9 published records
Business licenses and permits in Pinellas County, Florida
Pinellas County, Florida, seat Clearwater. The County's municipalities page lists 24 municipalities: Belleair, Belleair Beach, Belleair Bluffs, Belleair Shore, Clearwater, Dunedin, Gulfport, Indian Rocks Beach, Indian Shores, Kenneth City, Largo, Madeira Beach, North Redington Beach, Oldsmar, Pinellas Park, Redington Beach, Redington Shores, Safety Harbor, St. Pete Beach, St. Petersburg, Seminole, South Pasadena, Tarpon Springs and Treasure Island. Each runs its own business tax receipt, building and zoning requirements, which stack on the county items below. The County's occupational license page states that businesses located in unincorporated areas, under Ordinance No. 95-53 (effective September 30, 1995), are not required to obtain Business Tax Receipts (Occupational Licenses) from Pinellas County. Child care is licensed by the Pinellas County License Board under s. 402.306, Fla. Stat., rather than by the Department of Children and Families. Contractors are licensed countywide by the Pinellas County Construction Licensing Board. Building and Development Review Services issues building permits for unincorporated Pinellas and six partner communities: Belleair Beach, Belleair Shore, Indian Rocks Beach, Kenneth City, Oldsmar and Safety Harbor. The population figure of 965,870 is the U.S. Census Bureau's 2024 estimate.
What are you opening in Pinellas 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
- 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 Pinellas County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Building Permit (BDRS) | Pinellas County Building and Development Review Services | Set by the BDRS building fee schedule. The BDRS department page states that, effective July 1, 2026, the building fee schedule is updated for inspection fees and private provider fees under House Bill 803 and Fla. Stat. 553.79. This record carries no dollar figure; contact BDRS for the fee for a specific project. | one-time per project | 2026-10-06 |
| Onsite Sewage Treatment and Disposal System (Septic) Permitonly if it applies to you | Florida Department of Health in Pinellas County, Environmental Public Health | The DOH-Pinellas onsite sewage page publishes no fee amount. Contact DOH-Pinellas Environmental Public Health for the current permit fee. | construction permit valid 18 months; repair permit valid 90 days; commercial wastewater operating permit valid 1 year and renewed annually (s. 381.0065(4), Fla. Stat.) | 2026-10-06 |
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 Pinellas County?
Building Permit (BDRS)
Construction, alteration and tenant build-out work needs a building permit before it starts. The County's Applying for a Building Permit page states that Building and Development Review Services (BDRS) serves unincorporated areas, Belleair Beach, Belleair Shore, Indian Rocks Beach, Kenneth City, Oldsmar and Safety Harbor, and the County's Permitting Guide names the same six partner communities. A business in one of those six towns or in unincorporated Pinellas applies to BDRS, at 440 Court Street, Clearwater; a business in any of the other 18 municipalities applies to that city's own building department. The BDRS department page states that, effective July 1, 2026, the building fee schedule is updated for inspection fees and private provider fees to comply with House Bill 803 and Fla. Stat. 553.79. This record states no dollar figure; contact BDRS for the fee for a specific project.
Onsite Sewage Treatment and Disposal System (Septic) Permit
This applies only to a business whose site uses a septic system rather than a public sewer; a business on a public sewer has no septic permit. Under s. 381.0065(4), Fla. Stat., a person may not construct, repair, modify, abandon or operate an onsite sewage treatment and disposal system without a permit, and an operating permit is required before using an aerobic treatment unit or where the establishment generates commercial waste. A local government may not approve a change in occupancy or tenancy of a building on a septic system until the department has reviewed the change. The DOH-Pinellas onsite sewage page states that from January 2, 2025 the Florida Department of Environmental Protection manages septic permitting in 16 named counties, which do not include Pinellas, and that outside those counties the local county health department still handles septic permitting and inspections. This record carries no dollar figure; contact DOH-Pinellas for the current fee.
Sources
Every figure in the table above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- Building and Development Review Services department page (service area; building fee schedule update effective July 1, 2026)Pinellas County, Florida · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-06
- Applying for a Building Permit (names the six partner communities)Pinellas County, Florida · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-06
- Permitting Guide (names the six partner communities)Pinellas County, Florida · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-06
- Building and Development Review Services building, transportation and zoning fees pagePinellas County, Florida · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-06
- Onsite Sewage Disposal and Septic Tanks (DEP permitting counties from January 2, 2025; county health department permitting elsewhere)Florida Department of Health in Pinellas County · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-06
- Fla. Stat. s. 381.0065, Onsite sewage treatment and disposal systems; regulationFlorida Legislature · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-06
Who issues business permits in Pinellas County?
Permitting in Pinellas County is split across 7 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.
Pinellas County issuing agencies
- Florida Department of Health in Pinellas County, Environmental Public HealthPublic swimming pool and spa operating permits and inspections (s. 514.025, Fla. Stat.; Ch. 64E-9, F.A.C.) · Onsite sewage treatment and disposal system (septic) permitting and inspections, according to its onsite sewage page2 permits
- Pinellas County License Board for Children's Centers and Family Child Care Homes (Child Care Licensing, Florida Department of Health in Pinellas County)Licenses children's centers and family and large family child care homes countywide under s. 402.306, Fla. Stat., and local act Ch. 61-2681, Laws of Florida2 permits
- Pinellas County Animal ServicesPet Dealer/Kennel permits under Pinellas County Code Ch. 14, Sec. 14-291 permit
- Pinellas County Building and Development Review ServicesBuilding permits, building inspections and code reference for unincorporated Pinellas County and six partner communities: Belleair Beach, Belleair Shore, Indian Rocks Beach, Kenneth City, Oldsmar and Safety Harbor1 permit
- Pinellas County Construction Licensing BoardRegulates certain construction and home improvement contractors practicing in Pinellas County, including all local municipalities, according to its homepage · County-certified contractor and journeyman licenses, renewals, reinstatements and related filings1 permit
- Pinellas County Solid Waste, Business Waste Assessments SectionSmall Quantity Generator (SQG) notification and verification program under s. 403.7234, Fla. Stat.1 permit
- Pinellas County Utilities, Grease Management ProgramAnnual FOG Control Device permit for food service establishments discharging to a wastewater treatment facility operated by Pinellas County Utilities1 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.