29 published records
Business licenses and permits in Maricopa County, Arizona
Maricopa County states on its own Licenses & Permits page that it 'does not issue or require a General Business license for unincorporated areas of the County' and directs a business inside a city or town to that municipality — Phoenix, Mesa, Scottsdale and the county's other incorporated cities are each their own government and are not recorded here. The county's own products reach commercial tenants in three places. The Environmental Services Department (MCESD) issues food, mobile-food, pool and onsite-septic permits under the Maricopa County Environmental Health Code (Rev 08/19/2026), applying in the unincorporated area, in incorporated areas generally, and in any city or town that has specifically requested MCESD's services; the Department's page does not name those cities and towns. Planning and Development (P&D) regulates zoning and building only 'within the unincorporated areas of Maricopa County' (its own Commercial Construction page), charging a $250 commercial Zoning Clearance, a Plan of Development for most non-residential projects, and a Table 1-A valuation-based building permit. The Air Quality Department's Dust Control Permit (Rule 310) is the one county product that reaches a business anywhere in the county, including inside a city, once it disturbs 0.1 acre of ground. The Zoning Ordinance was comprehensively updated effective January 9, 2026 (approved by the Board of Supervisors December 10, 2025); every zoning article and section number cited here uses that current numbering. Under A.R.S. §32-1101.01, which makes construction-contractor licensing 'a proper state function' that counties 'shall not require' a separate license for, Maricopa County issues no contractor license; and under A.R.S. §36-882(A) child-care-facility licensing belongs to the Arizona Department of Health Services for any facility serving five or more unrelated children.
What are you opening in Maricopa 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 Maricopa County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Special Use Permitonly if it applies to you | Maricopa County Planning and Development Department | $3,000 plus $100 per acre or portion thereof, maximum $50,000, under Zoning Ordinance §1302.1. | one-time, per application; the use runs subject to the conditions the Board of Supervisors imposes | 2026-09-25 |
| General Business License — Maricopa County Position (Unincorporated Area)only if it applies to you | Maricopa County Clerk of the Board of Supervisors | No fee | not applicable — the County's Licenses & Permits page states it does not issue or require a general business license for unincorporated areas | 2026-09-25 |
| Zoning Clearance (Commercial) — unincorporated Maricopa County | Maricopa County Planning and Development Department | $250 one-time, per application (commercial; residential is $100) | the Clearance itself has no stated renewal term, but a use that has not commenced within 180 days causes it to expire (Art. 1204.6.1) | 2026-09-25 |
| Temporary Use Permitonly if it applies to you | Maricopa County Planning and Development Department | $250–$750 one-time, per application, by use type | one-time, per application; the permitted temporary use runs for the period the permit states | 2026-09-25 |
| Zoning Varianceonly if it applies to you | Maricopa County Planning and Development Department | $250–$750 one-time, per application, plus a per-additional-request charge | one-time, per application | 2026-09-25 |
| Plan of Development (POD) — non-residential development, unincorporated areaonly if it applies to you | Maricopa County Planning and Development Department | Plan of Development fee: $1,200 plus $100 per acre or portion thereof, maximum $50,000, under Zoning Ordinance §1302.1 (p. 13-1). A commercial project going through this process also pays, from the same Chapter 13 fee table: Plan of Development Review $1,000 plus $500 per acre, maximum $11,000 (p. 13-3); Development Construction Plans for a commercial site, $2,000 plus $250 per acre, maximum $42,000 (p. 13-4); and, for smaller additions, Minor Accessory Construction on Precise Plans (which includes signs), a $400.00 flat fee (p. 13-4). | one-time, per project | 2026-09-25 |
| Commercial Building Permit (new construction and alterations) — unincorporated Maricopa Countyonly if it applies to you | Maricopa County Planning and Development Department | TABLE 1-A building permit fee, by project valuation, printed exactly as the Local Additions and Addenda states it (the source has an internal arithmetic inconsistency at one tier — printed as $391.75, though $69.25 plus $14.00 per $1,000 over $2,000 computes to $391.25 — the printed figures are used here rather than a recomputation): $23.50 for $1 to $500; for $501 to $2,000, $23.50 for the first $500 plus $3.05 for each additional $100 or fraction thereof; for $2,001 to $25,000, $69.25 for the first $2,000 plus $14.00 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof; for $25,001 to $50,000, $391.75 for the first $25,000 plus $10.10 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof; for $50,001 to $100,000, $643.75 for the first $50,000 plus $7.00 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof; for $100,001 to $500,000, $993.75 for the first $100,000 plus $5.60 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof; for $500,001 to $1,000,000, $3,233.75 for the first $500,000 plus $4.75 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof; for $1,000,001 and up, $5,608.75 for the first $1,000,000 plus $3.65 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof. PLUS a plan review fee equal to 65% of that calculated permit fee, which entitles the applicant to three submissions and reviews of documents. Shell buildings are valued at 80% of new building value; alterations are valued at 20% of new building value. Flat-rate fees: Air Conditioner $50; Electrical Service, Residential 1-200 amps $50, Residential or Commercial 201-400 amps $75, over 400 amps $120; Plumbing (install or replace equipment/fixture/device) $50; Sprinkler $50; Mechanical $50; Occupancy Change $75; Special Event Fee (tents) $100 per event; Temporary Certificate of Occupancy, without bonding $250, with bonding $500; extra copy of a Certificate of Occupancy $2; reinspection fees $150 per residential inspection, $250 per commercial inspection. | one-time, per permit | 2026-09-25 |
| Certificate of Occupancy | Maricopa County Planning and Development Department | No fee | one-time, per permit; no expiration once issued | 2026-09-25 |
| Onsite Wastewater (Septic) System Plan Review and Approvalonly if it applies to you | Maricopa County Environmental Services Department | $757–$1,344 one-time plan review, for an ordinary system under 3,000 gallons/day | one-time, per system | 2026-09-25 |
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 Maricopa County?
Special Use Permit
Required in the unincorporated area for a use the Zoning Ordinance's Uses Table marks with an 'S,' at $3,000 plus $100 per acre (maximum $50,000) under §1302.1, granted legislatively by the Board of Supervisors. This is the real zoning-cost path for a commercial kennel or a standalone pet-grooming business: the Zoning Ordinance's own KENNEL definition covers 'commercial breeding, boarding, training, grooming or bathing of dogs, cats, and/or other small, domesticated household pets,' and the Uses Table marks Kennel with an 'S' — Special Use Permit required — in most districts from Rural-190 through C-2; only in C-3 and industrial districts does a kennel or grooming shop instead go through the Plan of Development process recorded separately for Maricopa County. A 'Cottage Industry' home occupation that cannot meet Article 603.9's residential home-occupation conditions also escalates to this same Special Use Permit. Ask Planning and Development at 602-506-3301 which zoning district a parcel sits in before assuming either path.
General Business License — Maricopa County Position (Unincorporated Area)
Maricopa County states on its own Licenses & Permits page: 'Maricopa County does not issue or require a General Business license for unincorporated areas of the County. If you are located in an incorporated city or town, check with your municipality.' Under that statement the County charges no fee for a general business license. The statement is limited to a 'General Business license' and to 'unincorporated areas' — it does not say the county forbids business licensing elsewhere, and a business inside Phoenix, Mesa, Scottsdale or any other incorporated city or town needs that city's own license. Certain food-establishment and activity permits are still obtained through Maricopa County Environmental Services, recorded separately for Maricopa County. The same page adds that 'the Arizona Department of Revenue provides a Licensing Guide for obtaining business licenses in Arizona' — the state's Transaction Privilege Tax license is recorded at the state layer, not here. The county-level requirements a business actually faces are the Environmental Services food and pool permits, the Planning and Development zoning and building permits in the unincorporated area, and the Air Quality Dust Control Permit, all recorded separately for Maricopa County. Questions: Clerk of the Board, 602-506-3766.
Zoning Clearance (Commercial) — unincorporated Maricopa County
Applies only where the business sits on unincorporated Maricopa County land — Planning and Development regulates 'development activity and land use within the unincorporated areas of Maricopa County' and nothing inside a city or town. Article 1204.4 makes it 'unlawful to construct, alter, repair or improve... a building, structure or use' without first filing an application for and obtaining a Zoning Clearance from the Zoning Inspector. The fee under §1302.1 ('The following fees shall be charged with no provision for refund') is $250.00 for a commercial use and $100.00 for a residential one. Work begun before the Clearance is obtained has its fees doubled, per the Zoning Ordinance's own fee-schedule note (p. 13-6), and a Clearance for a use that has not commenced construction or occupancy within 180 days expires under Art. 1204.6.1. Non-residential development also typically needs an approved Plan of Development, recorded separately for Maricopa County. Ask Planning and Development at 602-506-3301 for the parcel's zoning district and whether a Plan of Development, Special Use Permit or Variance is also required.
