14 permits · verified 2026-10-13
What permits do you need to open a retail store in Tulare County?
In short
A retail store in Tulare County, CA has 4 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 10 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 14 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-13 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a retail store in Tulare County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peddler / Itinerant Vendor Business License (unincorporated area)only if it applies to you | Tulare County Auditor-Controller/Treasurer-Tax Collector, Business License Unit | County: business-license application $52.00 (all business-license applications); Peddler, Hawker, Itinerant Vendor annual license/renewal $50.00; $25.00 per vehicle. State: Government Code §4467(a)(2)(A) adds a state-mandated $4 fee to each local business license application and renewal (listed on the county schedule as 'State Mandate Fee $4.00'). | calendar year, January 1 to December 31 (Ordinance Code §6-01-1100) | 2026-10-13 |
| Weighing and Measuring Device Registrationonly if it applies to you | Tulare County Agricultural Commissioner/Sealer of Weights and Measures | County schedule: $120.00 per business location, plus per device — Computing Scale $25.00 per scale; Counter Scale $26.00 per scale; Retail Motor Fuel Meter $26.00 per meter; Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) $26.00 per EVSE; $1,200 cap per location for these device types. The schedule states the fees include the CDFA administrative fee held in trust for the State (Category 2: $2.20 per device for computing scales, counter scales and retail motor fuel meters; Category 1: $0.50 per EVSE; B&P §12241). | calendar year; each registration certificate expires December 31 of the year of issuance (Ordinance Code §6-05-9070) | 2026-10-13 |
| Food Facility Health Permit (restaurant / retail food) | Tulare County Health & Human Services Agency, Environmental Health Division | Restaurant: Low Risk $745; Moderate Risk $743; High Risk $867. Retail Facility: Low Risk $661; Moderate Risk $757; High Risk $1,031. Bakery $632; Deli $113; Fish/Meat Department $126; Additional Food Prep Operation $122; Walk-Up $653; Food Vending Machine $70. Plan Review – Retail Food Facility $122/hr. | one year from the date of issuance (Ordinance Code §4-19-1005) | 2026-10-13 |
| Food Facility Permit | California Department of Public Health, Food and Drug Branch | No fee | set by the local enforcement agency | 2026-09-03 |
| Food Handler Card | California Department of Public Health, Food and Drug Branch | $15 statutory maximum for at least one accredited course | 3 years | 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.
Local permits that apply to every type of business in Tulare County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Building Permit / Tenant Improvement (unincorporated area)only if it applies to you | Tulare County Resource Management Agency, Planning & Building | Varies — formula on the Tulare County page | per project (one-time) | 2026-10-13 |
| Special Use Permit / Administrative Special Use Permit / Temporary Use Permitonly if it applies to you | Tulare County Resource Management Agency, Planning & Building | Varies — formula on the Tulare County page | per application (one-time) | 2026-10-13 |
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 retail store in Tulare County?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 14 records listed for a retail store in Tulare County, CA, 4 apply to every business of this type and 10 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 4 that always apply, 1 carry a flat fee, coming to $15.00. That is a floor, not a total. 6 of the 14 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:
Peddler / Itinerant Vendor Business License (unincorporated area): County: business-license application $52.00 (all business-license applications); Peddler, Hawker, Itinerant Vendor annual license/renewal $50.00; $25.00 per vehicle. State: Government Code §4467(a)(2)(A) adds a state-mandated $4 fee to each local business license application and renewal (listed on the county schedule as 'State Mandate Fee $4.00').
Weighing and Measuring Device Registration: County schedule: $120.00 per business location, plus per device — Computing Scale $25.00 per scale; Counter Scale $26.00 per scale; Retail Motor Fuel Meter $26.00 per meter; Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) $26.00 per EVSE; $1,200 cap per location for these device types. The schedule states the fees include the CDFA administrative fee held in trust for the State (Category 2: $2.20 per device for computing scales, counter scales and retail motor fuel meters; Category 1: $0.50 per EVSE; B&P §12241).
Food Facility Health Permit (restaurant / retail food): Restaurant: Low Risk $745; Moderate Risk $743; High Risk $867. Retail Facility: Low Risk $661; Moderate Risk $757; High Risk $1,031. Bakery $632; Deli $113; Fish/Meat Department $126; Additional Food Prep Operation $122; Walk-Up $653; Food Vending Machine $70. Plan Review – Retail Food Facility $122/hr.
The other 3 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Tulare County permits page and the CA state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Tulare County?
