12 permits · verified 2026-09-08
What permits do you need to open a auto repair shop in Denver?
In short
A auto repair shop in Denver, CO has 6 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 and County of Denver, Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection charges $9.75 per employee, per month worked in Denver — $5.75 withheld from the employee, $4.00 paid by the employer for the occupational privilege tax. 3 of the 12 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 Denver
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sign Permit | City and County of Denver, Community Planning and Development | $25 for a standard sign permit; $500 for a comprehensive sign plan at a large facility (no fee for a supplemental/vital-signs comprehensive plan); outdoor advertising (billboards) is $225 for the initial review and $225 for the annual renewal. | one-time, per sign permit; outdoor advertising renews annually | 2026-09-08 |
| Fire Permit — Repair Garages and Motor Fuel Dispensing | Denver Fire Department, Fire Prevention Division | $125 a year | annual | 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 Denver
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Building Permit | City and County of Denver, Community Planning and Development | Varies — formula on the Denver page | 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.
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 Denver?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 12 records listed for a auto repair shop in Denver, CO, 6 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 6 that always apply, 3 carry a flat fee, coming to $184.75. That is a floor, not a total. 3 of the 12 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:
Sign Permit: $25 for a standard sign permit; $500 for a comprehensive sign plan at a large facility (no fee for a supplemental/vital-signs comprehensive plan); outdoor advertising (billboards) is $225 for the initial review and $225 for the annual renewal.
The other 2 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Denver permits page and the CO state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Denver?
Permits for a auto repair shop in Denver, CO come from 6 separate offices: City and County of Denver, Community Planning and Development, City and County of Denver, Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, Denver Fire Department, Fire Prevention Division, 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 and County of Denver, Community Planning and DevelopmentIssues 3 permits on this page: Commercial Building Permit, Sign Permit, Temporary Certificate of Occupancywww.denvergov.org/DSfees
- City and County of Denver, Department of Licensing and Consumer ProtectionIssues 2 permits on this page: Occupational Privilege Tax, Sales/Use/Lodger's Tax Licensedenvergov.org/Government/Agencies-Departments-Offices/Agencies-Departments-Offices-Directory/Business-Licensing
- Denver Fire Department, Fire Prevention DivisionIssues 1 permit on this page: Fire Permit — Repair Garages and Motor Fuel Dispensing745 West Colfax Avenue, Denver, CO 80204 · (720) 913-3474www.denvergov.org/files/assets/public/v/7/fire-department/documents/permit-fees_rev-4.28.23.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 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 Denver that other businesses do not?
2 of the 3 permits particular to a auto repair shop here apply to no other business type we cover in Denver: Fire Permit — Repair Garages and Motor Fuel Dispensing and Automotive Repair — Colorado Motor Vehicle Repair Act (conduct rules).
Fire Permit — Repair Garages and Motor Fuel Dispensing
An auto repair or auto body shop also needs Denver's 'Garage repair of motor vehicles' business license from the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection — that license is confirmed required, but its own dollar fee is not published on the city's page and is not asserted here.
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 Denver
- Sign Permit — City and County of Denver, Community Planning and Development, $25 for a standard sign permit; $500 for a comprehensive sign plan at a large facility (no fee for a supplemental/vital-signs comprehensive plan); outdoor advertising (billboards) is $225 for the initial review and $225 for the annual renewal., one-time, per sign permit; outdoor advertising renews annually. Also required for restaurants, coffee shops, retail stores, salons and barbers, fitness studios and veterinary clinics; what it involves is set out on the salons and barbers page.
The other 4 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Denver, CO; what each one involves is set out on the Denver 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 Denver?
The closest match is a fitness studio, which shares 1 of these permits. A auto repair shop also needs Fire Permit — Repair Garages and Motor Fuel Dispensing and 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 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Retail stores | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Salons and barbers | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Veterinary clinics | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Coffee shops | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Restaurants | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Childcare centres | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| Contractors and trades | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Food trucks | 3 | 0 | 3 | 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 salons and barbers page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Denver permits page and the CO state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- Denver Fire Department — Permit Fee Schedule (dated July 23, 2026)Denver Fire Department, Fire Prevention Division · 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.