Temporary Use Permit
Covers a short-run or interim use in the unincorporated area — a seasonal sales lot, a temporary structure, or similar use the Zoning Ordinance treats as temporary rather than permanent. A commercial business applying for one pays the non-residential rate of $750.00 under §1305.1; the residential rate of $250.00 applies to a residential temporary use. Ask Planning and Development at 602-506-3301 whether a specific short-term commercial use needs this permit or falls under the ordinary Zoning Clearance or Plan of Development process instead.
Zoning Variance
A departure from a development standard the Zoning Ordinance otherwise requires, needed in the unincorporated area. A non-residential (commercial) variance costs $750.00 plus $100.00 for each additional request in the same application; a residential variance costs $250.00 plus $50.00 for each additional request; a blanket variance covering multiple similarly-situated lots costs $750.00 plus $100.00 per additional request — all under §1307.1. Ask Planning and Development at 602-506-3301 whether a specific project's departure from the ordinance's standards can be resolved this way or requires a Special Use Permit instead.
Plan of Development (POD) — non-residential development, unincorporated area
Applies to non-residential development in the unincorporated area: Art. 305.1 states 'All development involving non-residential zoning districts, two-family or multi-family residential development... shall be subject to a plan of development (POD) approval.' Its 'single building with no more than four units on one lot of record shall not require a POD' exemption is limited to two-family or multi-family residential development and does not exempt a commercial project. The exemption that does matter for a commercial tenant moving into an existing building is a different one, at p. 5-11: 'Commercial uses which were developed prior to September 22, 2008 shall be exempt from the Plan of Development process; provided, however, that in the event all commercial structures on the property are removed or destroyed in excess of 75% of value... require a Plan of Development.' A commercial project not exempt this way pays the base $1,200-plus-per-acre POD fee plus the Plan of Development Review, Development Construction Plans, and Minor Accessory Construction fees described in the formula above. A pet-grooming shop or boarding kennel is a 'kennel' under the Zoning Ordinance's own definition, which reaches 'commercial breeding, boarding, training, grooming or bathing' — in most zoning districts (Rural-190 through C-2) that use needs a Special Use Permit rather than a POD, recorded separately for Maricopa County, while C-3 and industrial districts route it through this POD process instead. Ask Planning and Development at 602-506-3301 which path applies to a specific parcel and district.
Commercial Building Permit (new construction and alterations) — unincorporated Maricopa County
Applies only in the unincorporated area. Table 1-A prices the building permit by project valuation, from $23.50 for the first $500 of value up through $5,608.75 plus $3.65 per additional $1,000 above $1,000,000; a plan review fee of 65% of that permit fee is charged on top of it, so the total for a specific project is the sum of the two parts rather than a single figure computed here for a hypothetical valuation. Shell buildings are valued at 80% of new building value and alterations at 20% of new building value for fee-calculation purposes. Flat fees cover items such as electrical service (201-400 amps, $75; over 400 amps, $120), sprinklers ($50) and an occupancy change ($75). §114.4 addresses work started before a permit issues: the Building Official assesses 'a fee established by the Building Official that shall be in addition to the required permit fees. Said fee to be the building permit fee doubled' — quoted plainly here because its wording is ambiguous about whether the total charge is twice or three times the ordinary permit fee, rather than asserting a specific multiplier. A Certificate of Occupancy is required for all permits under §111, and a full read of the fee schedule finds no separate charge for issuing it — only an extra copy ($2) and the Temporary Certificate of Occupancy ($250 or $500 with bonding) carry their own fees; the Certificate of Occupancy record states this plainly. Fire code sign-off comes from the fire district having jurisdiction, not the county. Apply through Planning and Development; questions to 602-506-3301.
Certificate of Occupancy
No separate fee applies. §111 of the Local Additions and Addenda states plainly that 'A Certificate of Occupancy is required for all permits,' with limited exceptions for over-the-counter permits, minor permits, unoccupied structures and exempt work. The county's own Table 1-A fee schedule was read in full and lists no separate charge for issuing this certificate — only an additional copy ($2.00), the Occupancy Change permit ($75.00) and the Temporary Certificate of Occupancy ($250.00 without bonding, $500.00 with bonding) carry their own listed fees. The Code lists no separate fee for the final Certificate of Occupancy; its cost is bundled into the building permit and plan review fees recorded in the Commercial Building Permit record. Occupying a building without a Certificate of Occupancy is a violation under the Building Code's enforcement provisions.
