Business licenses and permits in Idaho

What applies everywhere in Idaho

15 requirements are set by Idaho itself and apply whichever city you open in. Local permits sit on top of them.

Sources

Every statewide figure above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.

1. Idaho Secretary of State — SOSBiz filing portal, free annual reports filed onlineIdaho Secretary of State · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
2. Idaho Secretary of State — articles of incorporation form and feeIdaho Secretary of State · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
3. Idaho Transportation Department — vehicle dealer licensing, triggered by selling five or more vehicles a yearIdaho Transportation Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
4. Idaho DOPL — fee and licensure cycle changes effective 1 July 2026, including cosmetology establishment feesIdaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
5. Idaho Secretary of State — LLC certificate of organization form and feeIdaho Secretary of State · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
6. IDAPA 16.06.02 — standards for daycare licensing, the seven-child and thirteen-child thresholdsIdaho Department of Health and Welfare · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
7. Idaho Contractors Board — registration FAQ and the $2,000 job-value triggerIdaho Contractors Board · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
8. Idaho DOPL — electrical contractor and master electrician fee scheduleIdaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
9. Central District Health — food establishment fee scheduleCentral District Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
10. Panhandle Health District — environmental health fee schedulePanhandle Health District · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
11. IDAPA 16.02.19 — the Idaho Food Code, the seven-district delegation and the statewide 31 December expiryIdaho Department of Health and Welfare · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
12. Idaho small business portal — stating outright that Idaho has no state business licenseState of Idaho · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
13. Idaho DOPL — HVAC contractor fee scheduleIdaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
14. Idaho DOPL — plumbing contractor fee scheduleIdaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
15. Idaho State Tax Commission — who needs a seller's permit, free to obtainIdaho State Tax Commission · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
16. Idaho DOPL — the veterinary board's complete list of license categories, with no premises credentialIdaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04

Which Idaho city are you opening in?

