6 published records
Business licenses and permits in Martin County, Florida
Martin County, Florida, seat Stuart, lies on the Treasure Coast. Its five incorporated municipalities, listed as separate taxing areas by the Martin County Property Appraiser, are the City of Stuart, the Town of Jupiter Island, the Town of Ocean Breeze, the Town of Sewall's Point and the Village of Indiantown. The Martin County Tax Collector issues the county Local Business Tax Receipt, and its page states: "In Martin County, a business located within a city limit requires both a municipal license and a county license to operate, a city license must be procured before a county business tax receipt." For a business in unincorporated Martin County, the county's Business Tax Receipts page sets a three-step process: a Zoning Review and Compliance Determination from the Growth Management Department, a Fire Prevention inspection, and then the receipt from the Tax Collector; the same page tells businesses in the City of Stuart, the Town of Sewall's Point, the Town of Ocean Breeze or the Village of Indiantown to get zoning approval from that municipality. The Martin County Building Department issues building permits under its fee schedule effective July 1, 2026, and its Licensing Division licenses and registers contractors. The Florida Department of Health in Martin County, a state agency, permits the food service establishments under its jurisdiction and runs the tattoo program. Each municipality's own business license, zoning and permitting stack on the county layer and are not described here. The population figure of 165,666 is the U.S. Census Bureau's 2024 estimate.
What are you opening in Martin County?
- 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 Martin County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| County Local Business Tax Receipt | Martin County Tax Collector | $26.25 a year per receipt, with at least one receipt for each business location, as published on the Martin County Tax Collector's Local Business Tax page; county tax only | annual; receipts are valid through September 30, may be paid on or after July 1, and are delinquent on October 1, per the Tax Collector's page and F.S. 205.053(1) | 2026-10-31 |
| Zoning Review and Compliance Determination and Fire Prevention Inspection (Unincorporated Martin County)only if it applies to you | Martin County Growth Management Department, Development Review Division | The fee for the zoning review and the fire prevention inspection is set by Martin County and paid by cash or check to the Martin County Board of County Commissioners; contact the Growth Management Department, Development Review Division, at (772) 288-5495 for the current amount. The Tax Collector's receipt fee is charged separately, and impact fees may apply to a change of use. | one-time for each new business, name change, ownership name change or relocation; annual renewals of the receipt are handled by the Tax Collector | 2026-10-31 |
| County Building Permit, Plan Review and Inspectionsonly if it applies to you | Martin County Building Department | Per the Martin County Building Department's FEE SCHEDULE Effective July 1, 2026, by cost of construction: under $25,000, building fee $75, plan review $25, inspections $75 each; $25,001 to $50,000, building fee $100, plan review $100, inspections $75 each; $50,001 to $150,000, building fee $250, plan review $200, inspections $75 each; $150,001 to $500,000, building fee 0.20% and plan review 0.20% of the cost of construction, inspections $75 each; $500,001 and up, building fee 0.20% and plan review 0.18% of the cost of construction, inspections $75 each. Master Plan Lot Setup Fee $300; Permit Exemption Waiver (HB 803, under $7,500) $75; permit revision fee $100 per page for each page submitted after the second submittal; record searches by PropLogix, LLC $75 each; reinspection fees as established under Florida Statute 553. State of Florida surcharges and other county department fees are extra. | per project | 2026-10-31 |
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 Martin County?
County Local Business Tax Receipt
The Martin County Tax Collector's Local Business Tax page states that a local business tax receipt "is issued by the Tax Collector for the privilege of operating a business" and that "Anyone providing merchandise or services to the public, even through a one-person company or home based occupation must obtain a county permit to operate." The page publishes the fee as "$26.25 yearly"; new receipts are issued at any time of year, with half-year fees from April 1. The Tax Collector's FAQ states that a receipt is needed for business in "the incorporated or unincorporated areas of Martin County" and that "A business tax receipt is required for each location conducting business"; the Local Business Tax page adds that a business performing several functions may need more than one receipt. The original receipt must be issued at the Willoughby Blvd. office; the Palm City, Hobe Sound and Indiantown branches handle renewals only. A business inside a city limit needs both a municipal license and this county receipt, and the city license comes first. For a business in unincorporated Martin County, the county's Business Tax Receipts page requires the Growth Management zoning determination and a Fire Prevention inspection certificate before the Tax Collector issues the receipt. The receipt must be displayed where customers can see it, and changes in address, ownership or name require a new application. Tax Collector: (772) 288-5600.
