Commercial Compliance Hub
Check requirements

17 permits · verified 2026-09-27

What permits do you need to open a contractor or trade in Los Angeles County?

In short

A contractor or trade in Los Angeles County, CA has 2 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 15 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Los Angeles County Department of Public Works, Building and Safety Division charges $244.88 one-time, per demolition inspection (FY2026-27; was $229.93 in the FY2024-25 archived schedule) for the demolition inspection fee. 9 of the 17 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-09-27 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.

Permits particular to a contractor or trade in Los Angeles County

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Aboveground Petroleum Storage Act (APSA) Permitonly if it applies to youLos Angeles County Fire Department / Consolidated Fire Protection District, acting as the county's Certified Unified Program Agency (CUPA)$348–$21,080 annual Aboveground Petroleum Storage Act (APSA) fee, by total facility tank storage capacity (FY2026-27)annual2026-09-27
Hazardous Materials Business Plan / Handler / Generator Permit (CUPA)only if it applies to youLos Angeles County Fire Department / Consolidated Fire Protection District, acting as the county's Certified Unified Program Agency (CUPA)Annual fees under the Unified Program (FY2026-27): Hazardous Material Handler — Small Quantity Handler $437, Minor $633, Moderate $810, Major $1,120, Major-Large Volume $1,595, Major-Complex $2,462; Hazardous Waste Generator, by employee count, $528-$5,126; Tiered Permit — Conditionally Exempt $338, Conditionally Authorized $2,252, Permit by Rule $3,266.annual2026-09-27
County Business License — Title 7 Category List (veterinary, child care, contractor, plain retail)only if it applies to youLos Angeles County Treasurer and Tax Collector, Business License SectionNo feenot applicable2026-09-27
Contractor LicenseContractors State License Board$450 original application for one classification, then an initial license fee of $200 for a sole owner or $350 otherwise. Renewal every two years is $450 sole owner or $700 otherwise, with C-10 electrical contractors paying $20 more at each tier2 years2026-09-03

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

Local permits that apply to every type of business in Los Angeles County

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Site Plan Review, Ministerial (Commercial & Industrial)only if it applies to youLos Angeles County Department of Regional PlanningVaries — formula on the Los Angeles County pageone-time2026-09-27
Change-of-Use / Occupancy Inspection Feeonly if it applies to youLos Angeles County Department of Public Works, Building and Safety DivisionVaries — formula on the Los Angeles County pageone-time, per inspection2026-09-27
On-Site Business Sign Plan Reviewonly if it applies to youLos Angeles County Department of Regional PlanningVaries — formula on the Los Angeles County pageone-time2026-09-27
Commercial Building Permit / Plan Checkonly if it applies to youLos Angeles County Department of Public Works, Building and Safety DivisionVaries — formula on the Los Angeles County pageper project2026-09-27
Demolition Inspection Feeonly if it applies to youLos Angeles County Department of Public Works, Building and Safety Division$244.88 one-time, per demolition inspection (FY2026-27; was $229.93 in the FY2024-25 archived schedule)one-time, per inspection2026-09-27
Fictitious Business Name (DBA) Statementonly if it applies to youLos Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County ClerkVaries — formula on the Los Angeles County pagenot stated in the sources retrieved2026-09-27

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 contractor or trade in Los Angeles County?

There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 17 records listed for a contractor or trade in Los Angeles County, CA, 2 apply to every business of this type and 15 are conditional. Adding every fee on the page together would overstate what most operators pay, because it would include permits they never need.

9 of the 17 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 2 have no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:

Aboveground Petroleum Storage Act (APSA) Permit: $348–$21,080 annual Aboveground Petroleum Storage Act (APSA) fee, by total facility tank storage capacity (FY2026-27)

Hazardous Materials Business Plan / Handler / Generator Permit (CUPA): Annual fees under the Unified Program (FY2026-27): Hazardous Material Handler — Small Quantity Handler $437, Minor $633, Moderate $810, Major $1,120, Major-Large Volume $1,595, Major-Complex $2,462; Hazardous Waste Generator, by employee count, $528-$5,126; Tiered Permit — Conditionally Exempt $338, Conditionally Authorized $2,252, Permit by Rule $3,266.

Contractor License: $450 original application for one classification, then an initial license fee of $200 for a sole owner or $350 otherwise. Renewal every two years is $450 sole owner or $700 otherwise, with C-10 electrical contractors paying $20 more at each tier

The other 6 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Los Angeles County permits page and the CA state page.

Which offices issue these permits in Los Angeles County?

