18 permits · verified 2026-09-11
What permits do you need to open a auto repair shop in Maui County?
In short
A auto repair shop in Maui County, HI has 5 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 13 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. County of Maui, Department of Planning charges $4,206 one-time, per application for the county special use permit / special permit (state land use agricultural and rural districts). 6 of the 18 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 Maui County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| County Special Use Permit / Special Permit (State Land Use Agricultural and Rural Districts)only if it applies to you | County of Maui, Department of Planning | $4,206 one-time, per application | one-time, per application | 2026-09-11 |
| Flammable Finishes / Spray Booth Permitonly if it applies to you | County of Maui, Department of Fire and Public Safety, Fire Prevention Bureau | $100 one-time, per installation or modification | one-time, per installation or modification | 2026-09-11 |
| Auto Repair Shop County License (not found)only if it applies to you | County of Maui, Department of Finance, Division of Motor Vehicles and Licensing | No fee | not applicable | 2026-09-11 |
| Sign Permitonly if it applies to you | County of Maui, Department of Planning | $107 one-time, per sign | one-time, per sign | 2026-09-11 |
| Conditional Permitonly if it applies to you | County of Maui, Department of Planning | $3,970 one-time, per application | limited period of time, per the permit's own terms | 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 Maui County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fire Plan Review Feeonly if it applies to you | County of Maui, Department of Fire and Public Safety, Fire Prevention Bureau | Varies — formula on the Maui County page | one-time, per project | 2026-09-11 |
| General Business License — Maui County positiononly if it applies to you | County of Maui, Department of Finance, Division of Motor Vehicles and Licensing | No fee | not applicable | 2026-09-11 |
| Certificate of Occupancy | County of Maui, Department of Public Works, Development Services Administration | $50 one-time, per certificate | one-time, no expiration once issued | 2026-09-11 |
| Commercial Building Permit | County of Maui, Department of Public Works, Development Services Administration | Varies — formula on the Maui County page | one-time, per project — the permit itself expires 5 years after issuance if work is not completed | 2026-09-11 |
| Building Plan Review Fee | County of Maui, Department of Public Works, Development Services Administration | Varies — formula on the Maui County page | one-time, per project | 2026-09-11 |
| Special Management Area (SMA) Permitonly if it applies to you | County of Maui, Department of Planning | Varies — formula on the Maui County page | one-time, per project | 2026-09-11 |
| Use Determination (Zoning Verification)only if it applies to you | County of Maui, Department of Planning | Varies — formula on the Maui County page | one-time, per request | 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 Maui County?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 18 records listed for a auto repair shop in Maui County, HI, 5 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 5 that always apply, 2 carry a flat fee, coming to $70.00. That is a floor, not a total. 6 of the 18 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 3 have no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:
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 5 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Maui County permits page and the HI state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Maui County?
Permits for a auto repair shop in Maui County, HI come from 7 separate offices: County of Maui, Department of Fire and Public Safety, Fire Prevention Bureau, County of Maui, Department of Planning, County of Maui, Department of Finance, Division of Motor Vehicles and Licensing, County of Maui, Department of Public Works, Development Services Administration, 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.
- County of Maui, Department of Fire and Public Safety, Fire Prevention BureauIssues 2 permits on this page: Fire Plan Review Fee, Flammable Finishes / Spray Booth Permit313 Manea Place, Wailuku, HI 96793 · (808) 876-4690www.mauicounty.gov/1465/Fire-Prevention-Bureau
- County of Maui, Department of PlanningIssues 5 permits on this page, including County Special Use Permit / Special Permit (State Land Use Agricultural and Rural Districts), Sign Permit, Special Management Area (SMA) Permit2200 Main Street, One Main Plaza, Suite 315, Wailuku, HI 96793 · (808) 270-7735www.mauicounty.gov/2980/Planning-Department
- County of Maui, Department of Finance, Division of Motor Vehicles and LicensingIssues 2 permits on this page: General Business License — Maui County position, Auto Repair Shop County License (not found)110 Alaihi St., Suite 101, Kahului, HI 96732 · (808) 270-7363www.mauicounty.gov/1328/Motor-Vehicle-Licensing
- County of Maui, Department of Public Works, Development Services AdministrationIssues 3 permits on this page: Certificate of Occupancy, Commercial Building Permit, Building Plan Review Fee110 Alaihi Street, Suite 214, Kahului, HI 96732 · (808) 270-7379www.mauicounty.gov/1208/Building-Permit
- 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 Maui County that other businesses do not?
3 of the 6 permits particular to a auto repair shop here apply to no other business type we cover in Maui County: Flammable Finishes / Spray Booth Permit, Auto Repair Shop County License (not found) and Motor Vehicle Repair Dealer License.
Flammable Finishes / Spray Booth Permit
Required for the installation or modification of any spray room, spray booth, or preparation work station, or to conduct a spraying or dipping operation utilizing flammable or combustible liquids or powder coating — the situation an auto-body or auto-repair shop with a paint booth would face — confirmed directly and currently at $100 each in the Department of Fire and Public Safety's own fee ordinance. This is a one-time, per-installation fee, unlike the annual fee for the equivalent permit in Hawaii County and Honolulu.
Auto Repair Shop County License (not found)
No fee applies. The Department of Finance's own current, complete list of individually named business licenses (Peddling Merchandise, Secondhand Dealers, Selling Firearm, Pawn Broker, Auctioneer, Bike Tour, Taxicab, Aquatic Life Operations, Electronic Gun Dealer) has no auto-repair 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 Maui-County-specific obligations are otherwise the same Commercial Building Permit and, if it operates a paint booth, the Flammable Finishes/Spray Booth permit, both 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 Maui County
- County Special Use Permit / Special Permit (State Land Use Agricultural and Rural Districts) — County of Maui, Department of Planning, $4,206 one-time, per application, one-time, per application. Also required for retail stores, fitness studios, salons and barbers, veterinary clinics, contractors and trades and childcare centres; what it involves is set out on the contractors and trades page.
- Sign Permit — County of Maui, Department of Planning, $107 one-time, per sign, 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 veterinary clinics page.
- Conditional Permit — County of Maui, Department of Planning, $3,970 one-time, per application, limited period of time, per the permit's own terms. Also required for retail stores, fitness studios, contractors and trades, veterinary clinics, salons and barbers and childcare centres; 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 Maui County, HI; what each one involves is set out on the Maui 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 Maui County?
The closest match is a retail store, which shares 3 of these permits. A auto repair shop also needs Flammable Finishes / Spray Booth Permit, Auto Repair Shop County License (not found) and Motor Vehicle Repair Dealer License. A retail store needs Fire Prevention Permit — Assembly Occupancy, 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 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| Fitness studios | 5 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| Salons and barbers | 5 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| Veterinary clinics | 5 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| Childcare centres | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2 |
| Contractors and trades | 5 | 2 | 4 | 3 |
| Coffee shops | 4 | 1 | 5 | 3 |
| Restaurants | 5 | 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Food trucks | 4 | 0 | 6 | 4 |
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 contractors and trades page and veterinary clinics page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Maui County permits page and the HI state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- County of Maui Revenues - Fees, Rates, Assessments and Taxes, Appendix B, Fiscal Year July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027 — the currently-effective annual fee ordinance, itemizing every business license, building/electrical/plumbing permit fee, Department of Planning fee, and Fire Department fee cited for Maui CountyCounty of Maui · 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.