12 permits · verified 2026-10-10
What permits do you need to open a retail store in El Paso County Co?
In short
A retail store in El Paso County Co, CO has 3 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 9 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. El Paso County Public Health, Environmental Health Division charges $961 per new OWTS permit, including one reinspection; modification or major repair permit $891; minor repair permit $554 (Board of Health 2024 Fee Schedule) for the onsite wastewater treatment system (septic) permit. 7 of the 12 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 retail store in El Paso County Co
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liquor and Fermented Malt Beverage License (county local licensing, unincorporated areas)only if it applies to you | El Paso County Board of County Commissioners as Local Licensing Authority (Clerk to the Board) | State share per DR 8500 (08/14/26), for a county location: state application fee $1,100 ($1,200 with concurrent review); annual state license fee Hotel & Restaurant or Tavern $500, Beer & Wine $436.25, Fermented Malt Beverage & Wine $117.50, Retail Liquor Store $312.50; state annual renewal application fee $250. County Special Events Permit $75 per event. The county's own license fees are set by the Board of County Commissioners' fee schedule and are paid separately to the El Paso County Clerk and Recorder. | annual, with renewal through the Clerk to the Board and the state | 2026-10-10 |
| Retail Food Establishment License (fixed and mobile) | El Paso County Public Health, Environmental Health Division | The county Board of Health 2024 Fee Schedule prices the license 'Per Section 25-4-1607 C.R.S.'; the C.R.S. 25-4-1607(1.1)(a) amounts as enacted by SB25-285, 2026 amount (amount from January 1, 2027 in brackets): restaurant or caterer 0-100 seats $481 ($567); 101-200 seats $538 ($634); over 200 seats $581 ($687); limited food service $338 ($394); mobile food establishment full service $481 ($567); mobile prepackaged food $338 ($394); grocery under 15,001 sq ft $244 ($282); grocery over 15,000 sq ft $441 ($519); grocery with deli under 15,001 sq ft $469 ($552); grocery with deli over 15,000 sq ft $894 ($1,062). Plan review is charged separately. | annual | 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.
Local permits that apply to every type of business in El Paso County Co
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado State Sales Tax License (county sales tax statement) | Colorado Department of Revenue (sales tax) | Varies — formula on the El Paso County Co page | as set by the Colorado Department of Revenue for the state license | 2026-10-10 |
| Building Permit and Certificate of Occupancy (PPRBD)only if it applies to you | Pikes Peak Regional Building Department | Varies — formula on the El Paso County Co page | per permit | 2026-10-10 |
| Floodplain Development Permit (PPRBD)only if it applies to you | Pikes Peak Regional Building Department | Varies — formula on the El Paso County Co page | per permit | 2026-10-10 |
| Zoning and Land-Use Approvals (unincorporated areas)only if it applies to you | El Paso County Planning and Community Development | Varies — formula on the El Paso County Co page | per application | 2026-10-10 |
| Onsite Wastewater Treatment System (Septic) Permitonly if it applies to you | El Paso County Public Health, Environmental Health Division | $961 per new OWTS permit, including one reinspection; modification or major repair permit $891; minor repair permit $554 (Board of Health 2024 Fee Schedule) | 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 retail store in El Paso County Co?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 12 records listed for a retail store in El Paso County Co, CO, 3 apply to every business of this type and 9 are conditional. Adding every fee on the page together would overstate what most operators pay, because it would include permits they never need.
7 of the 12 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:
Liquor and Fermented Malt Beverage License (county local licensing, unincorporated areas): State share per DR 8500 (08/14/26), for a county location: state application fee $1,100 ($1,200 with concurrent review); annual state license fee Hotel & Restaurant or Tavern $500, Beer & Wine $436.25, Fermented Malt Beverage & Wine $117.50, Retail Liquor Store $312.50; state annual renewal application fee $250. County Special Events Permit $75 per event. The county's own license fees are set by the Board of County Commissioners' fee schedule and are paid separately to the El Paso County Clerk and Recorder.
Retail Food Establishment License (fixed and mobile): The county Board of Health 2024 Fee Schedule prices the license 'Per Section 25-4-1607 C.R.S.'; the C.R.S. 25-4-1607(1.1)(a) amounts as enacted by SB25-285, 2026 amount (amount from January 1, 2027 in brackets): restaurant or caterer 0-100 seats $481 ($567); 101-200 seats $538 ($634); over 200 seats $581 ($687); limited food service $338 ($394); mobile food establishment full service $481 ($567); mobile prepackaged food $338 ($394); grocery under 15,001 sq ft $244 ($282); grocery over 15,000 sq ft $441 ($519); grocery with deli under 15,001 sq ft $469 ($552); grocery with deli over 15,000 sq ft $894 ($1,062). Plan review is charged separately.
