11 published records
Business licenses and permits in Adams County, Colorado
Adams County, Colorado, seat Brighton (Government Center, 4430 South Adams County Parkway); population 542,973 (U.S. Census Bureau 2024 estimate). The Adams County Health Department (ACHD) licenses retail food establishments, including food trucks and push carts, at the fees Colorado sets by statute (C.R.S. 25-4-1607(1.1), as enacted by SB25-285), and charges its own 2026 fees for special event food licenses, child care health inspections, pool and spa inspections and septic permits. The ACHD Retail Food page states: "All food establishments and businesses must be licensed to operate in Adams County." For unincorporated Adams County, the Community and Economic Development Department issues building, plumbing, mechanical and electrical permits, registers contractors and signs certificates of occupancy, and the Adams County local licensing authority approves liquor and fermented malt beverage licenses before they are filed with the state and issues the county public dance hall license. The county's Tax Information page states: "Other than liquor licenses, Adams County does not have a separate sales tax license. Since all collection and administration of the sales tax is the responsibility of the Colorado Department of Revenue, having a state sales tax license is sufficient for operating a business within Adams County." The county's Cities & Towns page lists the cities of Brighton, Commerce City, Federal Heights, Northglenn and Thornton, and parts of Arvada, Bennett, Aurora, Lochbuie and Westminster, with unincorporated communities including Henderson, Strasburg and Watkins. The county states its building, contractor and liquor roles for unincorporated Adams County; a business inside one of those cities or towns applies to that municipality for its own licenses and permits, which stack on the ACHD records here.
What are you opening in Adams 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 Adams County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| On-Site Wastewater Treatment System (Septic) Permit (conditional: sites not on public sewer)only if it applies to you | Adams County Health Department, Environmental Health | New permit $1,156; major repair or expansion permit $775; minor repair $450; each new and repair permit also carries the state's $23 fee ($20 to CDPHE, $3 retained by ACHD) under C.R.S. 25-10-107 (ACHD 2026 fee page). | per permit (installation, repair or expansion) | 2026-10-10 |
| Building, Plumbing, Mechanical and Electrical Permit (unincorporated Adams County)only if it applies to you | Adams County Community and Economic Development Department, Building Safety | By project valuation: $1-$500 permit fee $24 plus $16 plan review; $1,000 $39 + $25; $10,000 $157 + $102; $50,000 $577 + $375; $100,000 $1,027 + $668; $100,001-$500,000: $1,027 for the first $100,000 plus $7 for each additional $1,000 or fraction, plus 65% of the permit fee for plan review. Re-inspection $75; inspections outside normal business hours $100 per hour (two-hour minimum). Projects valued above $500,000: contact Building Safety for the fee. | per permit | 2026-10-10 |
| Certificate of Occupancy (unincorporated Adams County)only if it applies to you | Adams County Community and Economic Development Department, Building Safety | No separate certificate of occupancy fee is published on the county's Codes & Information page; the certificate is requested on the building permit (BDP#). Contact the One Stop Permitting Center, 720.523.6800, for any current charge. | one-time, on completion of the permitted work | 2026-10-10 |
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 Adams County?
On-Site Wastewater Treatment System (Septic) Permit (conditional: sites not on public sewer)
A business site in rural Adams County that is served by an on-site wastewater treatment system (septic system) needs an ACHD permit to install, repair or expand it; a site on a public sewer has no septic permit. ACHD's 2026 fees are $1,156 for a new permit, $775 for a major repair or expansion permit and $450 for a minor repair. The fee page notes that since July 1, 2007, C.R.S. 25-10-107 has allowed the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to assess a $23 fee on each new and repair on-site wastewater permit, of which $20 goes to CDPHE and $3 is retained by the local health department. The figure is from the Adams County Health Department's official "2026 Licensing and Inspections Fees" page, which states that the table sets the Environmental Health fees for 2026 under C.R.S. 25-1-508(5)(j) and 25-10-107(1); the page does not link or date the Board of Health resolution that adopted the 2026 fees.
Building, Plumbing, Mechanical and Electrical Permit (unincorporated Adams County)
In unincorporated Adams County, the county's Permit Fees & Contractor Registration page states that a permit is required to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish or change the occupancy of a building or structure, to install or replace any electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing system, or to place or modify a sign, and that building permit fees are based on the valuation of the project (materials and labour). The schedule prices permits by valuation, from $24 plus $16 plan review for $1-$500 up to $1,027 plus $668 plan review at $100,000; from $100,001 to $500,000 the fee is $1,027 for the first $100,000 plus $7 for each additional $1,000 or fraction, and plan review is 65% of the permit fee. A residential review needing more than three resubmittals carries an additional 25% plan review. Re-inspections cost $75 and inspections outside normal business hours $100 per hour with a two-hour minimum. Final valuation by square footage uses the ICC Building Valuation Data in the 2014 Building Safety Journal. The figures are from the county's Building Permit Fee Schedule (Building | Plumbing | Mechanical | Electrical). The schedule itself carries no date or adopting resolution; the county's Submittal Checklists page, updated July 7, 2026, lists it under "Fee Schedules" as the current Building Permit Fee Schedule. The county's Codes & Information page states that the Board of County Commissioners adopted the 2024 International Codes on April 21, 2026, effective July 1, 2026, and that payment is accepted only through the E-Permit Center (One Stop Permitting Center 720.523.6800). A business inside a city or town in the county applies to that municipality.
Certificate of Occupancy (unincorporated Adams County)
For a permitted project in unincorporated Adams County, the county's Codes & Information page sets out the procedure to request a Certificate of Occupancy: upload all required documentation to the permit through the E-Permit Center account, email epermitcenter@adamscountyco.gov requesting a Certificate of Occupancy along with the BDP# (building permit number), and allow 24-48 hours for review of documents and signature of the CO; the applicant is notified by email when the certificate is complete. The page publishes no separate fee for the certificate. A business inside a city or town in the county obtains its certificate of occupancy from that municipality.
Sources
Every figure in the table above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- Adams County Health Department — 2026 Licensing and Inspection FeesAdams County Health Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-18
- Building | Plumbing | Mechanical | Electrical Permit Fee ScheduleAdams County Community and Economic Development Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-10
- Submittal Checklists page (updated July 7, 2026), including Fee SchedulesAdams County Community and Economic Development Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-10
- Permit Fees & Contractor Registration pageAdams County Community and Economic Development Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-10
- Codes & Information pageAdams County Community and Economic Development Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-10
Who issues business permits in Adams County?
Permitting in Adams County is split across 3 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.
Adams County issuing agencies
- Adams County Health Department, Environmental HealthRetail food establishment licenses (fixed, limited food service, grocery, mobile units and push carts) at the state-set fees of C.R.S. 25-4-1607(1.1), with retail food plan review · Special event retail food licenses at the county fee set under C.R.S. 25-4-1607(1.1)(b)(II) · Child care health inspections and plan review, recreational pool and spa inspections and plan review, and on-site wastewater (septic) permits6 permits
- Adams County Community and Economic Development Department, Building SafetyBuilding, plumbing, mechanical and electrical permits in unincorporated Adams County, under the 2024 International Codes adopted April 21, 2026 and in effect July 1, 2026 · Contractor registration for contractors working in unincorporated Adams County (Classes A-D) through the E-Permit Center · Certificates of occupancy for permitted work3 permits
- Adams County Licensing (Liquor and Marijuana Licensing Authority Board)Local licensing authority for liquor and fermented malt beverage licenses in unincorporated Adams County; applications are approved by the county before filing with the state · County public dance hall licenses2 permits
Other Colorado 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.