8 published records
Business licenses and permits in Pima County, Arizona
Pima County, Arizona, seat Tucson, is a county whose permits are issued by three county departments: the Consumer Health and Food Safety division of the Pima County Health Department (food, temporary food and swimming pool permits), the Pima County Department of Environmental Quality (onsite wastewater authorizations), and the Development Services Department (zoning use approval for businesses). The county's business-startup page at pima.gov/1056, as read on October 5, 2026, states that "Pima County does not require or issue business licenses" and that businesses require zoning use approval from Development Services. The incorporated cities and towns inside the county include Tucson, Marana, Oro Valley, South Tucson and Sahuarita. Each incorporated city or town sets its own municipal licensing rules inside its limits, separately from the county permits, and the Tucson and Marana business license requirements are recorded as city records.
What are you opening in Pima 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 Pima County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of Tucson Business License | City of Tucson License Section | No fee | not stated in the cited source | 2026-10-05 |
| Town of Marana Standard Business License | Town of Marana Finance Department, Business Licenses | No fee | annual; the Town's page states that business licenses expire annually | 2026-10-05 |
| Onsite Wastewater Treatment Facility Construction Authorization and Discharge Authorizationonly if it applies to you | Pima County Department of Environmental Quality (PDEQ) | No fee | not stated in the cited sources | 2026-10-05 |
| Zoning Use Approval (Building Permit or Zoning Use Permit) | Pima County Development Services Department | No fee | not stated in the cited sources | 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 Pima County?
City of Tucson Business License
The City of Tucson's Business Services Department page states that the City of Tucson does require business licenses for businesses operating in Tucson. The page directs applications to the City of Tucson License Section, at PO Box 27210, Tucson, AZ 85726-7210, with the email address License@tucsonaz.gov. The license applies inside Tucson city limits and sits on top of the county permits described in the records above. The license amount is not published on the cited tucsonaz.gov page, so this record carries no dollar figure.
Town of Marana Standard Business License
The Town of Marana's Standard Business License page states that business licenses expire annually and that it is unlawful to operate with an expired license. The license applies to businesses operating within the Town's limits and sits on top of the county permits described in the records above. The license amount is not published on the cited maranaaz.gov page, so this record carries no dollar figure.
Onsite Wastewater Treatment Facility Construction Authorization and Discharge Authorization
The county regulates the construction, including replacement, ownership transfer and closure, of onsite wastewater treatment facilities, according to pima.gov/433. That page states that Pima County must first issue a Construction Authorization, and that after the facility passes a final field inspection, the county must issue a Discharge Authorization. The page describes these systems as used to dispose of household liquid waste where a home is not connected to a municipal sewer system, so a property served by municipal sewer needs no such authorization under this record. The review-fee table linked from pima.gov/509 is undated and states no effective date, so a current amount is not published there and this record carries no dollar figure.
Zoning Use Approval (Building Permit or Zoning Use Permit)
A business needs zoning use approval from Pima County Development Services. The business-startup page at pima.gov/1056 states: "businesses require zoning use approval from Pima County Development Services accomplished either through building permit or through a zoning use permit if the building is legally conforming and does not entail a change of use under the building code." The same page states that certain uses may require a Conditional Use Permit or a Development Permit. The page publishes no fee amount for zoning use approval, so the record carries no dollar figure.
Sources
Every figure in the table above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- Apply for a Business License, City of TucsonCity of Tucson · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-05
- Standard Business License, Town of MaranaTown of Marana · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-05
- Fees and Payments Instructions (PDEQ review fees table link)Pima County Department of Environmental Quality · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-05
- Onsite Wastewater Treatment FacilitiesPima County Department of Environmental Quality · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-05
- Requirements for Business Startup and OperationPima County · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-05
Who issues business permits in Pima County?
Permitting in Pima 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.
Pima County issuing agencies
- Pima County Health Department, Consumer Health and Food Safety DivisionPermits and inspects food establishments, swimming pools, hotels and motels, mobile home and R.V. parks, and vector-borne disease surveillance (pima.gov/2266) · Issues food establishment, temporary and seasonal food permits (pima.gov/2266, pima.gov/2275)3 permits
- City of Tucson License SectionAdministers business licenses for businesses operating in Tucson (tucsonaz.gov)2 permits
- Pima County Board of Supervisors (clerk of the board)Enters the order recommending approval or disapproval of spirituous liquor license applications for premises outside incorporated cities, under A.R.S. 4-201(C) and (D)1 permit
- Pima County Department of Environmental Quality (PDEQ)Establishes the onsite wastewater review fees, and issues Construction and Discharge Authorizations for onsite wastewater treatment facilities (pima.gov/433, pima.gov/509)1 permit
- Pima County Development Services DepartmentIssues zoning use approval for businesses, accomplished through a building permit or a zoning use permit (pima.gov/1056)1 permit
- Town of Marana Finance Department, Business LicensesBusiness licenses for businesses operating in the Town of Marana, which expire annually (maranaaz.gov)1 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.