11 permits · verified 2026-09-08
What permits do you need to open a auto repair shop in Aurora?
In short
A auto repair shop in Aurora, CO has 5 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 6 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. City of Aurora Development Services Department, Building Division charges $850 flat; $500 is refunded if a standard Certificate of Occupancy issues before the temporary one expires for the temporary certificate of occupancy. 4 of the 11 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-09-08 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a auto repair shop in Aurora
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Sign Permit | City of Aurora Development Services Department, Building Division | $385 flat, per permit (all sign types) | one-time, per sign | 2026-09-08 |
| Fire Inspection | Aurora Fire Rescue, Fire Inspections | By occupancy type: Assembly $135 (50–500 occupants) up to $1,353 (over 5,001); Business/Mercantile/Undetermined starts at $17.25 (0–500 sq ft), scaling with an added $2.50 per 1,000 sq ft for larger spaces; Nursing Homes $202; Hospitals $868. Non-compliance reinspection is $63.50 (first) or $174 (subsequent). Special permits: Tents $115, Carnival/Fair $232, High-Piled Storage $347, Firework Sales $376, Hazardous Materials $434. | recurring — 1, 2, or 3 years depending on risk class | 2026-09-08 |
| Automotive Repair — Colorado Motor Vehicle Repair Act (conduct rules)only if it applies to you | Colorado Auto Industry Division, Department of Revenue | No fee | not applicable | 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 Aurora
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business/Sales/Use Tax License | City of Aurora Business Licensing | Varies — formula on the Aurora page | 2 years | 2026-09-08 |
| Temporary Certificate of Occupancyonly if it applies to you | City of Aurora Development Services Department, Building Division | $850 flat; $500 is refunded if a standard Certificate of Occupancy issues before the temporary one expires | temporary, pending final approval | 2026-09-08 |
| Commercial Building Permit | City of Aurora Development Services Department, Building Division | Varies — formula on the Aurora page | one-time, per project | 2026-09-08 |
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 auto repair shop in Aurora?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 11 records listed for a auto repair shop in Aurora, CO, 5 apply to every business of this type and 6 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 5 that always apply, 1 carry a flat fee, coming to $385.00. That is a floor, not a total. 4 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:
Fire Inspection: By occupancy type: Assembly $135 (50–500 occupants) up to $1,353 (over 5,001); Business/Mercantile/Undetermined starts at $17.25 (0–500 sq ft), scaling with an added $2.50 per 1,000 sq ft for larger spaces; Nursing Homes $202; Hospitals $868. Non-compliance reinspection is $63.50 (first) or $174 (subsequent). Special permits: Tents $115, Carnival/Fair $232, High-Piled Storage $347, Firework Sales $376, Hazardous Materials $434.
The other 3 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Aurora permits page and the CO state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Aurora?
Permits for a auto repair shop in Aurora, CO come from 6 separate offices: City of Aurora Business Licensing, City of Aurora Development Services Department, Building Division, Aurora Fire Rescue, Fire Inspections, Colorado Secretary of State, Business Division, Colorado Department of Revenue, Taxation Division, Colorado Auto Industry Division, Department of Revenue. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- City of Aurora Business LicensingIssues 1 permit on this page: Business/Sales/Use Tax License(303) 739-7057www.auroragov.org
- City of Aurora Development Services Department, Building DivisionIssues 3 permits on this page: Temporary Certificate of Occupancy, Commercial Building Permit, Commercial Sign Permit15151 E. Alameda Parkway, Suite 2400, Aurora, CO 80012 · (303) 739-7420www.auroragov.org
- Aurora Fire Rescue, Fire InspectionsIssues 1 permit on this page: Fire Inspection(303) 326-8998www.auroragov.org
- 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 Auto Industry Division, Department of RevenueIssues 1 permit on this page: Automotive Repair — Colorado Motor Vehicle Repair Act (conduct rules)PO Box 17087, Denver, CO 80217-0087 · (303) 205-5604sbg.colorado.gov/auto-industry
What does a auto repair shop need in Aurora that other businesses do not?
1 of the 3 permits particular to a auto repair shop here applies to no other business type we cover in Aurora: Automotive Repair — Colorado Motor Vehicle Repair Act (conduct rules).
Commercial Sign Permit
A Sign Variance application is $466; a Creative Sign Permit application $419; an off-site directional sign $293/structure; a temporary sign permit $152/year. The installer must separately hold a Sign Contractor License ($164 plus a $131 supplemental fee, per the Building Division's 2026-revised schedule). A maximum of 5 permanent signs per business is allowed.
Automotive Repair — Colorado Motor Vehicle Repair Act (conduct rules)
Colorado regulates repair garages by conduct under the Motor Vehicle Repair Act, C.R.S. 42-9-101 to 42-9-113, and the Attorney General's resource guide directs consumers to report violations to their district attorney's office. As the guide describes it, a garage must obtain the customer's written consent before repairs, must give a written or oral estimate of all costs, and may not collect more than the estimate plus ten per cent or twenty-five dollars, whichever is less, without the customer's consent. The revenue department's Auto Industry Division fee schedule for July 2026 to June 2027 (form DR 2246) lists dealer, powersports dealer, wholesaler, business disposal, buyer agent, wholesale auction, salesperson, manufacturer, distributor and manufacturer representative licenses and contains no repair facility category, and the regulatory agencies department's licensing page lists no repair trade. A shop still needs a sales tax license for parts and whatever its city requires.
Shared with other businesses in Aurora
- Fire Inspection — Aurora Fire Rescue, Fire Inspections, By occupancy type: Assembly $135 (50–500 occupants) up to $1,353 (over 5,001); Business/Mercantile/Undetermined starts at $17.25 (0–500 sq ft), scaling with an added $2.50 per 1,000 sq ft for larger spaces; Nursing Homes $202; Hospitals $868. Non-compliance reinspection is $63.50 (first) or $174 (subsequent). Special permits: Tents $115, Carnival/Fair $232, High-Piled Storage $347, Firework Sales $376, Hazardous Materials $434., recurring — 1, 2, or 3 years depending on risk class. Also required for restaurants, coffee shops, retail stores, salons and barbers, fitness studios and veterinary clinics; what it involves is set out on the fitness studios page.
The other 3 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Aurora, CO; what each one involves is set out on the Aurora 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 auto repair shop compare with other businesses in Aurora?
The closest match is a fitness studio, which shares 2 of these permits. A auto repair shop also needs Automotive Repair — Colorado Motor Vehicle Repair Act (conduct rules). A fitness studio needs nothing here that a auto repair shop does not.
| Business | Its own permits | Shared with a auto repair shop | Only a auto repair shop needs | Only it needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fitness studios | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Retail stores | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Veterinary clinics | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Salons and barbers | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| Coffee shops | 5 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Restaurants | 5 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Childcare centres | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| Contractors and trades | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Food trucks | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
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 fitness studios page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Aurora permits page and the CO state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- City of Aurora — 2025 Service FeesCity of Aurora · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-08
- Colorado Auto Industry Division — form DR 2246 licence fee schedule for 2026 to 2027, which contains no repair facility categoryColorado Department of Revenue · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
- Colorado Attorney General — resource guide describing the Motor Vehicle Repair Act's conduct duties and district attorney enforcementColorado Attorney General · 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.