10 permits · verified 2026-10-02
What permits do you need to open a auto repair shop in Kern County?
In short
A auto repair shop in Kern County, CA has 1 permit that applies to every business of this type, plus 9 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Kern County Planning and Natural Resources Department charges $1,352 one-time per application (code PIM-003), per the Land Development Services Fee Schedule effective 1/1/2025 for the zone variance. 3 of the 10 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 Kern County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hazardous Materials Business Plan / CUPA Programonly if it applies to you | Kern County Public Health Services Department, Environmental Health Services Division | Application fee: $155.00 (code EH05). Hazardous waste generator: Small Quantity $210.00/yr (code CG07); Large Quantity $855.00/yr (code CG03). Business Plan fee, tiered by volume/frequency: $120.00 (small facility, triennial inspection, code CB1T) up to $7,075.00 (large facility, more than 5 units, annual inspection, code CB9A). Underground Storage Tank: Operating Permit $800.00/tank/yr (code CS00); Construction application $6,140.00 (code CS03); Modification $2,700.00 (code CS04). | annual (Business Plan, generator fee, UST Operating Permit); one-time per activity (UST Construction/Modification) | 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 Kern County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone Changeonly if it applies to you | Kern County Planning and Natural Resources Department | Varies — formula on the Kern County page | one-time per application | 2026-10-02 |
| Zone Varianceonly if it applies to you | Kern County Planning and Natural Resources Department | $1,352 one-time per application (code PIM-003), per the Land Development Services Fee Schedule effective 1/1/2025 | one-time per application | 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.
CA registrations that apply to every type of business
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Statement of Information (LLC)only if it applies to you | California Secretary of State, Business Programs Division | $20 per filing, biennial | biennial | 2026-09-03 |
| Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to you | California Secretary of State, Business Programs Division | $70 one-time filing | no expiry, but a Statement of Information is due biennially | 2026-09-03 |
| Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | California Secretary of State, Business Programs Division | $100 one-time filing | no expiry, but a Statement of Information is due annually | 2026-09-03 |
| Statement of Information (Corporation)only if it applies to you | California Secretary of State, Business Programs Division | $25 per filing, annual | annual | 2026-09-03 |
| Seller's Permitonly if it applies to you | California Department of Tax and Fee Administration | No fee — no fee to apply | no expiry while actively engaged in business as a seller | 2026-09-03 |
| Annual LLC Tax and Minimum Franchise Taxonly if it applies to you | California Franchise Tax Board | Varies — formula on the CA page | annual, until the entity is cancelled | 2026-09-03 |
| General Business License — California position (city or county, not state) | California Secretary of State, Business Programs Division | No fee | set by the issuing city or county | 2026-09-03 |
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 Kern County?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 10 records listed for a auto repair shop in Kern County, CA, 1 apply to every business of this type and 9 are conditional. Adding every fee on the page together would overstate what most operators pay, because it would include permits they never need.
3 of the 10 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 / CUPA Program: Application fee: $155.00 (code EH05). Hazardous waste generator: Small Quantity $210.00/yr (code CG07); Large Quantity $855.00/yr (code CG03). Business Plan fee, tiered by volume/frequency: $120.00 (small facility, triennial inspection, code CB1T) up to $7,075.00 (large facility, more than 5 units, annual inspection, code CB9A). Underground Storage Tank: Operating Permit $800.00/tank/yr (code CS00); Construction application $6,140.00 (code CS03); Modification $2,700.00 (code CS04).
The other 2 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Kern County permits page and the CA state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Kern County?
Permits for a auto repair shop in Kern County, CA come from 5 separate offices: Kern County Planning and Natural Resources Department, Kern County Public Health Services Department, Environmental Health Services Division, 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.
- Kern County Planning and Natural Resources DepartmentIssues 2 permits on this page: Zone Change, Zone Variancekernpublicworks.com/home/showpublisheddocument/10722/638501517416500000
- Kern County Public Health Services Department, Environmental Health Services DivisionIssues 1 permit on this page: Hazardous Materials Business Plan / CUPA Programwww.kernpublichealth.com/environmental-health/environmental-health-fees
- California Secretary of State, Business Programs DivisionIssues 5 permits on this page, including Statement of Information (LLC), Articles of Organization (LLC), Articles of Incorporation(916) 657-5448bizfileonline.sos.ca.gov
- California Department of Tax and Fee AdministrationIssues 1 permit on this page: Seller's Permitonlineservices.cdtfa.ca.gov
- California Franchise Tax BoardIssues 1 permit on this page: Annual LLC Tax and Minimum Franchise Taxwww.ftb.ca.gov
What does a auto repair shop need in Kern County that other businesses do not?
1 of the 1 permit particular to a auto repair shop here applies to no other business type we cover in Kern County: Hazardous Materials Business Plan / CUPA Program.
Hazardous Materials Business Plan / CUPA Program
Kern County Public Health Services/Environmental Health is Kern County's Certified Unified Program Agency (CUPA), an assignment independently corroborated by CalEPA's own CUPA program materials rather than resting on Kern County's self-description alone. An auto-repair shop storing or handling solvents, used oil, refrigerants or parts-washer chemicals above the applicable threshold must file a Hazardous Materials Business Plan, pay the $155.00 application fee (code EH05), and pay the tiered Business Plan fee, which ranges from $120.00 for a small facility on a triennial inspection cycle up to $7,075.00 for a large facility with more than 5 reportable units on an annual inspection cycle. A shop generating hazardous waste additionally pays the generator fee — $210.00/yr for a Small Quantity Generator or $855.00/yr for a Large Quantity Generator — and a shop with an underground storage tank pays $800.00/tank/yr for the Operating Permit, $6,140.00 for a Construction application, or $2,700.00 for a Modification, all per the Hazardous Materials Fees schedule's current, July 1, 2026 figures. This program reaches a qualifying business countywide, including every incorporated city, the same scope as EHS's food program above.
The other 2 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Kern County, CA; what each one involves is set out on the Kern 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 Kern County?
The closest match is a childcare centre, which shares 0 of these permits. A auto repair shop also needs Hazardous Materials Business Plan / CUPA Program. A childcare centre needs Large Family Day Care Home Permit and Child Care Centre License, which a auto repair shop does not.
| Business | Its own permits | Shared with a auto repair shop | Only a auto repair shop needs | Only it needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Childcare centres | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Coffee shops | 6 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| Contractors and trades | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Fitness studios | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Food trucks | 4 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| Restaurants | 6 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| Retail stores | 5 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Salons and barbers | 5 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Veterinary clinics | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
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 that apply to every type of business are listed on the Kern County permits page and the CA state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- Hazardous Materials Fees schedule (Business Plan, hazardous waste generator, Underground Storage Tank), Published Time July 1, 2026Kern County Public Health Services Department, Environmental Health Services Division · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-02
- CUPA program contacts and materials — identifies Kern County Public Health Services/Environmental Health as Kern County's Certified Unified Program AgencyCalifornia Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) · 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.