What do these permits involve in Osceola County?

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County Local Business Tax Receipt

County Code Sec. 13-26 bars anyone from engaging in or managing a business, profession or occupation within Osceola County without a local business tax receipt from the Tax Collector, and Sec. 13-27 sets one uniform tax of $30.00 per business location regardless of classification. The Tax Collector's Local Business Tax Receipt page states that a business inside a city limit needs both a municipal license and the county receipt, so a business in Kissimmee or St. Cloud owes this $30.00 as well. Under Sec. 13-36 a business that was not liable during the first half of the receipt year pays half, $15.00, from April 1. The Tax Collector's page lists $45.00 for a new business starting between July 1 and September 30; because Sec. 13-35(a) limits each receipt to one year, that $45.00 is the Tax Collector's combined payment for the rest of the current receipt year plus the next full year. Renewal is $30.00, due by September 30. Under Sec. 13-40(a) a late renewal adds 10 percent in October and 5 percent for each month after, capped at 25 percent; the Tax Collector's page prints these as $3.00 (October), $4.50 (November), $6.00 (December) and $7.50 (January, the maximum). Sec. 13-40(b) adds a 25 percent penalty for operating without a receipt, Sec. 13-40(c) allows a penalty of up to $250 plus costs after 150 days, and Sec. 13-39(a) charges double the fee when field inspectors find an unlicensed business. Transfers cost 10 percent of the annual tax, at least $3.00 and at most $25.00 (Sec. 13-35(b)-(c)), plus 50 percent of the transfer fee if a location change is not transferred within 30 days. In the unincorporated area the applicant must show proof of proper zoning at a street address (Sec. 13-34(a)). Sec. 13-47 requires each independent contractor, including a beautician renting a space from a beauty shop operator and a subcontractor working for a general contractor, to hold an individual receipt. The Tax Collector's March 2026 Information Guide for New Business Owners states that businesses selling or serving food must be inspected by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services or the Division of Hotels and Restaurants before obtaining the county receipt, and that DBPR-registered or certified contractors whose business location is not within Osceola County would not be required to have an Osceola County receipt. The county Licensing page lists food trucks among businesses that take a receipt. Tax Collector main office: 2501 E. Irlo Bronson Memorial Hwy., Kissimmee (407-742-4000).

Fire Marshal Plan Review, Fire Protection System Permits and Fire Inspections (Unincorporated Osceola)

Appendix K of the county fee schedule, effective October 1, 2026 by Resolution #26-019R, as listed on the county's official fee schedule page, sets the fees of Osceola County Fire Rescue & EMS, Office of the Fire Marshal. Commercial and multi-family plan review is $0.001 times construction valuation with a $73.00 minimum; fire protection systems (sprinklers, alarms, commercial cooking suppression and similar) are reviewed at $0.002 times valuation with a $73.00 minimum and permitted on a valuation scale starting at $73.00. Appendix K requires an inspection and fee for every permit the Office issues and for all state-mandated inspections, which are performed at the frequency the state defines for the occupancy (annually, biennially or triennially) and priced by building size from $50.00 (up to 2,000 sq. ft.) through $75.00, $125.00 and $400.00 to $600.00 (500,001 sq. ft. or more), with F.S. 633.208(2), 633.216 and Fla. Admin. Code 69A-60 cited as the authority for those rates. Other inspections are $105.00 initially, with re-inspections of $105.00, $105.00, $210.00 and then $315.00, and $150.00 after hours. Occupying a commercial building without Fire Department approval costs $75.00 per occurrence plus $75.00 a day until approval is obtained or the building is vacated, and work done without a permit costs $80.00 plus double the permit fee. County Code Sec. 10-1 adopts NFPA 1 and NFPA 101 as the minimum fire safety code for the unincorporated area of Osceola County, and F.S. 125.56(1) ties county fire code enforcement to buildings outside the corporate limits of any municipality.

Onsite Sewage Treatment and Disposal System (Septic) Permit

The Florida Department of Health in Osceola County's Onsite Sewage Treatment & Disposal Systems page states that the Onsite Sewage Program has moved to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, which is responsible for implementing the statutes and rules for septic systems, and that "Under Florida's Clean Waterways Act of 2020, the county health department offices will continue to do the permitting and inspection for septic tanks; please continue to work with them for all of your permitting-related needs." A business whose premises use a septic system rather than a public sewer therefore gets its septic permit and inspection from DOH-Osceola Environmental Public Health (407-742-8606, OsceolaEnvironmentalHealth@FLHealth.gov). The page publishes no fee amount, so this record gives none.

Change of Use/Occupancy Permit (Unincorporated Osceola)

Appendix A of the county fee schedule, effective October 2, 2026 by Resolution #26-135R, as listed on the county's official fee schedule page, states that a Change of Use/Occupancy Permit is required for any commercial occupancy where the owner, tenant or use of the building or unit changes, and that the permit must be produced to the Tax Collector's Office at the time of Business Tax Receipt application. The fee is $150.00 when no remodelling work is required and $250.00 ($100.00 plan review fee plus $150.00 permit fee) when it is. The permit holder calls for a general inspection of the premises; any work needed to correct what that inspection finds is permitted separately, and the building may not be occupied until all violations are corrected and a new Certificate of Occupancy has been issued. Appendix A lists the commercial Certificate of Occupancy at $30.00. The county Building Office enforces the building code outside the corporate limits of any municipality (F.S. 125.56(1)), so this applies to premises in unincorporated Osceola County; premises inside Kissimmee or St. Cloud lie outside that statutory territory. Building Office: 1 Courthouse Square, Suite 1400, Kissimmee (407-742-0200).