• Nampa, IDThe City of Nampa's FAQ pages state that 'the City of Nampa does not have a city-wide business license' and that 'The City of Nampa does not issue general business licenses. Licenses are only required for specific types of businesses'; the City Clerk's Licenses page lists Alcohol Catering, Amusement, Animal/Dog, Beer/Wine/Liquor, Concessions, Massage Establishment, Motor Escort, Pawnbroker, Peddler/Solicitor, Private Security/PI/Alarm, Special Event, Tree Removal/Pruner and Used Precious Metal/Jewelry/Gem Dealer licenses and permits. Food trucks route through the generic Peddler/Solicitor License ($25/3mo, $50/6mo, $100/yr, plus a $42 background fee every other year) and a Planning & Zoning Temporary Use Permit ($50/1mo, $75/6mo) rather than a dedicated mobile-vendor license. Southwest District Health, which serves Canyon County and five neighbouring counties, is the food-permitting authority, with its own published fees of $200-$250 for a permanent establishment and $80-$100 for a mobile unit. Fire service is provided by the independent Nampa Fire Protection District, not a City department; its published fee schedule prices a $45 Mobile Food Truck Permit, a $175-per-unit Cooking Hood Extinguishing System Permit, sprinkler/alarm permits, a $120/$85 Places of Assembly fee, a $25 Day Care Inspection and a $200 Residential Access & Water Supply Permit for in-home daycare, and that schedule shows no repair-garage or motor-fuel-dispensing permit line. Building permits use a valuation-based Exhibit A table with 65% commercial plan review; the Building Safety Department's Commercial FAQ states that fees are based on the value of the work, and no standalone flat Certificate-of-Occupancy fee is published. Sign permits are processed under that same table. A Conditional Use Permit is $350; Home Occupation and Home Occupation-Daycare accessory permits are each $100; no fee is published for a standalone Zoning Verification Letter. The City licenses massage establishments ($100 + $42 background), which covers massage services specifically rather than salons generally. The City's 2026 non-residential impact fee schedule maps Restaurants/Coffee Shops/Retail Stores/Barber & Beauty Shops to 'Retail,' Child Daycare and Animal Hospitals/Kennels to 'Institutional,' and Professional Services to 'Office,' and that table names no auto repair category. The City Clerk's Licenses page names no veterinary or contractor license; Idaho's state contractor registration number is required on certain City permit applications.21 published records
• Meridian, IDThe City Clerk's License and Permit Applications page states that 'the City of Meridian does not require a general business license', and its license list runs to only eight categories (Alcohol Catering Permit, Alcohol Licenses, Mobile Sales Unit License, Temporary Use Permits, Vehicle Immobilization License, Fireworks, Pawnbroker & Precious Metal Dealer Licenses, Dog Licensing), none of which reaches a plain restaurant, retail store, salon, fitness studio, veterinary clinic, or contractor's office. The City Clerk's own Mobile Sales Unit (Vendor) License ($73.25 application fee) is the real local layer for a food truck or mobile vendor. Central District Health, not the City, is the confirmed food-permitting authority ($200-$250 permanent establishments plus a $100 plan review fee; $80-$100 mobile units), and Meridian Fire layers its own $59.82 annual Mobile Food Vendor Inspection fee on top of that (an older $45 regional joint-program figure has been superseded by the current city figure) plus a $25 Day Care Inspection fee. Building permits use a flat formula ($50 base plus $5.50 per $1,000 of project value); a Certificate of Occupancy with no other construction is $110, a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy is $114.75, and Commercial Plan Check is 65% of the building permit fee. Planning fees include a Certificate of Zoning Compliance ($230.87-$531.92), a Zoning Verification Letter ($120.89), a Conditional Use Permit ($602.63-$1,338.95), a Sign Permit ($24.18-$48.36), an Accessory Use Permit for home daycare of six children or fewer ($244.67), and an Accessory Use Permit for a home occupation ($120.89, or $169.24 for group instruction of 7 or more). Non-residential impact fees split explicitly into a 'Commercial' rate (shopping centers, stand-alone retail, restaurants and bars) and a lower 'All Other' rate for every other use, and the schedule sets the non-residential Parks impact fee at $0.00. The City Clerk's list names no additional local license for salons, veterinary practices, or auto repair shops, and, unlike Boise's, the City's consolidated fee schedule lists no repair-garage fire permit line.19 published records
• Boise City, IDThe City Clerk's licensing page organizes every license Boise issues into five categories — Animal, Food and Alcohol Beverage, Security Services, Vehicle Licensing and Other — and its Licensing Fee Schedule prices specific activities (Eating and Drinking / Food & Beverage License $84.00, Assembly License $100.00, Vendor License $148.00 a year or $74.00 semi-annual, Sidewalk Cafe License $233.50) rather than a single universal business license, so on that published structure a plain retail store, salon, fitness studio, veterinary clinic, or contractor's office holds no City Clerk license. Central District Health, not the City or the State directly, is the food-permitting authority for Ada County ($200-$250 permanent establishments plus a $100 plan review fee; $80-$100 mobile units), and Boise Fire layers its own separate $45/year Mobile Food Preparation Vehicle permit on top of that. A 2024 ordinance change (the City's own former 'mobile' eating-and-drinking license page now returns HTTP 410 Gone) removed a duplicative city food-truck license, leaving the City's own Vendor License as the remaining local product for street vending. The City Clerk's Assembly License and Boise Fire's assembly permit are one requirement administered by two departments, each priced at $100.00 on its department's current schedule. The Boise City Building Code Fee Schedule prices a full valuation-based Table 1-A permit fee, a standalone $175 certificate-of-occupancy fee, and a joint Planning/Fire fee for commercial kitchen hood suppression systems ($175 plus $4.85 per head, capped at $4,000); a separate citywide impact fee applies to new non-residential construction by land-use category (Retail $4,968.32, Office $1,197.04, Industrial $266.01 per 1,000 sq ft, plus a 1% surcharge). Boise Fire's Fire Permits and Service Fees schedule (effective October 1, 2026, FY2027) prices the Repair Garage and Service Stations Permit at $145.00 and the Inspections Required by Other Agencies fee, which covers state-required childcare fire inspections, at $104.00. Planning and Development Services' FAQ describes contractors presenting their Idaho State Contractor Registration number with a permit application; the City's published license pages list no separate local contractor competency license.18 published records
