone cuts or digs in a county road or right-of-way. Food service, onsite wastewater, childcare and alcohol licensing are Arkansas state programs listed on the Arkansas state page. These records cover unincorporated Craighead County; a business inside the limits of a city in the county also deals with that city, whose own requirements stack on these county records.
What are you opening in Craighead 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
- 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 Craighead County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Floodplain Development Permit and Certificate of Compliance (Special Flood Hazard Areas, unincorporated Craighead County)only if it applies to you | Craighead County Floodplain Administrator (County Judge or designee; Floodplain Manager) | $25 application fee per floodplain development permit application, paid to the Floodplain Administrator in cash or check (per the county's Application 2024 and Permit Application Instructions 2024) | "The permit will expire if no work is commenced within 6 months of the date of issue." | 2026-10-23 |
| E-911 Address or Building Number before Construction and Occupancy (unincorporated Craighead County)only if it applies to you | Craighead County Road Department (E-911 Addressing Coordinator) | No fee is published in Ordinance 2021-33 or Code §1200.01; contact the E-911 Addressing Coordinator, Craighead County Road Department, 870-933-4510. | One-time, before construction begins and before the building is occupied | 2026-10-23 |
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 Craighead County?
Floodplain Development Permit and Certificate of Compliance (Special Flood Hazard Areas, unincorporated Craighead County)
A business that builds, places fill, grades or otherwise develops a site in a Special Flood Hazard Area of unincorporated Craighead County needs a Floodplain Development Permit before the work, and a Certificate of Compliance before the development is used or occupied. Ordinance 24-15 (passed 6-24-2024 with an emergency clause) states in §4: "The ordinance shall apply to all Special Flood Hazard Areas within the jurisdiction of Craighead County." It adopts the Flood Damage Prevention Code for Craighead County, Arkansas, whose Art. 2 §A provides: "The County Judge of Craighead County, or his or her designee, is hereby appointed the Floodplain Administrator." Art. 2 §C states: "A Floodplain Development Permit is required for all structural development, placement of manufactured structures, clearing, grading, mining, drilling, dredging, placement of fill, excavating, watercourse alteration, drainage improvements, roadway or bridge construction, individual water or sewer installations or any other development in a Special Flood Hazard Area to ensure conformance with the provisions of this Code." The county's Application 2024, linked from its floodplain page, is headed "APPLICATION for ARKANSAS FLOODPLAIN DEVELOPMENT PERMIT (FEE $25.00)", offers "Non-Residential" and "Combined Use (Residential and Commercial)" structure types, and states: "The development may not be used or occupied until a Certificate of Compliance is issued." and "The permit will not be issued until any other necessary local, state, or federal permits have been obtained." Item 3 of the county's Permit Application Instructions 2024 states that "there will be a $25.00 application fee that will be paid to the Floodplain administrator in the form of cash or check." The $25.00 figure is as published on those two county forms. Contact the Floodplain Manager, Craighead County Annex, 511 Union, Room 5, Jonesboro, 870-933-4575.
E-911 Address or Building Number before Construction and Occupancy (unincorporated Craighead County)
A building in unincorporated Craighead County needs an assigned address or number before construction begins and before it is occupied, subject to the exemptions listed in §4 of Ordinance 2021-33. Two county texts address this. Ordinance 2021-33 (passed and approved October 25, 2021) states in §1 that every person owning or occupying "any residential or non-residential property with a structure within the unincorporated rural areas of Craighead County is required to obtain and display an assigned address from the Craighead County GIS/911 Addressing Coordinator before beginning construction and prior to occupying any structure." Craighead County Code §1200.01, as compiled in the Code of Ordinances enacted by Ordinance 2022-007, requires the proper number on a house or building "prior to occupancy" and states that "Premises on which buildings are being constructed shall post street numbers prior to beginning construction." The code's source note for §1200.01 cites Ord. 1995-005 (passed 02-28-1995), while the title of Ordinance 2021-33 states that it repeals Ord. 1995-5. The Road Department page states: "This office issues all addresses in unincorporated areas of Craighead County", asks applicants to "plan on 1-3 business days for an address to be issued", and states: "Before any address in a floodplain can be issued, landowners are required to contact the Floodplain Manager". No fee is published in Ordinance 2021-33 or Code §1200.01; contact the E-911 Addressing Coordinator at the Road Department, 2800 Moore Rd., Jonesboro, 870-933-4510.
Sources
Every figure in the table above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- Permit Application Instructions 2024Craighead County, Arkansas · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-23
- APPLICATION for ARKANSAS FLOODPLAIN DEVELOPMENT PERMIT (FEE $25.00) (Application 2024)Craighead County, Arkansas · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-23
- Ordinance 2024-15, An Ordinance providing for the establishment of a flood damage prevention program for Craighead County and for other purposesCraighead County Quorum Court · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-23
- FloodplainCraighead County, Arkansas, Office of Emergency Management · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-23
- About (county ordinance list)Craighead County, Arkansas · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-23
- Ordinance 2021-33, Ordinance to repeal Ord 1995-5 to include addressing requirements for rural Craighead CountyCraighead County Quorum Court · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-23
- Craighead County, Arkansas Code of Ordinances, Chapter 12 - Roads / Transportation (§§1200.01, 1200.02)Craighead County, Arkansas (Municode) · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-23
- Ordinance 2022-007, An Ordinance enacting a Code of Ordinances for the County of Craighead, State of ArkansasCraighead County Quorum Court · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-23
- Road DepartmentCraighead County, Arkansas · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-23
Who issues business permits in Craighead County?
Permitting in Craighead County is split across 3 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.
Craighead County issuing agencies
- Craighead County Floodplain Administrator (County Judge or designee; Floodplain Manager)Floodplain Development Permits and Certificates of Compliance for development in Special Flood Hazard Areas under Ordinance 24-15 and the Flood Damage Prevention Code for Craighead County, Arkansas1 permit
- Craighead County Judge's OfficeAuthorization to cut, dig or otherwise deface a county road or right-of-way under Code §1200.02(5), given by the County Judge or his representative1 permit
- Craighead County Road Department (E-911 Addressing Coordinator)E-911 address assignment in the unincorporated areas of Craighead County (Ordinance 2021-33; Code §1200.01)1 permit
Other Arkansas 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.