9 published records
Business licenses and permits in Johnson County, Kansas
Johnson County, Kansas, seat Olathe; population 632,276 (U.S. Census Bureau 2024 estimate). Its largest cities are Overland Park, Olathe, Shawnee, Lenexa and Leawood. The county's Contractor Licensing office issues 11 classes of contractor license that are recognised in the 15 participating cities and unincorporated Johnson County listed in its January 2026 application instructions. Johnson County Wastewater issues grease interceptor operating permits and commercial sewer permits for property its sewer system serves. The Department of Health and Environment licenses aquatic venues and commercial on-site wastewater (septic) systems under the county Aquatic Health Code and Sanitary Code, which apply in unincorporated Johnson County and in cities that adopt them by ordinance. For unincorporated Johnson County, the county issues building permits, decides zoning applications under the zoning regulations the Board of County Commissioners adopted on March 17, 1994, issues itinerant sales permits, and, under K.S.A. 41-2702, licenses cereal malt beverage retailers. The county's Unincorporated Area page states: "Johnson County and all cities in the County have enacted building codes. Persons wishing to construct any buildings or structures are advised to contact local officials." It adds that "cities have similar zoning requirements for properties within their boundaries." A business inside a city applies to that city for its own licenses and permits, which stack on the county records here.
What are you opening in Johnson 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
- 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 Johnson County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial/Industrial On-Site Wastewater (Septic) Installation Permit and Operation License (conditional: sites not on public sewer)only if it applies to you | Johnson County Department of Health and Environment, Environmental Division | Commercial sewage treatment system installation permit $490. Annual operation license: Class A (potential industrial or commercial wastes, or serving 20 or more full-time employees) $210; Class B (domestic wastes only, serving fewer than 20 full-time employees) $125. Industrial/commercial sewage treatment resale inspection $260. | installation permit per system; operation license renewed annually | 2026-10-12 |
| Zoning and Land-Use Approvals: Conditional Use, Sign, Floodplain Development, Rezoning and Development Plan (unincorporated Johnson County)only if it applies to you | Johnson County Planning (Planning, Housing and Community Development) | Application fees are set out in the Fee Schedule linked from the county's Planning Applications page; contact Johnson County Planning (913-715-2200) for the current amount for a given application. | per application | 2026-10-12 |
| Commercial Sewer Permit and Connection Fee (Johnson County Wastewater)only if it applies to you | Johnson County Wastewater | Permit fee $220 (includes one inspection); plan review $440 for projects that require review; inspection $38 per trip after the permit is issued; permit revision $100. Connection fee by domestic water meter size: 5/8" $4,850; 3/4" $7,280; 1" $12,130; 1 1/2" $24,260; 2" $38,810; 3" $72,770; 4" $121,280; 6" $242,550 (as published on JCW's Commercial Permitting page). | one year ("Wastewater permits are valid for one year") | 2026-10-12 |
| Building Permit and Commercial Plan Review (unincorporated Johnson County)only if it applies to you | Johnson County Building Codes (Planning, Housing and Community Development) | Permit fee by project valuation under Table 1-A of the Johnson County Code of Regulations for Buildings and Construction (2018 Edition); the minimum is $22 for a valuation of $1 to $500. Commercial plan review fee: 65 percent of the building permit fee, paid when documents are submitted for commercial plan review. Contact Building Codes (913-715-2200) for the fee on a given valuation. | six months from issue, and valid as long as there is an inspection within each six months | 2026-10-12 |
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 Johnson County?
Commercial/Industrial On-Site Wastewater (Septic) Installation Permit and Operation License (conditional: sites not on public sewer)
A business whose building is served by an on-site wastewater (septic) system rather than a public sewer needs a JCDHE installation permit for a commercial system and an operation license; a site on a public sewer has no septic permit. JCDHE's Forms and Fees page lists $490 for a Commercial Sewage Treatment System Installation Permit, $210 for a Class A operation license (potential of industrial or commercial wastes, serving 20 or more full-time employees), $125 for a Class B license (domestic wastes only, serving fewer than 20 full-time employees) and $260 for an industrial or commercial resale inspection. The 2026 Class B application form shows the $125 fee. The 2025 Johnson County Sanitary Code states that each industrial or commercial on-site wastewater system shall be inspected at least once annually and is subject to annual renewal of the operations permit, and that the Director of JCDHE publishes the applicable fee schedule annually. The Sanitary Code applies throughout the unincorporated areas of Johnson County and within a city once that city adopts it by ordinance. The figures are from the Forms and Fees page of the Johnson County Department of Health and Environment (Environmental Division) and its 2026 application forms. Contact: 913-715-6900.
Zoning and Land-Use Approvals: Conditional Use, Sign, Floodplain Development, Rezoning and Development Plan (unincorporated Johnson County)
A business locating in unincorporated Johnson County, outside any city, is subject to the county's zoning and subdivision regulations, which the county's Unincorporated Area page states the Board of County Commissioners adopted on March 17, 1994 and which govern the types of land uses permitted in each zoning district. Depending on the use and the site, the Planning Applications page lists the applications a business may need: a conditional use permit, a sign permit, a floodplain development permit, rezoning, a preliminary and final development plan or an administrative development plan, a special permit, and Board of Zoning Appeals cases. The page asks applicants first to confirm through its address search that the property is in the unincorporated area (a search that returns a city name means applying to that city's planning department) and to speak with the Planner on Duty and hold a Development Review Committee pre-application meeting. The application fees are in the Fee Schedule the page links; contact Planning at 913-715-2200 for the current amount. The Unincorporated Area page states that cities have similar zoning requirements for properties within their boundaries.