Zoning Review and Compliance Determination and Fire Prevention Inspection (Unincorporated Martin County)
The county's Business Tax Receipts page states that a receipt "is required for any business that is located in unincorporated Martin County" and that the business "must receive zoning approval from the Martin County Growth Management Department". A new business, a business changing its name, an ownership name change or a move to a new location triggers this step. The owner, an employee or someone actively involved in the business brings the completed Zoning Use Permit Application, with the property owner's or landlord's notarized signature and proof of the business name as it appears on sunbiz.org, to the Growth Management Department at 2401 SE Monterey Rd, Stuart (walk-in only, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.). Staff check that the use is allowed at the location under the Land Development Regulations and issue the Zoning Review and Compliance Determination, which is needed to schedule the Fire Prevention inspection; the applicant then takes the determination and the Fire Prevention Inspection Certificate to the Tax Collector. Per the county's page and application, the fee covers both the zoning review and the fire prevention inspection, is payable only by cash or check to the Board of County Commissioners, and the Tax Collector collects its own fee separately. Businesses in the City of Stuart, the Town of Sewall's Point, the Town of Ocean Breeze or the Village of Indiantown get zoning approval from that municipality instead.
County Building Permit, Plan Review and Inspections
The Martin County Building Department issues building permits, reviews plans and performs inspections from 900 SE Ruhnke Street, Stuart. The fee figures in this record come from the department's own FEE SCHEDULE Effective July 1, 2026, published on the county's site. Under that schedule, the cost of construction is the greater of the applicant's value or the value set by the most recent International Code Council building valuation data (the schedule reproduces the August 2024 ICC square-foot costs). No charge applies to a second submittal that answers changes required by the first review. Private-provider reductions under House Bill 803 are 100 percent for residential plan review and inspections, 25 percent for nonresidential plan review or inspections, and 50 percent for nonresidential plan review and inspections together. The Building page states that HB 803 permit exemptions for certain residential projects under $7,500 took effect July 1, 2026 and require exemption approval from the Building Department. Applications are taken through the county's Online Permit System or in person at the Building Department lobby. A food truck needs this permit only where it builds a fixed structure, so the record lists the other industries. Building Department: (772) 288-5916.
Sources
Every figure in the table above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- Local Business TaxMartin County Tax Collector · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-31
- FAQ – Local Business TaxMartin County Tax Collector · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-31
- Florida Statutes §205.053 (2026) — business tax receipts; renewal, delinquency and penaltiesFlorida Legislature (Online Sunshine) · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-20
- Business Tax ReceiptsMartin County Board of County Commissioners · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-31
- Business Tax Receipt (Formerly known as Business Occupational License) Instructions and Application ProcessMartin County Growth Management Department, Development Review Division · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-31
- Martin County Building Department FEE SCHEDULE Effective July 1, 2026Martin County Building Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-31
- BuildingMartin County Building Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-31
Who issues business permits in Martin County?
Permitting in Martin County is split across 5 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.
Martin County issuing agencies
- Martin County Building Department, Licensing DivisionCertificates of Competency issued through the Martin County Construction Industry Licensing Board · Registration of state-certified contractors before they pull permits in Martin County2 permits
- Florida Department of Health in Martin CountyState Environmental Public Health permitting in Martin County: food service establishments under s. 381.0072, Florida Statutes, the tattoo program, and the other programs listed on its Environmental Public Health pages1 permit
- Martin County Building DepartmentBuilding permits, plan review and inspections under the Martin County Building Department's fee schedule effective July 1, 20261 permit
- Martin County Growth Management Department, Development Review DivisionZoning Review and Compliance Determination (Zoning Use Permit Application) for a business in unincorporated Martin County before the Fire Prevention inspection and the Tax Collector's receipt1 permit
- Martin County Tax CollectorCounty Local Business Tax Receipt under Fla. Stat. Ch. 205 for businesses in the incorporated and unincorporated areas of Martin County, at $26.25 a year as published on the Tax Collector's Local Business Tax page1 permit
Other Florida 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.