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20 permits · verified 2026-09-27

What permits do you need to open a retail store in San Bernardino County?

In short

A retail store in San Bernardino County, CA has 6 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 14 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. San Bernardino County Land Use Services Department, Code Enforcement Division charges $356 flat — the County Fee Ordinance does not distinguish an initial application fee from a renewal fee for the peddler and secondhand dealer license. 9 of the 20 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 retail store in San Bernardino County

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Liquor License — State ABC License; County Planning Review Fee Applies (San Bernardino County)only if it applies to youSan Bernardino County Clerk of the Board of SupervisorsNo feenot applicable at the county level — the license itself is issued and renewed by the state2026-09-27
Peddler and Secondhand Dealer Licenseonly if it applies to youSan Bernardino County Land Use Services Department, Code Enforcement Division$356 flat — the County Fee Ordinance does not distinguish an initial application fee from a renewal feenot stated in the County Fee Ordinance whether this is a one-time or a recurring fee2026-09-27
Retail Food Facility Health Permit — Convenience Store / Prepackaged Retail Foodonly if it applies to youSan Bernardino County Department of Public Health, Division of Environmental Health ServicesConvenience Store (limited hot/prepared items), annual, by square footage: 0-499 sf $521, 500-2,499 sf $590, 2,500+ sf $643; a 6-month version exists at $261/$295/$322. Prepackaged Retail (food sold only prepackaged, no on-site prep), annual only: 0-499 sf $348, 500-2,499 sf $383, 2,500+ sf $468.annual; the Convenience Store category also has a 6-month option, the Prepackaged category does not2026-09-27
Retail Food Plan CheckSan Bernardino County Department of Public Health, Division of Environmental Health Services$792–$1,845 one-time per project, ranging $792 to $1,845 depending on facility type, square footage and whether the project is new construction, a major or minor remodel, or a plan changeone-time, per project2026-09-27
Food Facility PermitCalifornia Department of Public Health, Food and Drug BranchNo feeset by the local enforcement agency2026-09-03
Food Handler CardCalifornia Department of Public Health, Food and Drug Branch$15 statutory maximum for at least one accredited course3 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 San Bernardino County

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Sign Permit — Building & Safety Construction Feeonly if it applies to youSan Bernardino County Land Use Services Department, Building & Safety DivisionVaries — formula on the San Bernardino County pageone-time, per sign2026-09-27
Home Occupation Permitonly if it applies to youSan Bernardino County Land Use Services Department, Code Enforcement DivisionVaries — formula on the San Bernardino County pagebiennial renewal2026-09-27
Sign Permit — Planning Division Land-Use Reviewonly if it applies to youSan Bernardino County Land Use Services Department, Planning DivisionVaries — formula on the San Bernardino County pageone-time per sign or sign location plan2026-09-27
Commercial Building Permit (Valuation-Based Fee)San Bernardino County Land Use Services Department, Building & Safety DivisionVaries — formula on the San Bernardino County pageone-time, per project2026-09-27
On-Site Wastewater (Septic) and Well Construction Permitsonly if it applies to youSan Bernardino County Department of Public Health, Division of Environmental Health ServicesVaries — formula on the San Bernardino County pagevaries — most fees are one-time per project; the DMA Individual Septic System Permit is biennial2026-09-27
Annual Fire Code Inspection / Operational PermitSan Bernardino County Fire Protection DistrictVaries — formula on the San Bernardino County pageannual2026-09-27
General Business License — San Bernardino County positiononly if it applies to youSan Bernardino County Clerk of the Board of SupervisorsNo feenot applicable — per the Clerk of the Board, the County does not issue a business license covering the entire County2026-09-27

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 retail store in San Bernardino County?

There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 20 records listed for a retail store in San Bernardino County, CA, 6 apply to every business of this type and 14 are conditional. Adding every fee on the page together would overstate what most operators pay, because it would include permits they never need.

Of the 6 that always apply, 1 carry a flat fee, coming to $15.00. That is a floor, not a total. 9 of the 20 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 4 have no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:

Retail Food Facility Health Permit — Convenience Store / Prepackaged Retail Food: Convenience Store (limited hot/prepared items), annual, by square footage: 0-499 sf $521, 500-2,499 sf $590, 2,500+ sf $643; a 6-month version exists at $261/$295/$322. Prepackaged Retail (food sold only prepackaged, no on-site prep), annual only: 0-499 sf $348, 500-2,499 sf $383, 2,500+ sf $468.

Retail Food Plan Check: $792–$1,845 one-time per project, ranging $792 to $1,845 depending on facility type, square footage and whether the project is new construction, a major or minor remodel, or a plan change

The other 7 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the San Bernardino County permits page and the CA state page.

Which offices issue these permits in San Bernardino County?

Permits for a retail store in San Bernardino County, CA come from 10 separate offices: San Bernardino County Land Use Services Department, Building & Safety Division, San Bernardino County Clerk of the Board of Supervisors, San Bernardino County Land Use Services Department, Code Enforcement Division, San Bernardino County Land Use Services Department, Planning Division, San Bernardino County Department of Public Health, Division of Environmental Health Services, San Bernardino County Fire Protection District, California Department of Public Health, Food and Drug Branch, 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 retail store need in San Bernardino County that other businesses do not?

