14 published records
Business licenses and permits in Des Moines, Iowa
The City Clerk's Business Licenses & Permits page lists licenses only for a named set of specific activities (alcohol, tobacco, transient merchants, mobile food vendors, peddlers, pawnshops and similar) and names no general business license. Food establishment and mobile-food licensing is handled directly by the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing (DIAL); Polk County is not one of the ten counties with a delegated local health department, so this is the same statewide authority already recorded at the state layer, not a distinct local one. Under Municipal Code § 26-450(c), 'No new electrical contractor licenses shall be issued by the city,' and §§ 26-550 and 26-670 let a business holding a state plumbing and mechanical board license pull permits, so the city recognizes the state electrical, mechanical and plumbing board licenses at permit issuance. A mandatory sign permit and a conditional zoning verification letter both have no published fee; the same is true of the Fire Prevention Bureau's hazardous-materials and storage-tank permits.
What are you opening in Des Moines?
- 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
- Food trucksMobile food is the one category with no certificate of occupancy — but it gains a commissary agreement, and the unit itself is inspected rather than the premises.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 Des Moines
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Business License — City of Des Moines positiononly if it applies to you | City of Des Moines, City Clerk's Office | No fee | not applicable | 2026-09-10 |
| Certificate of Occupancy | City of Des Moines Development Services Department, Permit and Development Center | $51.50 flat | one-time, no expiration | 2026-09-10 |
| Zoning Verification Letteronly if it applies to you | City of Des Moines Neighborhood Services Department, Zoning Enforcement Division | No fee | one-time, no stated expiration | 2026-09-10 |
| Building Permit (Commercial) | City of Des Moines Development Services Department, Permit and Development Center | Priced by total construction valuation: less than $2,000 is $66.31 flat; $2,000.01–$25,000 is $66.31 plus $9.33 per additional $1,000 or fraction; $25,000.01–$50,000 is $280.04 plus $7.98 per additional $1,000 or fraction; $50,000.01–$100,000 is $478.95 plus $6.63 per additional $1,000 or fraction; $100,000.01–$500,000 is $810.49 plus $4.00 per additional $1,000 or fraction; above $500,000 is $2,401.19 plus $2.71 per additional $1,000 or fraction. A Plan Checking Fee of 65% of the building permit fee applies to any project valued over $1,000, and an Energy Review Fee of 2% of the building permit fee (minimum $21.75) applies to any building with heated or cooled enclosed space. | one-time, per project | 2026-09-10 |
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 Des Moines?
General Business License — City of Des Moines position
The City Clerk's own Business Licenses & Permits page states that licenses and permits are required 'when it comes to running a food, merchandise, entertainment, or specific service industry business' and lists them by name (alcohol, tobacco, transient merchant, mobile food vendor, peddler, premise, pawn shop, theater, street performer, haunted house, coin-operated machine, solid waste hauler, salvage dealer, donation bin and similar permits); that page names no general business license, so there is no general business license fee. Under that list, a restaurant, retail store, salon, fitness studio, veterinary clinic, auto-repair shop or contractor's office that does not fall into one of the named categories holds no City Clerk business license.
Certificate of Occupancy
A Temporary Certificate of Occupancy is priced separately and higher for a commercial space than the standard certificate: $103.00 for commercial, $51.50 for residential. A Permit Extension Fee of $51.50 (commercial) or $25.75 (residential) applies if more time is needed to complete permitted work.
Zoning Verification Letter
The Zoning Enforcement Division's own page confirms it issues zoning verification letters, but names no fee for the service, and none could be found in any linked or searched document. This is an advisory letter documenting a property's zoning status, most often requested by lenders, buyers or new tenants rather than required to open every business. No fee is published for the letter — confirm directly with the division (515-283-4207 or dz@dmgov.org).
Building Permit (Commercial)
This is the current fee schedule effective 1 January 2026, itself an update of an earlier '2-1-25' schedule — figures rise roughly 3.5% between the two, consistent with an indexed annual adjustment rather than a one-off change. Electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits are priced separately on their own base-fee-plus-unit-fee tables within the same document rather than folded into this figure. Applied for through the Development Services Customer Self-Service Portal.
Sources
Every figure in the table above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- Business Licenses & Permits — confirming that licensing applies only to specific named activities (alcohol, tobacco, transient merchant, mobile food vendor, peddler, premise permit, pawnshop, theater, street performer, haunted house, coin-operated machine, solid waste hauler, salvage dealer, donation bin, going-out-of-business sale, address curb painting), not a general business licenseCity of Des Moines, City Clerk's Office · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-10
- Permit and Development Center Permit Fees — New Fees 1-1-26 (commercial building-permit valuation table, plan-checking fee, energy review fee, certificate of occupancy fee, permit extension and reinstatement fees, overtime inspection fee, temporary certificate of occupancy fee, wireless tower fees, and right-of-way obstruction permit fees)City of Des Moines, Development Services Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-10
- Zoning Enforcement Division — confirming it issues sign, sound and home-occupation permits and zoning verification letters, with no fee schedule published on or linked from the pageCity of Des Moines, Neighborhood Services Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-10
- Permit and Development Center — programme overview, contact information and Customer Self-Service PortalCity of Des Moines, Development Services Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-10
Who issues business permits in Des Moines?
Permitting in Des Moines is split across 4 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.
Des Moines issuing agencies
- City of Des Moines, City Clerk's OfficeCategory-specific business licenses · Mobile food vendor license · Transient merchant and premise permit licenses8 permits
- City of Des Moines Development Services Department, Permit and Development CenterBuilding, electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits · Certificates of occupancy · Demolition and right-of-way obstruction permits3 permits
- City of Des Moines Neighborhood Services Department, Zoning Enforcement DivisionSign and sound permits · Zoning verification letters · Home occupation and temporary use applications2 permits
- City of Des Moines Fire Department, Fire Prevention BureauFire inspections · Hazardous operations and storage tank permits · Mobile food vendor fire inspections1 permit
Other Iowa 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.