16 permits · verified 2026-09-11
What permits do you need to open a auto repair shop in Honolulu County?
In short
A auto repair shop in Honolulu County, HI has 3 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 13 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. City and County of Honolulu, Department of Planning and Permitting charges $600 one-time — $200 non-refundable Initial Review fee plus a $400 Processing fee for the conditional use permit (minor) — general. 5 of the 16 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-09-11 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a auto repair shop in Honolulu County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sign Permitonly if it applies to you | City and County of Honolulu, Department of Planning and Permitting | $18–$70 one-time, by estimated value of the sign work — $18.00 ($.01-$500.00), $35.00 ($500.01-$1,000.00), $70.00 ($1,000.01 and above) | one-time, per sign | 2026-09-11 |
| Conditional Use Permit (Minor) — Generalonly if it applies to you | City and County of Honolulu, Department of Planning and Permitting | $600 one-time — $200 non-refundable Initial Review fee plus a $400 Processing fee | one-time, per application | 2026-09-11 |
| Auto Repair Shop County License (not found)only if it applies to you | City and County of Honolulu, Department of Customer Services, Business License Section | No fee | not applicable | 2026-09-11 |
| Motor Vehicle Repair Dealer License | Hawaii DCCA, Professional and Vocational Licensing Division | $224–$368 for a new license, depending on whether it is issued in an even or odd year | biennial — every license renews by 30 June of odd-numbered years regardless of issue date | 2026-09-04 |
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 Honolulu County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Business License — City and County of Honolulu positiononly if it applies to you | City and County of Honolulu, Department of Customer Services, Business License Section | No fee | not applicable | 2026-09-11 |
| Building Plan Review Feeonly if it applies to you | City and County of Honolulu, Department of Planning and Permitting | Varies — formula on the Honolulu County page | one-time, per project | 2026-09-11 |
| Fire Plans Review Feeonly if it applies to you | Honolulu Fire Department, Fire Prevention Bureau | Varies — formula on the Honolulu County page | one-time, per project | 2026-09-11 |
| Commercial Building Permit & Certificate of Occupancy | City and County of Honolulu, Department of Planning and Permitting | Varies — formula on the Honolulu County page | one-time, per project | 2026-09-11 |
| Special Management Area (SMA) Permit Determinationonly if it applies to you | City and County of Honolulu, Department of Planning and Permitting | $150 one-time, per tax map key (TMK) parcel | one-time, per property | 2026-09-11 |
| Zoning Verificationonly if it applies to you | City and County of Honolulu, Department of Planning and Permitting | No fee | one-time, per request | 2026-09-11 |
| Zoning Varianceonly if it applies to you | City and County of Honolulu, Department of Planning and Permitting | $2,400 one-time — $400 non-refundable Initial Review fee plus a $2,000 Processing fee | one-time, per application | 2026-09-11 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
HI registrations that apply to every type of business
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Business License — Hawaii positiononly if it applies to you | Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Business Registration Division | No fee | not applicable | 2026-09-04 |
| Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to you | Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Business Registration Division | $51 one-time filing, including the $1 state archives fee | perpetual, but an annual report is due every year | 2026-09-04 |
| Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Business Registration Division | $51 one-time filing, including the $1 state archives fee | perpetual, but an annual report is due every year | 2026-09-04 |
| Annual Reportonly if it applies to you | Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Business Registration Division | $15 a year on paper; a $10 late fee applies per year delinquent | annual — due at the end of the calendar quarter containing the entity's own original registration date | 2026-09-04 |
| General Excise Tax License | Hawaii Department of Taxation | $20 one-time registration | no expiration — remains active until closed, surrendered or revoked for abandonment | 2026-09-04 |
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 auto repair shop in Honolulu County?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 16 records listed for a auto repair shop in Honolulu County, HI, 3 apply to every business of this type and 13 are conditional. Adding every fee on the page together would overstate what most operators pay, because it would include permits they never need.
Of the 3 that always apply, 1 carry a flat fee, coming to $20.00. That is a floor, not a total. 5 of the 16 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 4 have no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:
Sign Permit: $18–$70 one-time, by estimated value of the sign work — $18.00 ($.01-$500.00), $35.00 ($500.01-$1,000.00), $70.00 ($1,000.01 and above)
Motor Vehicle Repair Dealer License: $224–$368 for a new license, depending on whether it is issued in an even or odd year
The other 3 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Honolulu County permits page and the HI state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Honolulu County?
