7 published records
Business licenses and permits in Aurora, Illinois
Business registration itself is free, but Aurora spans Kane, DuPage, Will and Kendall counties, and its food establishments are permitted through Kane County Health Department rather than the city.
What are you opening in Aurora?
- 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 Aurora
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate of Occupancy | City of Aurora Development Services Department | $232 for new construction, an addition, or a commercial remodel; a temporary certificate costs twice the standard fee | issued once per qualifying occupancy | 2026-09-04 |
| Sign Permitonly if it applies to you | City of Aurora Development Services Department | $173–$376 for a sign without electric service, or with it, combining the application, inspection and plan review fees | per sign | 2026-09-04 |
| Commercial Building Permitonly if it applies to you | City of Aurora Development Services Department | For a remodel: 2.5% of the portion of valuation under $100,000 plus 2.0% of the portion above, with plan review at 15% of that figure. For new construction or an addition: 0.5% of valuation, with a minimum permit inspection fee of $3,800 and a minimum application fee of $1,003. | one-time, per project | 2026-09-04 |
| Fire Alarm or Fire Suppression System Permitonly if it applies to you | City of Aurora Development Services Department | $384 combining application, inspection, plan review and certificate fees for a new fire alarm or fire suppression system | one-time per system installed | 2026-09-04 |
| Business Registration | City of Aurora Development Services Department | No fee | no stated expiration; a licensed business renews on an annual basis | 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.
What do these permits involve in Aurora?
Certificate of Occupancy
A standalone Commercial Certificate of Occupancy application also exists for a tenant change with no construction work at all — the city's own form specifically flags automotive, food preparation, alcohol, tobacco and beauty-care uses as needing extra review at that stage.
Sign Permit
Digital signage is priced entirely differently, and by the side rather than the sign: $100 a side under 25 square feet, $200 a side from 25 to 50, $300 above that, and $1,200 a side for a digital billboard.
Commercial Building Permit
A non-residential fire impact fee rides alongside this permit — $50 per 1,000 gross square feet if the building is sprinklered, $150 per 1,000 if it is not, on top of a separate $300 engineering plan review and site inspection fee.
Fire Alarm or Fire Suppression System Permit
The Fire Prevention Bureau separately lists a long roster of operational permits — hazardous materials, high-piled storage, LP gas over 60 gallons, tents of 120 square feet or more — but publishes no dollar figures for any of them online, and no general recurring annual commercial fire inspection fee could be confirmed either way.
Business Registration
No fee — the City states plainly there is no cost to register a business, applying to every for-profit and nonprofit operating within Aurora's boundaries except home-based businesses. This is separate from the fee any specific regulated license category, such as a mobile food unit or a contractor, may still carry.
Sources
Every figure in the table above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- City of Aurora — 2026 building permit fee scheduleCity of Aurora · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
- City of Aurora — commercial certificate of occupancy applicationCity of Aurora · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
- Aurora Fire Department — Fire Prevention Bureau operational permitsAurora Fire Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
- City of Aurora — business registration is free of chargeCity of Aurora · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
Who issues business permits in Aurora?
Permitting in Aurora is split across 2 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.
Aurora issuing agencies
Other Illinois 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.