10 published records
Business licenses and permits in Ada County, Idaho
Ada 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.
What are you opening in Ada 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 Ada County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Master Site Plan (unincorporated Ada County)only if it applies to you | Ada County Development Services | $350 plus $0.12 per square foot of proposed structures (Resolution No. 3149, Exhibit A, Master Site Plan). | per application | 2026-10-14 |
| Sign Approval, signs over 64 square feet (unincorporated Ada County)only if it applies to you | Ada County Development Services | $200 per application, for "Sign Approval (>64 sq ft)" (Resolution No. 3149, adopted November 25, 2025) | per application | 2026-10-14 |
| Septic (Subsurface Sewage Disposal) Permit (Central District Health)only if it applies to you | Central District Health | Central District Health "Sewage Program Fees – Jul 2026": Permit – New $1,070; Permit – New, no test hole/site visit $535; Permit – Expansion (no test hole) $535; Permit – Repair (no test hole) $535; Permit – Repair (with test hole) $1,070; Permit – Central/LSAS, new or repair $2,250; Accessory Use Review $141; Accessory Use Review – Field Visit $535; Permit – Tank Only $535; Permit – Vault Privy $535; additional test holes $535. | per permit | 2026-10-14 |
| Building Permit and Commercial Mechanical Permit (unincorporated Ada County)only if it applies to you | Ada County Development Services | Building permit fee by total valuation (Resolution No. 3149, Exhibit A): $1.00 to $2,000.00, $65.00; $2,000.01 to $25,000.00, $65.00 for the first $2,000.00 plus $11.00 for each additional $1,000.00 or fraction; $25,000.01 to $50,000.00, $318.00 plus $7.00 per additional $1,000.00; $50,000.01 to $100,000.00, $493.00 plus $5.00 per additional $1,000.00; $100,000.01 to $1,000,000.00, $743.00 plus $4.15 per additional $1,000.00; $1,000,000.01 and up, $4,478.00 plus $2.60 per additional $1,000.00. Plan review: International Building Code 65% of the building permit fee; International Residential Code 50%; IBC accessibility plan review and IBC energy plan review each 25% of the building plan review fee. Reinspection (after first reinspection) $100 per reinspection, per inspection type. Commercial mechanical permit: $35 plus 2% of total mechanical job value. | per permit | 2026-10-14 |
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 Ada County?
Master Site Plan (unincorporated Ada County)
Where the Ada County zoning code requires a master site plan for a development in unincorporated Ada County, the application is made to Development Services under Ada County Code 8-6-19. The zoning code sets which projects need one, and Development Services confirms whether a given business project does. As set in Resolution No. 3149, the master site plan fee is $350 plus $0.12 per square foot. The county's Master Site Plan Application Checklist prints the same figures: "$350 (base fee) + .12/square foot (for all proposed structures)". The checklist asks for a master application form and a detailed letter describing the request. A separate Resolution No. 3149 line prices solar photovoltaic centralized power facilities differently; that line does not apply to the businesses covered here. The figure is set by Ada County Resolution No. 3149, "Resolution Amending the Fee Schedule for the Ada County Development Services Department", adopted by the Board of Ada County Commissioners on November 25, 2025; its Exhibit A schedule is "effective on adoption date" and supersedes the schedules of Resolution No. 2418. The Development Services fees page states that all of its fees "were updated in November 2025 in conjunction with the new Ada County Zoning Code". Ada County Development Services handles building permits and zoning applications in unincorporated Ada County; inside Boise, Eagle, Garden City, Kuna, Meridian or Star, the county Permitting Division page refers applicants to that city's own building department. Contact Ada County Development Services, 200 W. Front St., Boise, ID 83702, (208) 287-7900.
Sign Approval, signs over 64 square feet (unincorporated Ada County)
A business in unincorporated Ada County that puts up a sign covered by Ada County Code 8-3-12 applies to Development Services for sign approval. As set in Resolution No. 3149, the fee line reads "Sign Approval (>64 sq ft)" at $200, so the $200 fee applies to signs larger than 64 square feet. The county's Sign Application Checklist (ACC 8-3-12) prints a $200 fee and asks for a master application form and a detailed letter describing the request. Section 8-3-12 of the zoning code sets the sign standards, and Development Services confirms what a particular sign needs. The figure is set by Ada County Resolution No. 3149, "Resolution Amending the Fee Schedule for the Ada County Development Services Department", adopted by the Board of Ada County Commissioners on November 25, 2025; its Exhibit A schedule is "effective on adoption date" and supersedes the schedules of Resolution No. 2418. The Development Services fees page states that all of its fees "were updated in November 2025 in conjunction with the new Ada County Zoning Code". Ada County Development Services handles building permits and zoning applications in unincorporated Ada County; inside Boise, Eagle, Garden City, Kuna, Meridian or Star, the county Permitting Division page refers applicants to that city's own building department. Contact Ada County Development Services, 200 W. Front St., Boise, ID 83702, (208) 287-7900.