Permits for a auto repair shop in Honolulu County, HI come from 6 separate offices: City and County of Honolulu, Department of Customer Services, Business License Section, City and County of Honolulu, Department of Planning and Permitting, Honolulu Fire Department, Fire Prevention Bureau, Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Business Registration Division, Hawaii Department of Taxation, Hawaii DCCA, Professional and Vocational Licensing Division. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- City and County of Honolulu, Department of Customer Services, Business License SectionIssues 2 permits on this page: General Business License — City and County of Honolulu position, Auto Repair Shop County License (not found)Kapalama Driver Licensing Center, Window #17, 925 Dillingham Blvd., Honolulu, HI 96817 · (808) 768-9700www.honolulu.gov/csd/business-license
- City and County of Honolulu, Department of Planning and PermittingIssues 7 permits on this page, including Building Plan Review Fee, Commercial Building Permit & Certificate of Occupancy, Sign Permit650 South King Street, 7th Floor, Honolulu, HI 96813 · (808) 768-8000www.honolulu.gov/dpp
- Honolulu Fire Department, Fire Prevention BureauIssues 1 permit on this page: Fire Plans Review Fee636 South Street, Honolulu, HI 96813 · (808) 723-7139fire.honolulu.gov/fire-code/permits
- Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Business Registration DivisionIssues 4 permits on this page: General Business License — Hawaii position, Articles of Organization (LLC), Articles of Incorporation, Annual Report335 Merchant Street, Room 201, Honolulu, HI 96813 · (808) 586-2727cca.hawaii.gov/breg
- Hawaii Department of TaxationIssues 1 permit on this page: General Excise Tax License830 Punchbowl Street, Honolulu, HI 96813 · (808) 587-4242tax.hawaii.gov/geninfo/licensing
- Hawaii DCCA, Professional and Vocational Licensing DivisionIssues 1 permit on this page: Motor Vehicle Repair Dealer License335 Merchant Street, Room 301, Honolulu, HI 96813 · (808) 586-3000cca.hawaii.gov/pvl
What does a auto repair shop need in Honolulu County that other businesses do not?
2 of the 4 permits particular to a auto repair shop here apply to no other business type we cover in Honolulu County: Auto Repair Shop County License (not found) and Motor Vehicle Repair Dealer License.
Auto Repair Shop County License (not found)
No fee applies. The Department of Customer Services' own current, complete list of individually named business licenses (Auctioneer, E-GUN, Firearms, Garbage/Refuse, Glass Recycler, Pawn Broker, Peddler, Pedicab, Pepper Spray, Scrap Dealer, Secondhand Dealer, Tear Gas, Used Vehicle Parts, Wrecking/Salvaging) has no auto-repair-specific category anywhere in it. Hawaii's own state Motor Vehicle Repair Dealer License, recorded at the state layer, remains the real trade-specific credential; an auto repair shop's Honolulu-specific obligations are otherwise the same Commercial Building Permit and any applicable zoning or fire permits recorded elsewhere in this file.
Motor Vehicle Repair Dealer License
Hawaii genuinely licenses auto repair shops, under their own board separate from vehicle dealer licensing, and prices the license per repair facility rather than per business — a company running several shops needs one for each. A new license issued in an odd year costs $368 in total once the application, license and compliance resolution fund surcharge are added together, along with a half-cycle renewal fee; issued in an even year it is $224, reflecting the shorter time remaining before the shared 30 June renewal date in the next odd year. Every license, regardless of when it was issued, renews on that same shared date.
Shared with other businesses in Honolulu County
- Sign Permit — City and County of Honolulu, Department of Planning and Permitting, $18–$70 one-time, by estimated value of the sign work — $18.00 ($.01-$500.00), $35.00 ($500.01-$1,000.00), $70.00 ($1,000.01 and above), one-time, per sign. Also required for restaurants, coffee shops, retail stores, salons and barbers, fitness studios and veterinary clinics; what it involves is set out on the restaurants page.
- Conditional Use Permit (Minor) — General — City and County of Honolulu, Department of Planning and Permitting, $600 one-time — $200 non-refundable Initial Review fee plus a $400 Processing fee, one-time, per application. Also required for retail stores, fitness studios, contractors and trades, veterinary clinics and salons and barbers; what it involves is set out on the contractors and trades page.
The other 7 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Honolulu County, HI; what each one involves is set out on the Honolulu County permits page. The 5 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across HI and are covered on the HI state page.
How does a auto repair shop compare with other businesses in Honolulu County?
The closest match is a retail store, which shares 2 of these permits. A auto repair shop also needs Auto Repair Shop County License (not found) and Motor Vehicle Repair Dealer License. A retail store needs Fire Prevention Permit — Places of Assembly and Conditional Use Permit (Major), which a auto repair shop does not.
| Business | Its own permits | Shared with a auto repair shop | Only a auto repair shop needs | Only it needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail stores | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Salons and barbers | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Veterinary clinics | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Fitness studios | 5 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Coffee shops | 4 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Contractors and trades | 5 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| Restaurants | 5 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| Childcare centres | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2 |
| Food trucks | 3 | 0 | 4 | 3 |
Sources
Every figure for the permits explained on this page was read from one of these government pages on the date shown. Sources for the permits shared with other businesses are listed with their explanations on the restaurants page and contractors and trades page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Honolulu County permits page and the HI state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- Business License — the Department of Customer Services' own current page naming the complete, fixed list of individual business licenses it issues (Auctioneer, E-GUN, Firearms, Garbage/Refuse, Glass Recycler, Pawn Broker, Peddler, Pedicab, Pepper Spray, Scrap Dealer, Secondhand Dealer, Tear Gas/Obnoxious Substance, Used Vehicle Parts, Wrecking/Salvaging), including the Peddler definition reaching 'foodstuffs'City and County of Honolulu, Department of Customer Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-11
- Hawaii Motor Vehicle Repair Industry Board — application requirements and fee scheduleHawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
Related
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.