17 published records
Business licenses and permits in Mohave County, Arizona
Mohave County, Arizona has its seat at Kingman and a 2024 population of 226,479. The county's Clerk of the Board frequently asked questions states: 'Mohave County does not issue business licenses.' The county's Business Licenses Within the County page says the individual cities issue business licenses, and it names Kingman, Bullhead City, Lake Havasu City and the Town of Colorado City as the places that do. Each of those four runs its own business license regime, and each city license is in addition to any county permit that applies. The city licenses are not recorded in this county record. The county's own regulatory role reaches a business through four channels: Environmental Health food permits, whose coverage inside the four cities is not stated in the county's published materials; Development Services zoning and building permits, which apply to the unincorporated portions of the county; Development Services septic permits where there is no public sewer; and the Board of Supervisors' local recommendation on state liquor license applications outside an incorporated city or town.
What are you opening in Mohave 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 Mohave County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City Business License (Kingman, Bullhead City, Lake Havasu City or Town of Colorado City)only if it applies to you | Incorporated cities and towns: Kingman, Bullhead City, Lake Havasu City and Town of Colorado City | Each city sets its own business license fee and terms; no county amount applies to this license. | set by each city; not stated in the county's pages | 2026-10-05 |
| General Business License — Mohave County Clerk of the Board Positiononly if it applies to you | Mohave County Clerk of the Board of Supervisors | No fee | not applicable: the county's statement covers a general business license at county level | 2026-10-05 |
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 Mohave County?
City Business License (Kingman, Bullhead City, Lake Havasu City or Town of Colorado City)
Required for a business located inside Kingman, Bullhead City, Lake Havasu City or the Town of Colorado City. The county's Business Licenses Within the County page states: 'The individual cities in Mohave County issue business licenses,' and its Licenses and Taxes page links to the license information for each of the four places. The Clerk of the Board's frequently asked questions gives the contacts for three of them: the City of Kingman at (928) 753-5561, the City of Bullhead City, and Lake Havasu City at 855-2116. Each city's license fee and renewal term are set by that city and are not recorded in this county record. A business in a city may also need the county permits recorded here, where the county's rules apply inside the city.
General Business License — Mohave County Clerk of the Board Position
The Clerk of the Board's frequently asked questions states: 'Mohave County does not issue business licenses.' The county's Business Licenses Within the County page carries the same statement, and its Licenses and Taxes page states that the county does not have business licenses in unincorporated areas of the county. On those statements the county charges no fee for a general business license. The statements concern the county's general business license only. A business inside Kingman, Bullhead City, Lake Havasu City or the Town of Colorado City needs that city's own license, and the county's pages list each city's license contacts. The county permits recorded elsewhere in this county record, such as food, zoning and septic permits, are separate requirements.
Sources
Every figure in the table above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- Business Licenses Within the County, which state that the county does not issue business licenses and that the individual cities issue themMohave County · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-05
- Clerk of the Board frequently asked questions, which state 'Mohave County does not issue business licenses', list the city license contacts, and give the Board meeting scheduleMohave County Clerk of the Board of Supervisors · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-05
- Licenses and Taxes, which states that the county does not have business licenses in unincorporated areas and links to the four cities' license informationMohave County Economic Development, Tourism and Film · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-05
Who issues business permits in Mohave County?
Permitting in Mohave County is split across 4 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.
Mohave County issuing agencies
- Mohave County Department of Public Health, Environmental Health DivisionFood service establishment permits (Type I, II and III) and bar or tavern permits · Seasonal, temporary, mobile, catering and commissary food permits · Day care, nursing home and senior centre food preparation permits · Retail and packaged food permits11 permits
- Mohave County Development Services DepartmentZoning and home occupation permits for the unincorporated portions of the county · Building permits under Ordinance 2021-03 for the unincorporated areas · Septic (onsite wastewater) authorizations, under a programme delegated by ADEQ3 permits
- Mohave County Clerk of the Board of SupervisorsBoard of Supervisors meetings, held the first and third Mondays of the month at 9:30 A.M. · Local recommendation on state spirituous liquor license applications outside an incorporated city or town2 permits
- Incorporated cities and towns: Kingman, Bullhead City, Lake Havasu City and Town of Colorado CityBusiness licenses inside each city, as named on the county's Business Licenses Within the County page1 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.