Septic (Subsurface Sewage Disposal) Permit (Central District Health)
A business premises in Ada County that uses an on-site septic system, rather than a public sewer, needs a septic permit from Central District Health (CDH). CDH is the public health district serving Ada, Boise, Elmore and Valley counties; this is a district permit, not a county government permit. A premises on a public sewer has no septic permit. As published in the district's "Sewage Program Fees – Jul 2026" table on its septic page, a new permit is $1,070. A new permit with no test hole or site visit is $535, and an expansion or a repair without a test hole is $535 each. A repair with a test hole is $1,070. A central or large soil absorption system (LSAS) permit, new or repair, is $2,250. An accessory use review is $141, or $535 with a field visit; tank-only and vault privy permits are $535, and each additional test hole is $535. The page refers to IDAPA 58.01.03 and the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality Technical Guidance Manual for on-site sewage standards. The Ada County Permitting Division page lists Central District Health at (208) 327-7499.
Building Permit and Commercial Mechanical Permit (unincorporated Ada County)
A business building, altering or fitting out a structure in unincorporated Ada County obtains its building permit from the Ada County Development Services Building Division. The Permitting Division's client portal accepts building, manufactured home and mechanical permits. The Permitting Division page states that "all electrical and plumbing work will need separate permits through the State of Idaho (DOPL)". As set in Exhibit A of Resolution No. 3149, the building permit fee is based on the total valuation of the work. The valuation is the higher of the Building Valuation Data square-foot cost and the applicant's value. The table runs from $65.00 for the first $2,000.00 to $4,478.00 plus $2.60 for each additional $1,000.00 above $1,000,000.00, with intermediate bands at $318.00, $493.00 and $743.00. Plan review adds 65% of the building permit fee under the International Building Code, or 50% under the International Residential Code. IBC accessibility and energy plan reviews each add 25% of the building plan review fee. After the first reinspection, each reinspection is $100 per inspection type. A commercial mechanical permit, which covers work such as heating, cooling and kitchen ventilation, is $35 plus 2% of the total mechanical job value. The figure is set by Ada County Resolution No. 3149, "Resolution Amending the Fee Schedule for the Ada County Development Services Department", adopted by the Board of Ada County Commissioners on November 25, 2025; its Exhibit A schedule is "effective on adoption date" and supersedes the schedules of Resolution No. 2418. The Development Services fees page states that all of its fees "were updated in November 2025 in conjunction with the new Ada County Zoning Code". Ada County Development Services handles building permits and zoning applications in unincorporated Ada County; inside Boise, Eagle, Garden City, Kuna, Meridian or Star, the county Permitting Division page refers applicants to that city's own building department. Contact Ada County Development Services, 200 W. Front St., Boise, ID 83702, (208) 287-7900.
Sources
Every figure in the table above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- Resolution No. 3149, Resolution Amending the Fee Schedule for the Ada County Development Services Department (adopted November 25, 2025), with Exhibit ABoard of Ada County Commissioners · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-14
- Master Site Plan Application Checklist (ACC 8-6-19)Ada County Development Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-14
- Sign Application Checklist (ACC 8-3-12)Ada County Development Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-14
- Water, Septic & Subdivisions (Sewage Program Fees, July 2026)Central District Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-14
- Permitting DivisionAda County Development Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-14
- Ada County Development Services Fee Schedule: Building Division FeesAda County Development Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-14
- Development Services FeesAda County Development Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-14
Who issues business permits in Ada County?
Permitting in Ada County is split across 3 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.
Ada County issuing agencies
- Ada County Development ServicesBuilding Division: building and mechanical permits in unincorporated Ada County · Community Planning Division: conditional use, master site plan, accessory use, zoning certificate, sign and temporary use applications in unincorporated Ada County · Fees under Resolution No. 3149, adopted November 25, 20257 permits
- Central District HealthSeptic (subsurface sewage disposal) permits in Ada, Boise, Elmore and Valley counties6 permits
- Ada County Recorder's OfficeApplications for the Ada County alcohol beverage license (beer, wine, liquor by the drink, winery), decided by the Board of Ada County Commissioners after Sheriff review, under County Code Title 4, Chapter 3 · Alcohol beverage catering permits for events in unincorporated Ada County (County Code 4-3-9)2 permits
Other Idaho 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.