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12 permits · verified 2026-10-02

What permits do you need to open a auto repair shop in Contra Costa County?

In short

A auto repair shop in Contra Costa County, CA has 1 permit that applies to every business of this type, plus 11 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. California Secretary of State, Business Programs Division charges $20 per filing, biennial for the statement of information (llc). 6 of the 12 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-02 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.

Permits particular to a auto repair shop in Contra Costa County

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Hazardous Materials Business Plan (HMBP) Annual Permitonly if it applies to youContra Costa County Fire Protection District, Hazardous Materials Programs (Certified Unified Program Agency)Tiered by chemical inventory: under 1,000 lbs = $421 (lowest tier), scaling up to $64,220 for the highest tier (1 billion+ lbs, including the flat refinery rate). A $96 initial permit processing fee applies to newly regulated businesses or ownership changes. Incident-response fees for non-regulated-entity responses are $365 per hour per staff member during business hours and $404 per hour per staff member after hours.annual, fiscal year July 1 - June 302026-10-02
Hazardous Waste Generator (HWG) Program Feeonly if it applies to youContra Costa County Fire Protection District, Hazardous Materials Programs (Certified Unified Program Agency)Tiered by annual waste volume: Very Small Quantity Generator (under 1.3 tons/year) = $200, scaling up to $40,195 for 2,000 or more tons/year.annual2026-10-02
UST / APSA Program Feesonly if it applies to youContra Costa County Fire Protection District, Hazardous Materials Programs (Certified Unified Program Agency)Underground Storage Tank (UST) and Aboveground Petroleum Storage Act (APSA) program fees are tiered by tank category and storage capacity on the same adopted fee exhibit (Resolution No. 2024-293, Exhibit 1) that sets the HMBP and Hazardous Waste Generator fees above. Contact CCCFPD's CUPA program for the current dollar figure for a specific tank count or capacity.annual (UST permit); per facility (APSA permit)2026-10-02
Building Permit — Plan Review & Permit Review/Processingonly if it applies to youContra Costa County Department of Conservation and DevelopmentPlan Review fee, by improvement value (seven tiers): up to $2,000 = $49 + $8.94 per $1,000 above $2,000; $25,000 = $254 + $6.44 per $1,000 above $25,000; $50,000 = $415 + $4.47 per $1,000 above $50,000; $100,000 = $639 + $5.30 per $1,000 above $100,000; $500,000 = $2,758 + $5.52 per $1,000 above $500,000; $1,000,000 = $5,516 + $3.79 per $1,000 above $1,000,000; $5,000,000 = $20,685 + $5.52 per $1,000 above $5,000,000. A separate, lower-scaled Permit Review and Processing fee runs on the same valuation bands, starting at $19 + $3.44 per $1,000 above $2,000.per permit (one-time, project-based)2026-10-02

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 Contra Costa County

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Business License Taxonly if it applies to youContra Costa County Treasurer-Tax Collector, Business License Tax DivisionVaries — formula on the Contra Costa County pageannual; license year July 1 - June 30, renewal due by June 302026-10-02

Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.

CA registrations that apply to every type of business

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Statement of Information (LLC)only if it applies to youCalifornia Secretary of State, Business Programs Division$20 per filing, biennialbiennial2026-09-03
Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to youCalifornia Secretary of State, Business Programs Division$70 one-time filingno expiry, but a Statement of Information is due biennially2026-09-03
Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to youCalifornia Secretary of State, Business Programs Division$100 one-time filingno expiry, but a Statement of Information is due annually2026-09-03
Statement of Information (Corporation)only if it applies to youCalifornia Secretary of State, Business Programs Division$25 per filing, annualannual2026-09-03
Seller's Permitonly if it applies to youCalifornia Department of Tax and Fee AdministrationNo fee — no fee to applyno expiry while actively engaged in business as a seller2026-09-03
Annual LLC Tax and Minimum Franchise Taxonly if it applies to youCalifornia Franchise Tax BoardVaries — formula on the CA pageannual, until the entity is cancelled2026-09-03
General Business License — California position (city or county, not state)California Secretary of State, Business Programs DivisionNo feeset by the issuing city or county2026-09-03

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 auto repair shop in Contra Costa County?

There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 12 records listed for a auto repair shop in Contra Costa County, CA, 1 apply to every business of this type and 11 are conditional. Adding every fee on the page together would overstate what most operators pay, because it would include permits they never need.

6 of the 12 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 1 has no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:

Hazardous Materials Business Plan (HMBP) Annual Permit: Tiered by chemical inventory: under 1,000 lbs = $421 (lowest tier), scaling up to $64,220 for the highest tier (1 billion+ lbs, including the flat refinery rate). A $96 initial permit processing fee applies to newly regulated businesses or ownership changes. Incident-response fees for non-regulated-entity responses are $365 per hour per staff member during business hours and $404 per hour per staff member after hours.

Hazardous Waste Generator (HWG) Program Fee: Tiered by annual waste volume: Very Small Quantity Generator (under 1.3 tons/year) = $200, scaling up to $40,195 for 2,000 or more tons/year.

UST / APSA Program Fees: Underground Storage Tank (UST) and Aboveground Petroleum Storage Act (APSA) program fees are tiered by tank category and storage capacity on the same adopted fee exhibit (Resolution No. 2024-293, Exhibit 1) that sets the HMBP and Hazardous Waste Generator fees above. Contact CCCFPD's CUPA program for the current dollar figure for a specific tank count or capacity.