Permits for a retail store in Tulare County, CA come from 8 separate offices: Tulare County Auditor-Controller/Treasurer-Tax Collector, Business License Unit, Tulare County Resource Management Agency, Planning & Building, Tulare County Agricultural Commissioner/Sealer of Weights and Measures, Tulare County Health & Human Services Agency, Environmental Health Division, 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.
- Tulare County Auditor-Controller/Treasurer-Tax Collector, Business License UnitIssues 1 permit on this page: Peddler / Itinerant Vendor Business License (unincorporated area)221 S. Mooney Blvd., Room 104-E, Visalia, CA 93291 · (559) 636-5250tularecounty.ca.gov/treasurertaxcollector/forms/business-license
- Tulare County Resource Management Agency, Planning & BuildingIssues 2 permits on this page: Commercial Building Permit / Tenant Improvement (unincorporated area), Special Use Permit / Administrative Special Use Permit / Temporary Use Permit5961 S. Mooney Blvd., Visalia, CA 93277 · (559) 624-7000tularecounty.ca.gov/rma/planning-building/building-department
- Tulare County Agricultural Commissioner/Sealer of Weights and MeasuresIssues 1 permit on this page: Weighing and Measuring Device Registrationagcomm.co.tulare.ca.us
- Tulare County Health & Human Services Agency, Environmental Health DivisionIssues 1 permit on this page: Food Facility Health Permit (restaurant / retail food)5957 S. Mooney Blvd., Visalia, CA 93277 · (559) 624-7400tularecountyeh.org/eh/our-services
- California Department of Public Health, Food and Drug BranchIssues 2 permits on this page: Food Facility Permit, Food Handler Cardwww.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CEH/DFDCS/Pages/FDBPrograms/FoodSafetyProgram/RetailFood.aspx
- 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 retail store need in Tulare County that other businesses do not?
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 Tulare County
- Peddler / Itinerant Vendor Business License (unincorporated area) — Tulare County Auditor-Controller/Treasurer-Tax Collector, Business License Unit, County: business-license application $52.00 (all business-license applications); Peddler, Hawker, Itinerant Vendor annual license/renewal $50.00; $25.00 per vehicle. State: Government Code §4467(a)(2)(A) adds a state-mandated $4 fee to each local business license application and renewal (listed on the county schedule as 'State Mandate Fee $4.00')., calendar year, January 1 to December 31 (Ordinance Code §6-01-1100). Also required for food trucks; what it involves is set out on the food trucks page.
- Weighing and Measuring Device Registration — Tulare County Agricultural Commissioner/Sealer of Weights and Measures, County schedule: $120.00 per business location, plus per device — Computing Scale $25.00 per scale; Counter Scale $26.00 per scale; Retail Motor Fuel Meter $26.00 per meter; Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) $26.00 per EVSE; $1,200 cap per location for these device types. The schedule states the fees include the CDFA administrative fee held in trust for the State (Category 2: $2.20 per device for computing scales, counter scales and retail motor fuel meters; Category 1: $0.50 per EVSE; B&P §12241)., calendar year; each registration certificate expires December 31 of the year of issuance (Ordinance Code §6-05-9070). Also required for coffee shops and auto repair shops; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
- Food Facility Health Permit (restaurant / retail food) — Tulare County Health & Human Services Agency, Environmental Health Division, Restaurant: Low Risk $745; Moderate Risk $743; High Risk $867. Retail Facility: Low Risk $661; Moderate Risk $757; High Risk $1,031. Bakery $632; Deli $113; Fish/Meat Department $126; Additional Food Prep Operation $122; Walk-Up $653; Food Vending Machine $70. Plan Review – Retail Food Facility $122/hr., one year from the date of issuance (Ordinance Code §4-19-1005). 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 2 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Tulare County, CA; what each one involves is set out on the Tulare 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 Tulare County?
The closest match is a coffee shop, which shares 4 of these permits. A retail store also needs Peddler / Itinerant Vendor Business License (unincorporated area). A coffee shop needs Temporary Food Facility, Event Organizer and Catering Permits, which a retail store does not.
| Business | Its own permits | Shared with a retail store | Only a retail store needs | Only it needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coffee shops | 5 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| Restaurants | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Food trucks | 6 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| Auto repair shops | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1 |
| Childcare centres | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 |
| Contractors and trades | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 |
| Fitness studios | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 |
| Salons and barbers | 2 | 0 | 5 | 2 |
| Veterinary clinics | 3 | 0 | 5 | 3 |
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 food trucks page, coffee shops page and restaurants page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Tulare County permits page and the CA state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- 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.