Commercial Building Permits (Unincorporated Osceola)

Appendix A of the county fee schedule, effective October 2, 2026 by Resolution #26-135R, as listed on the county's official fee schedule page, sets the commercial building permit fees; County Code Sec. 5-61(a) provides that permit fees are as established by resolution. A tenant buildout is $0.65 per square foot with a commercial plan review fee of 50% of the permit fee. Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and LP gas permits each carry a $125.00 base fee plus per-fixture or per-item charges, and a sign or awning is $60.00 plan review plus $160.00 permit. Commercial and multi-family building permit review costs $132.00 by Zoning and $132.00 by Development Review. On top of these, Appendix A adds the State of Florida permit surcharge (2.5% of permit and plan review fees, minimum $4.00), a 3% technology fee and a 3% archival fee; a re-inspection after rejected work is $100.00, and starting work without a permit costs $80.00 plus double the normal permit fee. Appendix A notes that its fees do not include fees required by other counties or state agencies. Under F.S. 125.56(1) the county enforces the Florida Building Code for buildings outside the corporate limits of any municipality, so these permits apply in unincorporated Osceola County; a site inside Kissimmee or St. Cloud lies outside that statutory territory. Fire plan review and fire system permits are separate (see the Fire Marshal record).

Permit	Issuing agency	Fee	Renews	Last checked
County Local Business Tax Receipt	Osceola County Tax Collector, Local Business Tax	$30 a year per business location (County Code Sec. 13-27); $15.00 for a business first liable from April 1 (Sec. 13-36)	annual; receipts are due on or before September 30 and expire at midnight on September 30 each year (County Code Sec. 13-35(a)); no receipt is issued for more than one year	2026-10-09
Fire Marshal Plan Review, Fire Protection System Permits and Fire Inspections (Unincorporated Osceola)only if it applies to you	Osceola County Fire Rescue & EMS, Office of the Fire Marshal	Per Appendix K (effective October 1, 2026, by Resolution #26-019R): minimum permit fee $73.00. Commercial/multi-family plan review $0.001 x construction valuation (minimum $73.00). Fire protection system plan review $0.002 x construction valuation (minimum $73.00); system permit by valuation, from $73.00 for valuations up to $1,000.00, rising to $1,470.00 plus $2.40 per thousand or fraction over $500,000.01. Fire inspections: initial $105.00; re-inspections $105.00 (1st), $105.00 (2nd), $210.00 (3rd), $315.00 (subsequent failures); after-hours $150.00. State-mandated inspections by building size: 0-2,000 sq. ft. $50.00; 2,001-10,000 sq. ft. $75.00; 10,001-100,000 sq. ft. $125.00; 100,001-500,000 sq. ft. $400.00; 500,001 sq. ft. or more $600.00. Occupying a commercial building without Fire Department approval: $75.00 per occurrence plus $75.00 a day.	plan review and system permits per project; state-mandated inspections annually, biennially or triennially by occupancy type, per Appendix K	2026-10-09
Onsite Sewage Treatment and Disposal System (Septic) Permitonly if it applies to you	Florida Department of Health in Osceola County, Environmental Public Health	The permit fee is charged by the Florida Department of Health in Osceola County, which does the septic permitting and inspection. Its Onsite Sewage Treatment & Disposal Systems page publishes no fee amount; contact Environmental Public Health at 407-742-8606 for the current amount.	per permit, for the installation or repair of a system	2026-10-09
Change of Use/Occupancy Permit (Unincorporated Osceola)only if it applies to you	Osceola County Community Development, Building Office	$150–$250 per change of owner, tenant or use: $150.00 if no remodelling work is required; $250.00 ($100.00 plan review + $150.00 permit) if remodelling work is required	one-time, each time the owner, tenant or use of a commercial building or unit changes	2026-10-09
Commercial Building Permits (Unincorporated Osceola)only if it applies to you	Osceola County Community Development, Building Office	Per Appendix A (effective October 2, 2026, by Resolution #26-135R): tenant buildout $0.65 per square foot, plus a commercial plan review fee of 50% of the permit fee; electrical, plumbing, mechanical and LP gas permits each a $125.00 base fee plus per-item charges; sign or awning $60.00 plan review fee plus $160.00 permit fee; commercial and multi-family building permit review by Zoning $132.00 and by Development Review $132.00 (flat rates); State of Florida permit surcharge 2.5% of permit and plan review fees (minimum $4.00); technology fee 3%; archival fee 3%; re-inspection $100.00; failure to obtain a permit $80.00 plus double the normal permit fee.	per permit; Appendix A limits permit extensions to two 90-day extensions requested before expiry	2026-10-09

Business licenses and permits in Osceola County, Florida

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Permits that apply to every type of business in Osceola County