Permits for a contractor or trade in Los Angeles County, CA come from 9 separate offices: Los Angeles County Fire Department / Consolidated Fire Protection District, acting as the county's Certified Unified Program Agency (CUPA), Los Angeles County Department of Regional Planning, Los Angeles County Department of Public Works, Building and Safety Division, Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk, Los Angeles County Treasurer and Tax Collector, Business License Section, California Secretary of State, Business Programs Division, California Department of Tax and Fee Administration, California Franchise Tax Board, Contractors State License Board. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.

What does a contractor or trade need in Los Angeles County that other businesses do not?

1 of the 4 permits particular to a contractor or trade here applies to no other business type we cover in Los Angeles County: Contractor License.

Aboveground Petroleum Storage Act (APSA) Permit

An auto repair shop or contractor's yard with aboveground petroleum storage tanks above the state's regulatory threshold needs an annual Aboveground Petroleum Storage Act (APSA) authorization from LA County Fire as CUPA, within Fire's jurisdiction (the unincorporated area, 59 contract cities and La Habra by contract). The FY2026-27 fee scales with total facility tank storage capacity, from $348 at the smallest tier up to $21,080 for the largest facilities. Inside a city running its own fire department, that city's CUPA program applies instead.

Contractor License

The fees are the small part. Every licensee must carry a $25,000 contractor's bond, raised from $15,000 by Senate Bill 607 with effect from 1 January 2023. Two more bonds can stack on top: a $25,000 Bond of Qualifying Individual where the license is qualified by a responsible managing employee, or by a responsible managing officer who does not own at least 10 per cent of the voting stock; and, for an LLC license, a further $100,000 surety bond for the benefit of employees for unpaid wages. An LLC contractor therefore carries $125,000 of bonding before it starts. Fingerprinting is paid separately to the Live Scan operator — $32 to the Department of Justice and $17 to the FBI, plus a rolling fee CSLB does not set. An inactive license needs no contractor's bond while it stays inactive.

Shared with other businesses in Los Angeles County

  • Hazardous Materials Business Plan / Handler / Generator Permit (CUPA) — Los Angeles County Fire Department / Consolidated Fire Protection District, acting as the county's Certified Unified Program Agency (CUPA), Annual fees under the Unified Program (FY2026-27): Hazardous Material Handler — Small Quantity Handler $437, Minor $633, Moderate $810, Major $1,120, Major-Large Volume $1,595, Major-Complex $2,462; Hazardous Waste Generator, by employee count, $528-$5,126; Tiered Permit — Conditionally Exempt $338, Conditionally Authorized $2,252, Permit by Rule $3,266., annual. Also required for auto repair shops, restaurants, food trucks and veterinary clinics; what it involves is set out on the auto repair shops page.
  • County Business License — Title 7 Category List (veterinary, child care, contractor, plain retail) — Los Angeles County Treasurer and Tax Collector, Business License Section, No fee, not applicable. Also required for veterinary clinics, childcare centres and retail stores; what it involves is set out on the veterinary clinics page.

The other 6 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Los Angeles County, CA; what each one involves is set out on the Los Angeles 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 contractor or trade compare with other businesses in Los Angeles County?

The closest match is a auto repair shop, which shares 2 of these permits. A contractor or trade also needs County Business License — Title 7 Category List (veterinary, child care, contractor, plain retail) and Contractor License. A auto repair shop needs County Business License — Regulated Categories (Restaurant, Motor Vehicle Repair, Massage/Body Art, Health Spa), which a contractor or trade does not.

Permits particular to each business type in Los Angeles County, CA, compared with a contractor or trade
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a contractor or tradeOnly a contractor or trade needsOnly it needs
Auto repair shops3221
Veterinary clinics10228
Childcare centres7136
Retail stores9138
Food trucks111310
Restaurants111310
Coffee shops100410
Fitness studios6046
Salons and barbers4044

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 auto repair shops page and veterinary clinics page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Los Angeles County permits page and the CA state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.

  1. Permits and Fees, including the Unified Program (CUPA) hazardous-materials fee schedule, FY2026-27LA County Fire Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-27
  2. About Us (jurisdiction: unincorporated area, 59 contract cities and La Habra by contract, 60 cities total)LA County Fire Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-27
  3. Contractors State License Board — schedule of feesContractors State License Board · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
  4. California Business and Professions Code section 7071.6 — $25,000 contractor's bond, raised by Senate Bill 607 with effect from 1 January 2023California Legislative Information · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03

Related

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