Onsite Wastewater (Septic) System Plan Review and Approval
Applies only where a site is not connected to a public sewer. The ordinary business case is a conventional septic system under 3,000 gallons per day, at a flat $757.00, or a system with one alternative treatment element, at $1,344.00; the Code's $2,056.00 figure is for a much larger facility (3,000 to under 24,000 gallons per day, non-aerobic) and is not the realistic range for a typical restaurant, salon or shop. A tenant improvement or remodel that touches an existing system pays a smaller fee — Alteration Permit and Two Inspections $496.00, or Reconnect/Remodel Minor Review $327.00 ($480.00 with one inspection), or a Plan Revision at $258.00. The Code's '$200 grease interceptor' line is actually titled 'Onsite System Design Requiring Interceptor (Per interceptor) Flat $200.00' — it is an add-on charged alongside a septic plan review, not a separate standalone grease-trap or interceptor permit. All figures are from the Chapter I Fee Schedule adopted August 19, 2026. Ask Environmental Services (602-506-6824) which fee applies to a specific site's flow and system type.
Sources
Every figure in the table above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- Maricopa County Zoning Ordinance — comprehensively updated by the Board of Supervisors December 10, 2025, effective January 9, 2026; Chapter 13 fees (§§1302-1307), Chapter 6 Uses Table, §305 Plan of Development, the KENNEL definition, and Article 603.9 (Home Occupation, Residential)Maricopa County Planning and Development Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-27
- Planning and Development Summary of the Fee Schedule (June 2024) — reproduces the Zoning Ordinance Chapter 13 fees and the Local Additions and Addenda Table 1-A fees unchanged, confirming both editions were still current after this reissueMaricopa County Planning and Development Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-27
- Licenses & Permits — the Clerk of the Board's own current page, stating the County issues no general business license for unincorporated areas, describing how liquor license applications on unincorporated land are reviewed, and listing every other county-processed licenseMaricopa County Clerk of the Board of Supervisors · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-27
- Maricopa County Environmental Health Code — the Department's own current page stating the Code's territorial applicability (unincorporated areas, incorporated areas, and any city or town that has requested MCESD's services) and its statutory authorityMaricopa County Environmental Services Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-27
- Commercial Construction — Planning and Development's own current page stating the Department regulates development activity and land use only 'within the unincorporated areas of Maricopa County'Maricopa County Planning and Development Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-27
- Fee Schedule and Estimators — Planning and Development's own current page confirming its fee schedules are found in the Zoning Ordinance and the Local Additions and AddendaMaricopa County Planning and Development Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-27
- Maricopa County Local Additions and Addenda to the 2018 I-Codes (adopted September 19, 2022, TA2022001) — §109.2, §111 (Certificate of Occupancy), §114.4 (work without a permit) and the building permit FEE SCHEDULE including TABLE 1-AMaricopa County Planning and Development Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-27
- Maricopa County Environmental Health Code (MCEHC), "Revised on August 19, 2026" — Chapter I Regulations 4-5 and Fee Schedule (food, mobile food, plan review, pool and septic fees), Chapter II Section 8 (onsite wastewater), Chapter VI (swimming pools), Chapter VII (food employee certification), Chapter VIII (food establishments). Confirmed byte-identical to the researcher's copy on re-check, PDF metadata created 2026-09-09; no later edition existsMaricopa County Environmental Services Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-27
Who issues business permits in Maricopa County?
Permitting in Maricopa County is split across 5 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.
Maricopa County issuing agencies
- Maricopa County Environmental Services DepartmentFood establishment operating permits (eating & drinking, retail food, daycare foodservice) · Mobile, temporary, seasonal and annual-event food permits · Public and semi-public swimming pool and spa operating permits · Onsite wastewater (septic) system plan review and approval · Environmental health plan review for new or remodeled food establishments16 permits
- Maricopa County Planning and Development DepartmentZoning Clearance, Plan of Development, Special Use Permit, Variance and Temporary Use Permit — unincorporated area only · Commercial building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits under the Local Additions and Addenda — unincorporated area only · Certificates of occupancy9 permits
- Maricopa County Clerk of the Board of SupervisorsConfirms the County issues no general business license for the unincorporated area · Local Board of Supervisors review and recommendation of state liquor license applications on unincorporated land · Bingo, fireworks display, OTB/county fair, public service franchise and video service licenses4 permits
- Maricopa County Air Quality DepartmentDust Control Permits (Rule 310) for ground disturbance of 0.1 acre or more, countywide including incorporated cities · General permits for vehicle refinishing, gasoline dispensing and dry cleaning operations · Permit fees under Rule 2801 permit
- Maricopa County Animal Care and ControlKennel permits under A.R.S. § 11-1009 (five or more dogs not individually licensed) · Dog licensing1 permit
Other Arizona 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.