11 published records
Business licenses and permits in St. Johns County, Florida
St. Johns County, Florida, seat St. Augustine, lies on the Atlantic coast directly south of Duval County. Its two incorporated municipalities are the City of St. Augustine and the City of St. Augustine Beach. The former Town of Hastings is not a municipality: the county's Hastings infrastructure page states that St. Johns County took over the Town of Hastings after its dissolution in 2018. The St. Johns County Tax Collector issues the county Local Business Tax Receipt under Ordinance 87-36, countywide. The Tax Collector's Business Tax FAQ states: "In St. Johns County, a business located within city limit requires both a municipal receipt and a county receipt to operate. A city receipt must be obtained before a county local business tax receipt can be issued." Each of the two cities runs its own zoning approval and business tax receipt, which stack on the county receipt and are not described here. The county's zoning approval, building permits, Special Use and Temporary Use permits, sign permits and Fire Marshal permits recorded here apply in unincorporated St. Johns County. County fees come from St. Johns County's Schedule of Fees and Services, amended 09/15/2026, for fiscal year 2027 (October 1, 2026 to September 30, 2027). Contractors in county-licensed trades hold a St. Johns County contractor license, and State-certified contractors register with the county. The population figure of 334,928 is the U.S. Census Bureau's 2024 estimate.
What are you opening in St. Johns 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 St. Johns County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| County Local Business Tax Receipt | St. Johns County Tax Collector | County tax by classification under Ordinance 87-36, Exhibit "A": restaurants by number of seats — 1-30 seats $30.00 (minimum), 31-74 seats $37.50, 75-149 seats $56.25, 150 or more $75.00, plus $30.00 for each snack counter or take-out and $60.00 for a drive-in, in addition; Retail Sales $30.00; Child Care Nursery $22.00; Athletic Club $22.00; Dance Studio $30.00; Contractors $18.00 ($22.00 for Concrete Pumping, Excavating, Fence, Insulation, Marine, and Paving and Grading); Garage $22.00; Repair $22.00; Veterinarian $30.00; Kennel $22.00; Dog Grooming $22.00; Barber Shop $22.00; Beauty Shop $22.00. The Tax Collector's page lists the most requested amounts as State Licensed Professional $30.00, Sales $30.00, Service Trades $22.00 and Construction $18.00. | annual; the fiscal year runs October 1 through September 30, and a receipt first taken out in the second half of the year pays one-half the annual rate (Ordinance 87-36, Section 2) | 2026-10-20 |
| Zoning Approval of the Business Location (Unincorporated St. Johns)only if it applies to you | St. Johns County Growth Management, Planning and Zoning Division | $28 per application: "Certificate for Home Office, Rural Industry or Business Office (includes Change of Use)" (FY 27 Schedule of Fees and Services, amended 09/15/2026) | one-time, for each new business location or change of use in unincorporated St. Johns County, before the county business tax receipt is issued | 2026-10-20 |
| Commercial Building Permits (Unincorporated St. Johns)only if it applies to you | St. Johns County Building Department | The building permit fee is not stated here. Ch. 2026-63, Laws of Florida (CS/CS/HB 803, effective July 1, 2026; laws.flrules.org/2026/63), amended s. 553.79, F.S.: "Inspection fees may not be based on the total cost of a project and may not exceed the actual inspection costs incurred by the local enforcement agency." The FY 27 Schedule of Fees and Services (amended 09/15/2026) lists a flat Permit Issuance Fee of $20.00 per permit, and its Growth Management section lists a Clearance Sheet Processing Fee of $80.00; contact the Building Department at (904) 827-6800 for the permit fee for a specific project. | per project | 2026-10-20 |
| Sign Permit (Unincorporated St. Johns)only if it applies to you | St. Johns County Growth Management, Planning and Zoning Division | Land Development Code Sec. 7.00.08 requires the appropriate fee to be paid to the County; the FY 27 Schedule of Fees and Services (amended 09/15/2026) does not publish a line titled "Sign Permit". Contact Growth Management at (904) 209-0675 for the current amount. | one-time per sign; a new permit is needed for structural alteration or for work on more than one-sixth of a sign structure in a year | 2026-10-20 |
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 St. Johns County?
County Local Business Tax Receipt
The Tax Collector's Business Tax FAQ states that "St. Johns County Ordinance 87-36 requires all individuals or organizations doing business which is located and/or operating in St Johns County to obtain a Local Business Tax Receipt", and that the tax is paid annually for the fiscal year running October 1 through September 30. The rates above are copied from the ordinance's Exhibit "A" (adopted August 11, 1987). The Clerk's ordinance index lists Ordinance 87-50 (adding vending operators and modifying vending machines) and Ordinance 93-4 (allowing the county to purchase receipts for occupations or events serving a public purpose) as amendments; neither changes the classes listed here. Restaurants and cafés are taxed by seat count, and the Tax Collector assigns each business its classification. The FAQ notes that some professional offices, such as a beauty salon or cosmetologist, require two receipts. Before applying, a business needs zoning approval of its location (the county zoning office for unincorporated areas, (904) 209-0675); a sales business needs a Florida Department of Revenue sales tax number; construction trades need a current State of Florida license or current county-authorized license; and a state-licensed professional must show the state license. Per the FAQ, a business inside the City of St. Augustine or the City of St. Augustine Beach must obtain the city receipt first, and "St. Johns County does not reciprocate with any other counties." Renewals are delinquent on October 1, with penalties of 10, 15, 20 and 25 percent from October to January as the FAQ lists them. Tax Collector: (904) 209-2250, btr@sjctax.us.