The other 5 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the El Paso County Co permits page and the CO state page.
Which offices issue these permits in El Paso County Co?
Permits for a retail store in El Paso County Co, CO come from 7 separate offices: El Paso County Board of County Commissioners as Local Licensing Authority (Clerk to the Board), Colorado Department of Revenue (sales tax), El Paso County Public Health, Environmental Health Division, Pikes Peak Regional Building Department, El Paso County Planning and Community Development, 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.
- El Paso County Board of County Commissioners as Local Licensing Authority (Clerk to the Board)Issues 1 permit on this page: Liquor and Fermented Malt Beverage License (county local licensing, unincorporated areas)1675 W. Garden of the Gods Rd, Suite 2201, Colorado Springs, CO 80907 · (719) 520-6430clerkandrecorder.elpasoco.com/clerk-to-the-board
- Colorado Department of Revenue (sales tax)Issues 1 permit on this page: Colorado State Sales Tax License (county sales tax statement)tax.colorado.gov/sales-tax-guide
- El Paso County Public Health, Environmental Health DivisionIssues 2 permits on this page: Retail Food Establishment License (fixed and mobile), Onsite Wastewater Treatment System (Septic) Permit1675 W. Garden of the Gods Rd, Suite 2044, Colorado Springs, CO 80907 · (719) 578-3199 option 3www.elpasocountyhealth.org/licenses-permits-inspections-water-testing/retail-food/retail-food-establishments
- Pikes Peak Regional Building DepartmentIssues 2 permits on this page: Building Permit and Certificate of Occupancy (PPRBD), Floodplain Development Permit (PPRBD)2880 International Circle, Colorado Springs, CO 80910 · (719) 327-2880www.pprbd.org/Home/About
- El Paso County Planning and Community DevelopmentIssues 1 permit on this page: Zoning and Land-Use Approvals (unincorporated areas)planningdevelopment.elpasoco.com
- 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 El Paso County Co that other businesses do not?
Shared with other businesses in El Paso County Co
- Liquor and Fermented Malt Beverage License (county local licensing, unincorporated areas) — El Paso County Board of County Commissioners as Local Licensing Authority (Clerk to the Board), State share per DR 8500 (08/14/26), for a county location: state application fee $1,100 ($1,200 with concurrent review); annual state license fee Hotel & Restaurant or Tavern $500, Beer & Wine $436.25, Fermented Malt Beverage & Wine $117.50, Retail Liquor Store $312.50; state annual renewal application fee $250. County Special Events Permit $75 per event. The county's own license fees are set by the Board of County Commissioners' fee schedule and are paid separately to the El Paso County Clerk and Recorder., annual, with renewal through the Clerk to the Board and the state. Also required for restaurants; what it involves is set out on the restaurants page.
- Retail Food Establishment License (fixed and mobile) — El Paso County Public Health, Environmental Health Division, The county Board of Health 2024 Fee Schedule prices the license 'Per Section 25-4-1607 C.R.S.'; the C.R.S. 25-4-1607(1.1)(a) amounts as enacted by SB25-285, 2026 amount (amount from January 1, 2027 in brackets): restaurant or caterer 0-100 seats $481 ($567); 101-200 seats $538 ($634); over 200 seats $581 ($687); limited food service $338 ($394); mobile food establishment full service $481 ($567); mobile prepackaged food $338 ($394); grocery under 15,001 sq ft $244 ($282); grocery over 15,000 sq ft $441 ($519); grocery with deli under 15,001 sq ft $469 ($552); grocery with deli over 15,000 sq ft $894 ($1,062). Plan review is charged separately., annual. Also required for restaurants, coffee shops and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the restaurants page.
The other 5 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in El Paso County Co, CO; what each one involves is set out on the El Paso County Co 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 El Paso County Co?
The closest match is a restaurant, which shares 2 of these permits. A restaurant needs Special Event Retail Food Permit, Retail Food Establishment License and Certified Food Protection Manager, which a retail store does not.
| Business | Its own permits | Shared with a retail store | Only a retail store needs | Only it needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurants | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| Coffee shops | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Food trucks | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Auto repair shops | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Childcare centres | 3 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Contractors and trades | 4 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| Fitness studios | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Salons and barbers | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Veterinary clinics | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
Sources
Sources for the permits shared with other businesses are listed with their explanations on the restaurants page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the El Paso County Co 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.