Commercial Sewer Permit and Connection Fee (Johnson County Wastewater)
On property served by Johnson County Wastewater, JCW's Commercial Permitting page states that a commercial permit is required before constructing a new building and connecting it to the public sewer, adding to an existing building's footprint, demolishing a building, repairing or replacing building sewers or sanitary appurtenances such as grease interceptors and oil separators, converting from a private sewage system to the public sewer, altering a site near public and private sewers, and a tenant finish or remodel that modifies the plumbing system or changes the type or volume of wastewater discharged. The page lists a $220 permit fee that includes one inspection, a $440 plan review fee for projects that require review, a $38 inspection fee per trip after the permit is issued, a $100 permit revision fee, and connection fees by domestic water meter size from $4,850 for a 5/8-inch meter to $242,550 for a 6-inch meter; redevelopment projects receive credit for the previous building's meter. Applications are filed through the MGO Connect portal, first reviews take up to 14 calendar days, and the page states that wastewater permits are valid for one year. The figures are those on JCW's current Commercial Permitting page; the 2026 Code refers to a fee schedule adopted by the Board of County Commissioners. Contact: commercial@jcw.org, 913-715-8520.
Building Permit and Commercial Plan Review (unincorporated Johnson County)
In unincorporated Johnson County, the county's Building Codes division enforces building codes, issues permits and performs inspections. Its Building Permits FAQ states that for a commercial purpose any structure with a floor area exceeding 120 square feet requires a permit, that a permit is valid six months from the issue date and remains valid as long as there is an inspection within six months, and that all commercial projects must have a licensed general contractor and licensed subcontractors listed. Under the Johnson County Code of Regulations for Buildings and Construction, 2018 Edition (adopted March 12, 2020, effective July 1, 2020), the permit fee is set by project valuation in Table 1-A, starting at $22 for a valuation of $1 to $500, and a plan review fee of 65 percent of the building permit fee is paid when documents are submitted for commercial plan review, in addition to the permit fee. The county's Code of Regulation page carries this note: "On October 22, 2026 the Board of County Commissioners will consider adoption of the 2024 International Codes and the amendments in the Johnson County Code of Regulations for Buildings and Construction, 2024 Edition." A business inside a city applies to that city; the county's Unincorporated Area page states that Johnson County and all cities in the county have enacted building codes.
Sources
Every figure in the table above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- Environment Forms and Fees pageJohnson County Department of Health and Environment · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-12
- 2025 Johnson County Sanitary CodeJohnson County Department of Health and Environment · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-12
- 2026 Application for Commercial/Industrial On-Site Wastewater System Operation License, Class BJohnson County Department of Health and Environment · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-12
- Planning Applications pageJohnson County, Kansas, Planning · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-12
- Unincorporated Area pageJohnson County, Kansas, Building Codes · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-12
- Commercial Permitting pageJohnson County Wastewater · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-12
- Johnson County Code of Regulations for Sanitary Sewer Use, 2026 Edition (approved March 26, 2026)Johnson County Wastewater · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-12
- Johnson County Code of Regulations for Buildings and Construction, 2018 EditionJohnson County, Kansas, Building Codes · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-12
- Code of Regulation for Building and Construction pageJohnson County, Kansas, Building Codes · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-12
- Building Permits page (FAQ)Johnson County, Kansas, Building Codes · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-12
Who issues business permits in Johnson County?
Permitting in Johnson County is split across 7 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.
Johnson County issuing agencies
- Johnson County Department of Health and Environment, Environmental DivisionAquatic venue operating licenses, aquatic plan review and Licensed Pool Operator certification under the Johnson County Aquatic Health Code · Commercial and industrial on-site wastewater (septic) installation permits and operation licenses under the Johnson County Sanitary Code2 permits
- Johnson County WastewaterGrease Interceptor Operating Permits and Low Grease Discharge Waivers for food service establishments on property served by JCW · Commercial sewer permits (new construction, additions, tenant finish and remodel, repairs including grease interceptors and oil separators) and sewer connection fees2 permits
- Johnson County Board of County CommissionersLicenses cereal malt beverage retailers whose place of business is outside city limits, under K.S.A. 41-2702(a)1 permit
- Johnson County Building Codes (Planning, Housing and Community Development)Building permits, commercial plan review and inspections in unincorporated Johnson County under the Johnson County Code of Regulations for Buildings and Construction1 permit
- Johnson County Contractor Licensing (Planning, Housing and Community Development)Issues and renews the 11 classes of Johnson County contractor license (A, B, C, DE, DF, DFA, DM, DP, DR, DS, DW) under the Johnson County Contractor Licensing Regulations (Resolution 076-24)1 permit
- Johnson County Manager's Office, Special PermitsItinerant sales and auction permits for the unincorporated area (Johnson County Code Secs. 50-175 to 50-183, Res. No. 66-88)1 permit
- Johnson County Planning (Planning, Housing and Community Development)Zoning and land-use applications in unincorporated Johnson County: conditional use permits, sign permits, floodplain development permits, rezoning, development plans and Board of Zoning Appeals cases1 permit
Other Kansas 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.