Zoning Approval of the Business Location (Unincorporated St. Johns)
Development Review Manual Section 27.0 states: "In order to ensure the location of a business within an appropriate zoning district Growth Management Department will review such locations prior to the issuance of a Business Tax Receipt by the County Tax Collectors Office." The county's FAQ on doing business in St. Johns County describes the steps: a business located in the county and not within the City of St. Augustine or the City of St. Augustine Beach gets zoning approval through the Planning and Zoning Division, a home office completes only page one of the application, the signature must be notarized unless signed in front of county staff, and a home-based business inside a homeowners association adds a signed affidavit. The approved zoning application is then taken to the Tax Collector with the business tax receipt application. The fee of $28.00 is the line in the FY 27 Schedule of Fees and Services (amended 09/15/2026), the county's adopted fee schedule for October 1, 2026 to September 30, 2027. Applications go to the Planning and Zoning Office, 4040 Lewis Speedway, St. Augustine, or by email to plandept@sjcfl.us. A location inside either city gets zoning approval from that city instead.
Commercial Building Permits (Unincorporated St. Johns)
The St. Johns County Building Department issues building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits for new construction, build-outs and alterations of commercial space in unincorporated St. Johns County, under the "Building Services Fees F.S. 553-80" section of the county's FY 27 Schedule of Fees and Services (amended 09/15/2026). That section sets the building permit fee by the total valuation of the building, and adds a note that "The building permit fee includes a separately imposed inspection fee based on the actual costs incurred by the County, not the total cost of the project." Ch. 2026-63, Laws of Florida (CS/CS/HB 803), effective July 1, 2026, amended s. 553.79, F.S., to provide that inspection fees may not be based on the total cost of a project and may not exceed the actual inspection costs incurred by the local enforcement agency; this record therefore states the requirement and the flat issuance fee of $20.00, and publishes no valuation-based figure. The schedule also notes that, per HB 803, projects that elect private provider inspection services receive reduced fees. The Fire Prevention section of St. Johns County Fire Rescue takes part in the review of commercial building permits. This record covers unincorporated St. Johns County; a site inside the City of St. Augustine or the City of St. Augustine Beach should check that city's building requirements. Building Department: (904) 827-6800, bldcodes@sjcfl.us.
Sign Permit (Unincorporated St. Johns)
Land Development Code Sec. 7.00.08 states: "Unless exempt from permitting, no Permanent Sign shall be Erected, altered, relocated, maintained, or displayed until a Sign Permit is obtained from, and the appropriate fee paid to, the County. The Sign Permit is in addition to any Building Permit required to be obtained pursuant to the provisions of the FBC." A lawfully erected sign may be maintained, repainted or have ordinary repairs, including replacing plastic or glass panels, without a new permit, but a structural alteration, or replacing, repairing, disassembling or refurbishing more than one-sixth of a sign structure in a year, requires a new Sign Permit and full compliance with Article VII. Temporary signs identified in Sections 7.02.01 and 7.02.02 do not need a Sign Permit. A storefront business in unincorporated St. Johns County therefore needs a Sign Permit for its permanent sign; a business inside either city follows that city's sign rules.
Sources
Every figure in the table above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- St. Johns County Ordinance Number 87-36 (occupational license tax), with Exhibit "A"St. Johns County Tax Collector · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-20
- Local Business TaxSt. Johns County Tax Collector · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-20
- Business Tax FAQsSt. Johns County Tax Collector · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-20
- St. Johns County Ordinance 1987-50St. Johns County Clerk of the Circuit Court and County Comptroller · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-20
- St. Johns County Ordinance 1993-4St. Johns County Clerk of the Circuit Court and County Comptroller · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-20
- St. Johns County Ordinance Books — subject indexSt. Johns County Clerk of the Circuit Court and County Comptroller · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-20
- Florida Statutes §205.053 (2026) — business tax receipts; renewal, delinquency and penaltiesFlorida Legislature (Online Sunshine) · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-20
- St. Johns County's Schedule of Fees and Services, Exhibit "A" (Amended 09/15/2026, FY 27 Current)St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-20
- Development Review Manual Section 27.0 — Home Office, Rural Home Industry or All Other Non-Residential UsesSt. Johns County Growth Management · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-20
- Do I need a license to do business in St. Johns County?St. Johns County · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-20
- Laws of Florida, Chapter 2026-63 (CS/CS/HB 803) — building permits and inspectionsFlorida Department of State · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-20
- St. Johns County Land Development Code, Article VII (Sec. 7.00.08 Sign Permits)St. Johns County · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-20
Who issues business permits in St. Johns County?
Permitting in St. Johns 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.
St. Johns County issuing agencies
- St. Johns County Growth Management, Planning and Zoning DivisionZoning approval of business locations in unincorporated St. Johns County before the county business tax receipt (Development Review Manual Section 27.0) · Special Use Permits, Temporary Use Permits and sign permits under the Land Development Code in unincorporated St. Johns County5 permits
- St. Johns County Building Department, Contractor LicensingCounty contractor licenses (Class I, Class II and journeyman) under Ordinance 2002-48, with the Contractor Review Board · Registration of State-certified contractors who work in St. Johns County2 permits
- St. Johns County Fire Rescue, Fire PreventionLocal enforcement of the Florida Fire Prevention Code under Fla. Stat. Ch. 633 and Ordinance 2016-29: fire plan review, Fire Marshal permits, operational permits and fire safety inspections2 permits
- St. Johns County Building DepartmentBuilding, electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits for unincorporated St. Johns County under the county Schedule of Fees and Services1 permit
- St. Johns County Tax CollectorCounty Local Business Tax Receipt under Ordinance 87-36 and Fla. Stat. Ch. 205, for businesses located or operating in St. Johns County, including inside the two cities1 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.