11 permits · verified 2026-10-10
What permits do you need to open a coffee shop in Arapahoe County?
In short
A coffee shop in Arapahoe County, CO has 3 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 8 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Colorado Secretary of State, Business Division charges $50 one-time filing, online only for the articles of incorporation. 6 of the 11 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-10 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a coffee shop in Arapahoe County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Food Establishment License (annual; restaurants, limited food service, grocery) | Arapahoe County Public Health, Environmental Health | Per ACPH's Retail Establishment License Fee Schedule, effective 9/1/2025: restaurant 0-100 seats $481, 101-200 seats $538, over 200 seats $581; limited retail food service $338; grocery store without deli up to 15,000 sq. ft. $244, over 15,000 sq. ft. $441; grocery store with deli up to 15,000 sq. ft. $469, over 15,000 sq. ft. $894. Effective 1/1/2027: $567, $634, $687; $394; $282, $519; $552, $1,062. Effective 1/1/2028: $682, $763, $826; $475; $340, $624; $664, $1,276. Amounts match C.R.S. 25-4-1607(1.1)(a) as enacted by SB25-285. | annual; the statute sets the fee for each calendar year | 2026-10-10 |
| Special Event (Temporary) Retail Food Licenseonly if it applies to you | Arapahoe County Public Health, Environmental Health | Set by Arapahoe County Public Health as the county public health agency under C.R.S. 25-4-1607(1.1)(b)(II). The amount is not published in SB25-285 or in ACPH's June 17, 2026 retail food overview; contact ACPH Environmental Health for the current special event license fee. | per special event license | 2026-10-10 |
| Retail Food Establishment License | Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Division of Environmental Health and Sustainability | $244–$1,063 a year for 2026, banded by establishment type and size; the schedule rises in 2027 and 2028 | annual | 2026-09-03 |
| Certified Food Protection Manageronly if it applies to you | Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Division of Environmental Health and Sustainability | No fee | set by the certifying programme, not by Colorado | 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 Arapahoe County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zoning Permits and Letters: sign, fence, temporary use, zoning verification (Arapahoe County Zoning Fee Schedule)only if it applies to you | Arapahoe County Public Works and Development, Zoning | Varies — formula on the Arapahoe County page | per permit or letter | 2026-10-10 |
| Building Permit (unincorporated Arapahoe County)only if it applies to you | Arapahoe County Public Works and Development, Building Division | Varies — formula on the Arapahoe County page | per permit | 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.
CO registrations that apply to every type of business
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | Colorado Secretary of State, Business Division | $50 one-time filing, online only | perpetual, but a periodic report is due every year | 2026-09-03 |
| General Business License — Colorado position (issued locally)only if it applies to you | Colorado Secretary of State, Business Division | No fee | set by the city or county | 2026-09-03 |
| Sales Tax License | Colorado Department of Revenue, Taxation Division | Varies — formula on the CO page | 2 years — every license expires on 31 December of an odd-numbered year | 2026-09-03 |
| Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to you | Colorado Secretary of State, Business Division | $50 one-time filing, online only | perpetual, but a periodic report is due every year | 2026-09-03 |
| Periodic Reportonly if it applies to you | Colorado Secretary of State, Business Division | $25 a year; $50 more if filed late | annual — due in the entity's own periodic report month | 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 coffee shop in Arapahoe County?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 11 records listed for a coffee shop in Arapahoe County, CO, 3 apply to every business of this type and 8 are conditional. Adding every fee on the page together would overstate what most operators pay, because it would include permits they never need.
6 of the 11 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:
Retail Food Establishment License (annual; restaurants, limited food service, grocery): Per ACPH's Retail Establishment License Fee Schedule, effective 9/1/2025: restaurant 0-100 seats $481, 101-200 seats $538, over 200 seats $581; limited retail food service $338; grocery store without deli up to 15,000 sq. ft. $244, over 15,000 sq. ft. $441; grocery store with deli up to 15,000 sq. ft. $469, over 15,000 sq. ft. $894. Effective 1/1/2027: $567, $634, $687; $394; $282, $519; $552, $1,062. Effective 1/1/2028: $682, $763, $826; $475; $340, $624; $664, $1,276. Amounts match C.R.S. 25-4-1607(1.1)(a) as enacted by SB25-285.
Special Event (Temporary) Retail Food License: Set by Arapahoe County Public Health as the county public health agency under C.R.S. 25-4-1607(1.1)(b)(II). The amount is not published in SB25-285 or in ACPH's June 17, 2026 retail food overview; contact ACPH Environmental Health for the current special event license fee.
Retail Food Establishment License: $244–$1,063 a year for 2026, banded by establishment type and size; the schedule rises in 2027 and 2028
The other 3 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Arapahoe County permits page and the CO state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Arapahoe County?
