8 published records
Business licenses and permits in Indianapolis, Indiana
A consolidated city-county government ('UniGov'), like Nashville. Food-service permitting runs through the Health & Hospital Corporation of Marion County, a separate municipal corporation, not the consolidated government itself. Several indy.gov facts here are sourced to the city's own document files (application packets, forms and FAQs) rather than its web pages. City-County Council Proposal No. 239, 2025 would raise several DBNS fees; its published text carries blank, undated signature lines for passage and approval.
What are you opening in Indianapolis?
- 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 Indianapolis
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate of Completion and Compliance | Department of Business and Neighborhood Services | $215 administrative fee, charged only if the certificate is not filed within 14 days of completing work under a building permit | issued once per qualifying occupancy | 2026-09-06 |
| Commercial Building Permit (Class 1) | Department of Business and Neighborhood Services | New Class 1 (commercial/industrial/multifamily) construction up to 2,500 sq ft: $697, plus $42 per additional 1,000 sq ft. A Class 1 remodel/alteration/repair uses the same $697-plus-$42/1,000-sq-ft schedule. A general construction permit not otherwise specified is $170. An accelerated plan review is $316; a $32 additional service fee applies to demolition, master, sign, structural, and infrastructure permit applications. | one-time, per project | 2026-09-06 |
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 Indianapolis?
Certificate of Completion and Compliance
Indianapolis has no 'Certificate of Occupancy' as such — filing this certificate itself carries no fee; the $215 applies only as a late-filing penalty under the code currently in force. City-County Council Proposal No. 239, 2025 (introduced August 11, 2025, referred to the Metropolitan and Economic Development Committee) would raise this administrative fee (Code section 536-609) to $250 alongside numerous other DBNS fee changes; the proposal's published text carries blank, undated signature lines for Council passage, mayoral presentment and mayoral approval. This record therefore uses the $215 figure that the proposal's own text lists as the fee currently in force, not the proposed replacement; confirm the current amount with DBNS before relying on it.
Commercial Building Permit (Class 1)
City-County Council Proposal No. 239, 2025 (introduced August 11, 2025, referred to the Metropolitan and Economic Development Committee) would raise these figures substantially: a new Class 1 building's base fee to $1,000 plus $150 per additional 1,000 sq ft (from $697 plus $42), a $200 Class 1 plan-review fee no longer folded into that base permit fee, new accelerated-review and reinspection charges for Class 1 structures (for example $750 for a same-day inspection), and new stop-work-order fees of $250 (Class 2) or $750 (Class 1). The proposal's published text carries blank, undated signature lines for Council passage, mayoral presentment and mayoral approval, so the pre-amendment codified figures above are used here rather than the proposed ones. Separately, DBNS's own FAQ describes a Class 1 Plan Review fee of $478 (regular, 3 hours) or $448 (accelerated, 1 hour) that matches neither the current codified treatment (plan review folded into the section 536-602/536-603 permit fee) nor Proposal 239's flat $200 replacement — confirm directly with DBNS at (317) 327-8700 which fee applies to a specific project.
Sources
Every figure in the table above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- City of Indianapolis — Certificate of Completion and Compliance form and instructionsDepartment of Business and Neighborhood Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-06
- City-County Council Proposal No. 239, 2025 — DBNS fee, penalty, and policy amendments (introduced August 11, 2025; text read directly carries blank, undated signature lines for Council passage, mayoral presentment and mayoral approval)Indianapolis-Marion County City-County Council · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-06
- Department of Business and Neighborhood Services — Commercial Development Permits FAQDepartment of Business and Neighborhood Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-06
Who issues business permits in Indianapolis?
Permitting in Indianapolis 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.
Indianapolis issuing agencies
- Department of Business and Neighborhood ServicesCertificate of Completion and Compliance · Commercial building permits · Sign permits · Contractor licensing5 permits
- Health & Hospital Corporation of Marion County, Marion County Public Health Department, Food and Consumer SafetyFood establishment permits · Mobile food unit permits2 permits
- Indianapolis Fire Department, Fire Prevention BureauFire and life safety inspections1 permit
Other Indiana 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.