11 published records
Business licenses and permits in Denver, Colorado
A consolidated city-county government, like San Francisco — Denver runs its own health department rather than relying on a county or regional district. No single general business license exists; roughly 68 activity-specific categories are each licensed separately. The licensing agency was renamed from 'Excise and Licenses' to 'Licensing and Consumer Protection' effective November 2025.
What are you opening in Denver?
- 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 Denver
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Building Permit | City and County of Denver, Community Planning and Development | Valuation-based: $20 ($1–$500); $35 ($501–$2,000); $35 + $8 per additional $1,000 ($2,000–$25,000); $220 + $8/$1,000 ($25,000–$50,000); $420 + $7/$1,000 ($50,001–$100,000); $770 + $5.60/$1,000 ($100,001–$500,000); $3,010 + $4.75/$1,000 ($500,001–$1,000,000); $5,385 + $3.65/$1,000 above $1,000,000. Plan review is 50% of the permit fee generally (10% for type-approved permits; 20%, minimum $100, for express/over-the-counter review); a 25% or 50% surcharge applies for two-phase or three-plus-phase construction. | one-time, per project | 2026-09-08 |
| Occupational Privilege Tax | City and County of Denver, Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection | $9.75 per employee, per month worked in Denver — $5.75 withheld from the employee, $4.00 paid by the employer | monthly | 2026-09-08 |
| Temporary Certificate of Occupancyonly if it applies to you | City and County of Denver, Community Planning and Development | $200 flat | temporary, pending final approval | 2026-09-08 |
| Sales/Use/Lodger's Tax License | City and County of Denver, Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection | $50 per location, every 2 years; a Special Event Retail Sales License is $5/event | 2 years | 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.
What do these permits involve in Denver?
Commercial Building Permit
Confirmed identically across two independent official sources (the live DSfees page and the dated ADMIN 125/138 PDF).
Occupational Privilege Tax
A Denver-specific payroll tax, distinct from any state tax, triggered once an employee earns at least $500 in a calendar month working in the city.
Temporary Certificate of Occupancy
A standard Certificate of Occupancy carries no separate fee — it is issued as part of the building permit's final inspection. A duplicate/reissued certificate shows two conflicting official figures: $10 on the live DSfees page versus $25 in the dated ADMIN 125/138 PDF; not reconciled.
Sales/Use/Lodger's Tax License
The Tax Guide PDF is dated 2019, but the Treasury Division's own current application form (Application for Denver Sales, Use, Lodger's Tax License and/or Occupational Tax Registration, linked from denvergov.org/treasury) prices the same licenses identically today: its own fee-proration table charges $50.00 for a full two-year period for a Sales Tax, Sales & Lodger's Tax, Lodger's Tax, or Retailer's Use Tax license. A secondary claim that Denver had dropped this fee is not borne out by the City's own current form and is not repeated here.
Sources
Every figure in the table above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- City and County of Denver, ADMIN 125 and 138 — Building and Related Fees (revision date May 21, 2024)Denver Community Planning and Development · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-08
- City and County of Denver Tax Guide, Topic No. 47 — Licenses, Fees and RegistrationCity and County of Denver · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-08
- Application for Denver Sales, Use, Lodger's Tax License and/or Occupational Tax Registration — Section 9 states licenses run a two-year period and the fee recovers the administrative cost of the account; Section 10's proration table prices a full-period Sales Tax, Sales & Lodger's Tax, Lodger's Tax, or Retailer's Use Tax license at $50.00City and County of Denver, Treasury Division · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-18
Who issues business permits in Denver?
Permitting in Denver 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.
Denver issuing agencies
- City and County of Denver, Community Planning and DevelopmentCertificate of Occupancy · Commercial building permits · Sign permits · Contractor licensing · Zoning permits5 permits
- City and County of Denver, Department of Licensing and Consumer ProtectionBusiness and occupational licenses · Retail food license · Kennel/pet hospital license · Garage repair of motor vehicles license4 permits
- Denver Fire Department, Fire Prevention DivisionFire operational permits · Mobile food vending fire permit2 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.