Permits for a coffee shop in Arapahoe County, CO come from 6 separate offices: Arapahoe County Public Works and Development, Zoning, Arapahoe County Public Works and Development, Building Division, Arapahoe County Public Health, Environmental Health, Colorado Secretary of State, Business Division, Colorado Department of Revenue, Taxation Division, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Division of Environmental Health and Sustainability. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- Arapahoe County Public Works and Development, ZoningIssues 1 permit on this page: Zoning Permits and Letters: sign, fence, temporary use, zoning verification (Arapahoe County Zoning Fee Schedule)6924 S. Lima St., Centennial, CO 80112 · 720-874-6711arapahoe.legistar1.com/arapahoe/attachments/b700c271-3e1a-4f36-a639-85632bae068f.pdf
- Arapahoe County Public Works and Development, Building DivisionIssues 1 permit on this page: Building Permit (unincorporated Arapahoe County)files.arapahoeco.gov/Public%20Works_Development/Building/Contractor%20Licensing/ResoNo.23-155.ContractorLicensingadopted%20...%2043f9.pdf
- Arapahoe County Public Health, Environmental HealthIssues 2 permits on this page: Retail Food Establishment License (annual; restaurants, limited food service, grocery), Special Event (Temporary) Retail Food Licensefiles.arapahoeco.gov/Public%20Health/Health%20Protection_Response/Environmental%20Health/RFE%20Fee%20Change%20Schedule_With%20Effective%20Dates_FNL_ENG%2020250828_v2.pdf
- Colorado Secretary of State, Business DivisionIssues 4 permits on this page: Articles of Incorporation, General Business License — Colorado position (issued locally), Articles of Organization (LLC), Periodic Report1700 Broadway, Suite 550, Denver, CO 80290 · (303) 894-2200www.coloradosos.gov/pubs/business/businessHome.html
- Colorado Department of Revenue, Taxation DivisionIssues 1 permit on this page: Sales Tax License1375 Sherman Street, Denver, CO 80261 · (303) 238-7378tax.colorado.gov/sales-tax-account-license
- Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Division of Environmental Health and SustainabilityIssues 2 permits on this page: Retail Food Establishment License, Certified Food Protection Manager4300 Cherry Creek Drive South, Denver, CO 80246 · (303) 692-3645cdphe.colorado.gov/dehs/rf/licensing
What does a coffee shop need in Arapahoe County that other businesses do not?
Shared with other businesses in Arapahoe County
- Retail Food Establishment License (annual; restaurants, limited food service, grocery) — Arapahoe County Public Health, Environmental Health, Per ACPH's Retail Establishment License Fee Schedule, effective 9/1/2025: restaurant 0-100 seats $481, 101-200 seats $538, over 200 seats $581; limited retail food service $338; grocery store without deli up to 15,000 sq. ft. $244, over 15,000 sq. ft. $441; grocery store with deli up to 15,000 sq. ft. $469, over 15,000 sq. ft. $894. Effective 1/1/2027: $567, $634, $687; $394; $282, $519; $552, $1,062. Effective 1/1/2028: $682, $763, $826; $475; $340, $624; $664, $1,276. Amounts match C.R.S. 25-4-1607(1.1)(a) as enacted by SB25-285., annual; the statute sets the fee for each calendar year. Also required for restaurants and retail stores; what it involves is set out on the retail stores page.
- Special Event (Temporary) Retail Food License — Arapahoe County Public Health, Environmental Health, Set by Arapahoe County Public Health as the county public health agency under C.R.S. 25-4-1607(1.1)(b)(II). The amount is not published in SB25-285 or in ACPH's June 17, 2026 retail food overview; contact ACPH Environmental Health for the current special event license fee., per special event license. Also required for restaurants and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the restaurants page.
- Retail Food Establishment License — Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Division of Environmental Health and Sustainability, $244–$1,063 a year for 2026, banded by establishment type and size; the schedule rises in 2027 and 2028, annual. Also required for restaurants and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the restaurants page.
- Certified Food Protection Manager — Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Division of Environmental Health and Sustainability, No fee, set by the certifying programme, not by Colorado. Also required for restaurants 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 Arapahoe County, CO; what each one involves is set out on the Arapahoe County permits page. The 5 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across CO and are covered on the CO state page.
How does a coffee shop compare with other businesses in Arapahoe County?
A coffee shop and a restaurant in Arapahoe County, CO need exactly the same 4 permits beyond the ones every business needs.
| Business | Its own permits | Shared with a coffee shop | Only a coffee shop needs | Only it needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurants | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Food trucks | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| Retail stores | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| Auto repair shops | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| Childcare centres | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2 |
| Contractors and trades | 3 | 0 | 4 | 3 |
| Fitness studios | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Salons and barbers | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2 |
| Veterinary clinics | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
Sources
Sources for the permits shared with other businesses are listed with their explanations on the retail stores page, restaurants page and food trucks page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Arapahoe County permits page and the CO state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
Related
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.