10 permits · verified 2026-09-08
What permits do you need to open a retail store in Denver?
In short
A retail store in Denver, CO has 5 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 5 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 10 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 retail store 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 |
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 retail store in Denver?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 10 records listed for a retail store in Denver, CO, 5 apply to every business of this type and 5 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, 2 carry a flat fee, coming to $59.75. That is a floor, not a total. 3 of the 10 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 1 has 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 retail store in Denver, CO come from 4 separate offices: City and County of Denver, Community Planning and Development, City and County of Denver, Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, Colorado Secretary of State, Business Division, Colorado Department of Revenue, Taxation Division. 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
- 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
What does a retail store need in Denver that other businesses do not?
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, salons and barbers, fitness studios, auto repair shops 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 retail store compare with other businesses in Denver?
A retail store and a fitness studio in Denver, CO need exactly the same 1 permit beyond the ones every business needs.
| Business | Its own permits | Shared with a retail store | Only a retail store needs | Only it needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fitness studios | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Salons and barbers | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Auto repair shops | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Veterinary clinics | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Coffee shops | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Restaurants | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Childcare centres | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Contractors and trades | 3 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Food trucks | 3 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
Sources
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.
Related
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.