9 published records
Business licenses and permits in Marin County, California
Marin County, California; population 256,400 (U.S. Census Bureau vintage-2024 county estimate). The County Public Works jurisdiction page states that 'Marin County is comprised of 11 incorporated town and city jurisdictions, while the 456.89 square miles of unincorporated area are under the jurisdiction of the County of Marin.' The cities and towns it lists are Belvedere, Corte Madera, Fairfax, Larkspur, Mill Valley, Novato, Ross, San Anselmo, San Rafael, Sausalito and Tiburon; each runs its own business licensing and building permits, which stack on the county records here. The Department of Finance, Central Collections, collects the Business License Tax from businesses in the unincorporated area (County Code Chapter 5.54), and the Community Development Agency's Building and Safety division issues building permits there. The Community Development Agency's Environmental Health Services issues food facility, mobile food, temporary food, public pool and body art permits; its food program page states: 'We permit all retail food businesses in the County of Marin.' The Department of Agriculture, Weights and Measures registers commercial weighing and measuring devices (Chapter 5.44) and point-of-sale systems used in retail commodity sales (Chapter 5.45). Alcohol licenses are issued by the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control.
What are you opening in Marin 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 Marin County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Building Permit — unincorporated Marin Countyonly if it applies to you | County of Marin Community Development Agency, Building and Safety | No fee table is published in the text of the Building and Safety page; contact Building and Safety (415-473-6550) or use its 'Estimate your building permit costs' guidance for the fee on a specific project. | Per project | 2026-10-24 |
| Business License (Business License Tax) — unincorporated Marin County | County of Marin Department of Finance, Central Collections — Business Licenses | Annual tax by gross receipts and class, per County Code §5.54.120. Class A: $0–7,500 $15; $7,501–15,000 $30; $15,001–25,000 $45; $25,001–50,000 $60; $50,001–100,000 $100; $100,001–250,000 $150; $250,001–500,000 $300; $500,001–750,000 $450; $750,001–1,000,000 $600; $1,000,001–2,000,000 $800; $2,000,001–3,000,000 $1,000; $3,000,001–4,000,000 $1,200; $4,000,001–5,000,000 $1,400; $5,000,001–10,000,000 $2,000; $10,000,001–25,000,000 $3,000; $25,000,001 and up $3,000 + .01%. Class B: $22.50; $45; $67.50; $90; $150; $200; $385; $562.50; $750; $1,000; $1,250; $1,500; $1,750; $2,500; $3,750; $3,750 + .01%. Class C: $22.50; $60; $90; $120; $200; $300; $450; $675; $900; $1,200; $1,500; $1,500; $2,100; $3,000; $4,500; $4,500 + .01%. Class D: $30; $30; $30; $50; $75; $100; $100; $150; $150; $200; $300; $400; $500; $700; $1,500; $2,000 + .01% (Classes B–D follow the same sixteen gross-receipts tiers as Class A, in order). A separate license is required for each branch, location or type of business; a business using one integrated set of books may pay one tax on all receipts plus $5 for each additional branch, location or type (§5.54.090). A new business pays 100%, 75%, 50% or 25% of the tax depending on the quarter in which it starts (§5.54.160(b)). The Department of Finance's Business License page states: "California State Mandated Fee is required for new business license applications and renewals; the fee is $4.00." | Annual (fiscal year); due and payable in advance on July 1 (County Code §5.54.160(a)); the Department of Finance's tax schedule page states the tax is delinquent on August 1 | 2026-10-24 |
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 Marin County?
Building Permit — unincorporated Marin County
New construction, a tenant improvement or a remodel of business premises in unincorporated Marin County needs a building permit from the Community Development Agency's Building and Safety division, 3501 Civic Center Drive, Suite 308, San Rafael. The Building and Safety page states that 'Most construction projects require a building permit' and that the process begins by completing the Part A Application and the Submittal Checklist through the division's online portal. The County Public Works jurisdiction page states that the 456.89 square miles of unincorporated area are under the jurisdiction of the County of Marin; inside any of the 11 incorporated cities and towns, that city's or town's own building department issues the permit instead.
Business License (Business License Tax) — unincorporated Marin County
County Code §5.54.020(b) makes it unlawful to carry on any business in the unincorporated area of Marin County without first obtaining a valid license and paying the license tax. §5.54.030 states that the chapter is 'enacted solely to raise revenue for general governmental purposes' and 'is not intended to license or tax for regulation.' A business inside one of the 11 incorporated cities and towns is outside this tax and follows that city's or town's own business licensing. The tier amounts above are copied from §5.54.120 of the Municode version of May 29, 2026. The code's class lists place 'Automobile repair and services', 'Construction—General and special contractors and operative' and 'Retail trade' in Class A, 'Beauty shops, barbers, hairstylists' in Class B and 'Medical and health services' in Class C. The code does not name restaurants or veterinary practices; the Department of Finance's Business License Tax Schedule page (updated August 17, 2026) places 'Restaurants/Catering' in Class B, 'Veterinary services' in Class C and 'All business not specifically listed elsewhere' in Class B, and under §5.54.150 the collector assigns an unlisted business the classification it finds most nearly comparable. For the Class B tier of $100,001 to $250,000 this record follows the code's $200. Under §5.54.190 no license is required of a nonprofit organization whose receipts are wholly for its own benefit, and under §5.54.200 none is required of a person drawing social security benefits whose gross receipts do not exceed the limit in 42 U.S.C. §403(f)(3), or of minors and adults over 65 with gross receipts under $2,000 a year. Apply through the Department of Finance's online Business License Application.
Sources
Every figure in the table above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- Building and SafetyCounty of Marin Community Development Agency · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-24
- What jurisdiction do you live in?County of Marin Department of Public Works · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-24
- Marin County Code, Chapter 5.54 — Business LicensesCounty of Marin / Municode · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-24
- Business License Tax ScheduleCounty of Marin Department of Finance · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-24
- Business LicenseCounty of Marin Department of Finance · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-24
Who issues business permits in Marin County?
Permitting in Marin 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.
Marin County issuing agencies
- County of Marin Community Development Agency, Environmental Health ServicesRetail food facility, mobile food facility and temporary food facility permits (County Code Chapter 7.24); the food program page states: "We permit all retail food businesses in the County of Marin." · Public swimming pool operating permits (Chapter 7.40) and body art facility permits and practitioner registrations (Chapter 7.26)5 permits
- County of Marin Department of Agriculture, Weights and MeasuresWeighing and measuring device registration (County Code Chapter 5.44) and point-of-sale system registration for retail commodity sales (Chapter 5.45)2 permits
- County of Marin Community Development Agency, Building and SafetyBuilding permits and inspections — unincorporated Marin County1 permit
- County of Marin Department of Finance, Central Collections — Business LicensesBusiness License Tax registration and annual renewal — unincorporated Marin County (County Code Chapter 5.54)1 permit
Other California 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.