Building Permit — Plan Review & Permit Review/Processing: Plan Review fee, by improvement value (seven tiers): up to $2,000 = $49 + $8.94 per $1,000 above $2,000; $25,000 = $254 + $6.44 per $1,000 above $25,000; $50,000 = $415 + $4.47 per $1,000 above $50,000; $100,000 = $639 + $5.30 per $1,000 above $100,000; $500,000 = $2,758 + $5.52 per $1,000 above $500,000; $1,000,000 = $5,516 + $3.79 per $1,000 above $1,000,000; $5,000,000 = $20,685 + $5.52 per $1,000 above $5,000,000. A separate, lower-scaled Permit Review and Processing fee runs on the same valuation bands, starting at $19 + $3.44 per $1,000 above $2,000.

The other 2 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Contra Costa County permits page and the CA state page.

Which offices issue these permits in Contra Costa County?

Permits for a auto repair shop in Contra Costa County, CA come from 6 separate offices: Contra Costa County Fire Protection District, Hazardous Materials Programs (Certified Unified Program Agency), Contra Costa County Treasurer-Tax Collector, Business License Tax Division, Contra Costa County Department of Conservation and Development, California Secretary of State, Business Programs Division, California Department of Tax and Fee Administration, California Franchise Tax Board. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.

What does a auto repair shop need in Contra Costa County that other businesses do not?

Hazardous Waste Generator (HWG) Program Fee

A business generating hazardous waste — an auto-repair shop disposing of waste oil, antifreeze or solvents, a veterinary clinic disposing of sharps or pharmaceutical waste in volume, or a salon disposing of spent chemicals in volume — registers as a hazardous waste generator with CCCFPD, the same agency that administers the HMBP program above, since CCCFPD is the county's sole CUPA rather than one of several city-level agencies. The fee tier is set by annual waste volume, from the Very Small Quantity Generator rate up to the largest-volume tier.

Shared with other businesses in Contra Costa County

  • Hazardous Materials Business Plan (HMBP) Annual Permit — Contra Costa County Fire Protection District, Hazardous Materials Programs (Certified Unified Program Agency), Tiered by chemical inventory: under 1,000 lbs = $421 (lowest tier), scaling up to $64,220 for the highest tier (1 billion+ lbs, including the flat refinery rate). A $96 initial permit processing fee applies to newly regulated businesses or ownership changes. Incident-response fees for non-regulated-entity responses are $365 per hour per staff member during business hours and $404 per hour per staff member after hours., annual, fiscal year July 1 - June 30. Also required for restaurants, coffee shops, veterinary clinics, salons and barbers and contractors and trades; what it involves is set out on the contractors and trades page.
  • UST / APSA Program Fees — Contra Costa County Fire Protection District, Hazardous Materials Programs (Certified Unified Program Agency), Underground Storage Tank (UST) and Aboveground Petroleum Storage Act (APSA) program fees are tiered by tank category and storage capacity on the same adopted fee exhibit (Resolution No. 2024-293, Exhibit 1) that sets the HMBP and Hazardous Waste Generator fees above. Contact CCCFPD's CUPA program for the current dollar figure for a specific tank count or capacity., annual (UST permit); per facility (APSA permit). Also required for contractors and trades; what it involves is set out on the contractors and trades page.
  • Building Permit — Plan Review & Permit Review/Processing — Contra Costa County Department of Conservation and Development, Plan Review fee, by improvement value (seven tiers): up to $2,000 = $49 + $8.94 per $1,000 above $2,000; $25,000 = $254 + $6.44 per $1,000 above $25,000; $50,000 = $415 + $4.47 per $1,000 above $50,000; $100,000 = $639 + $5.30 per $1,000 above $100,000; $500,000 = $2,758 + $5.52 per $1,000 above $500,000; $1,000,000 = $5,516 + $3.79 per $1,000 above $1,000,000; $5,000,000 = $20,685 + $5.52 per $1,000 above $5,000,000. A separate, lower-scaled Permit Review and Processing fee runs on the same valuation bands, starting at $19 + $3.44 per $1,000 above $2,000., per permit (one-time, project-based). Also required for contractors and trades, retail stores, restaurants, fitness studios, childcare centres and salons and barbers; what it involves is set out on the contractors and trades page.

The other 1 local permit in the tables apply to every type of business in Contra Costa County, CA; what each one involves is set out on the Contra Costa County permits page. The 7 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across CA and are covered on the CA state page.

How does a auto repair shop compare with other businesses in Contra Costa County?

The closest match is a contractor or trade, which shares 3 of these permits. A auto repair shop also needs Hazardous Waste Generator (HWG) Program Fee. A contractor or trade needs Land Use Permit (General/"Other" category) and Contractor License, which a auto repair shop does not.

Permits particular to each business type in Contra Costa County, CA, compared with a auto repair shop
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a auto repair shopOnly a auto repair shop needsOnly it needs
Contractors and trades5312
Salons and barbers5312
Veterinary clinics4222
Restaurants7225
Childcare centres2131
Fitness studios2131
Coffee shops5134
Retail stores5134
Food trucks4044

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 contractors and trades page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Contra Costa County permits page and the CA state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.

  1. Resolution No. 2024-293, Exhibit 1 — CUPA/Hazardous Materials Program Fee ScheduleContra Costa County Board of Supervisors · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-02
  2. Unified Program Regulator Directory — Contra Costa record (Contra Costa Fire Protection District)California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-02
  3. Hazardous Materials ProgramsContra Costa County Fire Protection District · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-02
  4. Board Resolution No. 2024-293 — CUPA/Hazardous Materials Program Fee Schedule AdoptionContra Costa County Board of Supervisors · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-02

Related

Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.