• Canyon County, IDCanyon County, Idaho, seat Caldwell; population 266,892 (U.S. Census Bureau 2024 estimate). The Board of County Commissioners, through the Clerk/Recorder, issues county alcoholic beverage licenses under County Code Chapter 5, Article 1; under Idaho Code 23-1016(1) a city may not issue a beer license to a retailer until the retailer holds the county license, so the county license applies inside city limits too, and the county's liquor-by-the-drink fee is 25% of the state fee under Idaho Code 23-916. The Clerk also issues alcoholic beverage catering permits for events in the unincorporated county. The Development Services Department issues building permits, certificates of zoning compliance, Director's Decisions, conditional use permits and floodplain development permits; its Planning & Zoning page states that the Planning & Zoning Commission acts "within the unincorporated area of the county". Southwest District Health licenses food establishments, mobile and temporary food service, public pools and septic systems for Canyon County and five neighbouring counties. The Clerk's liquor license application names Notus, Greenleaf, Melba, Parma, Wilder, Nampa, Caldwell and Middleton as examples in its city population tiers; the Clerk's Catering Permit page states that for an event within city limits "you will need to contact that city", and each city's own license, building and zoning rules for businesses inside its limits stack on the county and state records. On general business licensing, the Clerk's Catering Permit page states: "If you are inquiring about Business Licenses, please contact the Idaho Secretary of State at 208-334-2301."14 published records
• Ada County, IDAda County, Idaho, seat Boise; population 535,799 (U.S. Census Bureau 2024 estimate). The Board of Ada County Commissioners licenses retail sales of beer, wine and liquor by the drink under County Code Title 4, Chapter 3, which makes it unlawful to sell alcoholic beverages at retail "within the boundary of Ada County" until the Board grants a license; applications go through the Ada County Recorder's Office, and the Recorder's page lists the order as state license, county license, then the city license where one applies. The Recorder's Office also issues alcohol beverage catering permits for events in unincorporated Ada County. Ada County Development Services issues building and mechanical permits and handles zoning applications (conditional use, master site plan, accessory use, zoning certificates, signs and temporary uses) for unincorporated Ada County under the fee schedule of Resolution No. 3149, adopted November 25, 2025; the county's Permitting Division page states that electrical and plumbing work needs separate permits through the State of Idaho (DOPL). Central District Health, the public health district serving Ada, Boise, Elmore and Valley counties, issues septic permits. The county contains the incorporated cities of Boise, Eagle, Garden City, Kuna, Meridian and Star, whose building departments the county Permitting Division page lists; each city runs its own licensing, building and zoning rules for businesses inside its limits, and those stack on the county and state records.10 published records
• Kootenai County, IDKootenai County, Idaho, seat Coeur d'Alene; population 188,323 (U.S. Census Bureau 2024 estimate). The Kootenai County Clerk - Recorder's Office issues the county alcohol beverage license under County Code Title 3, Chapter 1, which section 3-1-2 C requires "regardless of whether the licensee is located within or without the corporate limits of any city", so a bar, restaurant or store selling beer, wine or liquor by the drink holds a county license in addition to its state Alcohol Beverage Control license wherever it is in the county; the Clerk also issues alcohol beverage catering permits for events outside city limits. Kootenai County Community Development's Building Division issues building, mechanical and sign permits for "structures erected within the County, not within City limits", and its Planning Division administers the Land Use and Development Code, including conditional use and cottage industry permits, under the fee schedule of Resolution 2026-62 (adopted June 30, 2026). The county Building page states that state inspectors carry out plumbing and electrical inspections. Panhandle Health District, a state public health district based in Hayden, issues septic permits and food establishment licenses in the county. Inside an incorporated city, the city issues alcohol catering permits (as the Clerk's page states) and the county Building Division's jurisdiction stops at city limits; each incorporated city's own license and permit rules for businesses inside its limits stack on the county and state records.8 published records
• Twin Falls County, IDTwin Falls County, Idaho, seat Twin Falls; population 96,509 (U.S. Census Bureau 2024 estimate). The Board of County Commissioners, through the County Clerk, issues annual county beer, wine and liquor-by-the-drink licenses and handles alcohol beverage catering permits for events outside city limits; under Idaho Code 23-1016(1) a city may not license a beer retailer until the retailer holds the county license, so the county beer license applies to premises inside the cities as well. Community Development Services runs the Building Department and Planning & Zoning; County Code 8-1-4 makes the county zoning code "effective within the unincorporated portions of Twin Falls County". The Sheriff issues the county peddler, solicitor and transient merchant license under County Code Title 3, Chapter 2. South Central Public Health District handles septic permits for construction in the county. The county's 2025 tax levy sheet lists city levies for eight incorporated cities: Twin Falls, Buhl, Filer, Kimberly, Hansen, Murtaugh, Castleford and Hollister. Each city's own business license, building and zoning rules for premises inside its limits stack on the county and state records.8 published records
• Bonneville County, IDBonneville County, Idaho, seat Idaho Falls; population 133,644 (U.S. Census Bureau 2024 estimate). The Bonneville County Clerk issues county beer, wine and liquor licenses to businesses that already hold a state retail alcohol license, at the prices on the Clerk's Beer and Alcohol License page, with every license expiring on September 30; the Clerk also issues alcohol beverage catering permits at the $20-per-day fee set by Idaho Code 23-934A. Since January 20, 2026, Bonneville County Planning & Zoning has processed electrical and plumbing permits and performed those inspections within the county's jurisdiction, services the county's notice says the State of Idaho no longer provides there. Eastern Idaho Public Health, the public health district serving Bonneville and seven other eastern Idaho counties, licenses food establishments, mobile food units and temporary food vendors under its own 2026 fee table. Idaho Code 23-1016 lets a city require its own beer license on top of the county one, and Idaho Code 23-1315 does the same for wine; each incorporated city's own license and permit rules for businesses inside its limits stack on these county, district and state records.7 published records

Is there a single Idaho business license?

Who issues permits in Idaho?

• Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional LicensesCosmetology and barbering · Contractor registration · Electrical, plumbing and HVAC licensing · Veterinary licensing6 permits
• Idaho Secretary of State, Business Services DivisionEntity formation · Annual reports4 permits
• Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, Division of Public HealthChild care licensing1 permit
• Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, Food Protection ProgramStatewide food code rules · The free food safety exam1 permit
• Idaho State Tax CommissionSales tax seller's permits1 permit
• Idaho Transportation Department, Division of Motor VehiclesMotor vehicle dealer licensing1 permit

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