2 of the 6 permits particular to a retail store here apply to no other business type we cover in San Bernardino County: Peddler and Secondhand Dealer License and Retail Food Facility Health Permit — Convenience Store / Prepackaged Retail Food.

Peddler and Secondhand Dealer License

Required only if a retail-store business model fits the County Code's 'peddler' or 'secondhand dealer' definition — for example a pawn shop, thrift store or used-goods reseller — not an ordinary new-goods retail store. The unincorporated-area license costs $356.00 under the County Fee Ordinance effective July 1, 2026, the same figure as in the FY 2025-26 schedule. The fee ordinance does not define 'secondhand dealer'; that definition sits in the County Code's business-licensing titles and settles precisely which retail business models this reaches. Treat any retail-store model built substantially around buying and reselling used goods as at risk of needing this license, and confirm the definition with LUS Code Enforcement, (909) 884-4056, before assuming it does or does not apply. This license, like every Code Enforcement Division product recorded for the County, applies only in the unincorporated area — incorporated cities run their own peddler/secondhand ordinances.

Retail Food Facility Health Permit — Convenience Store / Prepackaged Retail Food

Only applies to a retail store that sells any food or beverage — an ordinary retail store with no food or drink sales needs no EHS permit at all. A store selling packaged food plus some limited hot or prepared items (for example a convenience store) is priced by square footage: $521/$590/$643 a year for 0-499/500-2,499/2,500-plus square feet, with a 6-month option at $261/$295/$322. A store selling only fully prepackaged food with no on-site preparation is priced lower: $348/$383/$468 a year by the same square-footage bands, with no 6-month option shown in the current fee schedule (Data Date 6/30/2026). Plan review is a separate one-time fee (see the Retail Food Plan Check requirement).

Food Facility Permit

California writes one statewide standard and delegates the permit. No food facility may open without one, but section 114381(d) puts the price in local hands: any fee "shall be determined by the local governing body" and may only cover the actual cost of enforcement. So there is a statewide RULE and no statewide FEE — no amount is recorded here because the state sets none. The figure that applies to you is your county environmental health department's, and it varies widely between counties. The permit is non-transferable, tied to the specific person, location and activity, and must be displayed. Cottage food operations, child day care facilities and community care facilities sit outside the definition of a food facility.

Shared with other businesses in San Bernardino County

  • Liquor License — State ABC License; County Planning Review Fee Applies (San Bernardino County) — San Bernardino County Clerk of the Board of Supervisors, No fee, not applicable at the county level — the license itself is issued and renewed by the state. Also required for restaurants and coffee shops; what it involves is set out on the restaurants page.
  • Retail Food Plan Check — San Bernardino County Department of Public Health, Division of Environmental Health Services, $792–$1,845 one-time per project, ranging $792 to $1,845 depending on facility type, square footage and whether the project is new construction, a major or minor remodel, or a plan change, one-time, per project. Also required for restaurants and coffee shops; what it involves is set out on the restaurants page.
  • Food Handler Card — California Department of Public Health, Food and Drug Branch, $15 statutory maximum for at least one accredited course, 3 years. Also required for restaurants, coffee shops and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the food trucks page.

The other 7 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in San Bernardino County, CA; what each one involves is set out on the San Bernardino 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 retail store compare with other businesses in San Bernardino County?

The closest match is a restaurant, which shares 4 of these permits. A retail store also needs Peddler and Secondhand Dealer License and Retail Food Facility Health Permit — Convenience Store / Prepackaged Retail Food. A restaurant needs Environmental Health Services Referral Fee (component of a CUP/MUP/Tentative Tract application), Retail Food Facility Health Permit — Public Eating Place, Temporary Food Facility (TFF) Permit and Conditional Use Permit / Minor Use Permit (Planning Division Entitlement), which a retail store does not.

Permits particular to each business type in San Bernardino County, CA, compared with a retail store
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a retail storeOnly a retail store needsOnly it needs
Restaurants8424
Coffee shops10426
Food trucks5243
Auto repair shops3063
Childcare centres5065
Contractors and trades1061
Fitness studios2062
Salons and barbers1061
Veterinary clinics5065

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 restaurants page and food trucks page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the San Bernardino County permits page and the CA state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.

  1. County Fee Ordinance FY 2026-27 (effective July 1, 2026), County Code §16.0215C Code Enforcement fees — Peddler and Secondhand Dealer licence, Home Occupation Permit and Private Kennel permit feesSan Bernardino County Land Use Services Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-08
  2. Environmental Health Services Fee Schedule (Data Date 6/30/2026) — food, mobile food, temporary food, medical waste, land-use referral and OWTS/well feesSan Bernardino County Department of Public Health, Environmental Health Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-08
  3. California Health and Safety Code section 114381 — food facility permit required, fee determined by the local governing bodyCalifornia 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.