10 permits · verified 2026-10-02
What permits do you need to open a auto repair shop in Anne Arundel County?
In short
A auto repair shop in Anne Arundel County, MD has 3 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 7 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation, Corporate Charter Division charges $100 one-time filing for the articles of organization (llc). 5 of the 10 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-02 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a auto repair shop in Anne Arundel County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trader's License | Clerk of the Circuit Court for Anne Arundel County | $15–$800 a year, by 21 statutory tiers keyed to the value of the applicant's stock-in-trade (Md. Code, Business Regulation Article §17-1807(c)(2)): $15 at the lowest tier (stock-in-trade value up to $1,000), rising through $18, $20, $25, $30, $40, $50, $65, $80, $100, $125, $150, $200, $250, $300, $350, $400 and $500 at intermediate tiers, up to $800 at the highest tier (stock-in-trade value over $750,000) | annual (Md. Code, Bus. Reg. §§ 17-1806 and 17-1807, the provisions cited here, state no renewal date) | 2026-10-02 |
| Automotive Repair Facility Registration — State of Maryland positiononly if it applies to you | Maryland Office of the Attorney General, Consumer Protection Division | No fee | not applicable | 2026-09-03 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
Local permits that apply to every type of business in Anne Arundel County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Building / Electrical / Gas / Grading / Mechanical / Plumbing Permitsonly if it applies to you | Anne Arundel County Department of Inspections and Permits | Varies — formula on the Anne Arundel County page | per permit | 2026-10-02 |
| Sewage Disposal System (Septic) Permitsonly if it applies to you | Anne Arundel County Department of Inspections and Permits | Varies — formula on the Anne Arundel County page | per permit | 2026-10-02 |
| City of Annapolis Business Licensing (Stacks on County Requirements)only if it applies to you | City of Annapolis, Licenses & Permits Division | Varies — formula on the Anne Arundel County page | set by the City of Annapolis; not stated in the county-level sources cited here | 2026-10-02 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
MD registrations that apply to every type of business
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trader's License | Comptroller of Maryland, State License Bureau | Varies — formula on the MD page | 1 May to 30 April, whenever it is bought | 2026-09-03 |
| Sales and Use Tax License | Comptroller of Maryland, Revenue Administration Division | No fee | no expiry — effective until surrendered or revoked | 2026-09-03 |
| Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to you | Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation, Corporate Charter Division | $100 one-time filing | perpetual, but a $300 annual report is due every 15 April | 2026-09-03 |
| Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation, Corporate Charter Division | $120 one-time minimum — $100 filing plus a $20 organization and capitalization fee | perpetual, but a $300 annual report is due every 15 April | 2026-09-03 |
| Annual Reportonly if it applies to you | Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation, Corporate Charter Division | $300 a year | annual — due 15 April, extendable to 15 June | 2026-09-03 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
How much does it actually cost to permit a auto repair shop in Anne Arundel County?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 10 records listed for a auto repair shop in Anne Arundel County, MD, 3 apply to every business of this type and 7 are conditional. Adding every fee on the page together would overstate what most operators pay, because it would include permits they never need.
5 of the 10 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 2 have no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:
Trader's License: $15–$800 a year, by 21 statutory tiers keyed to the value of the applicant's stock-in-trade (Md. Code, Business Regulation Article §17-1807(c)(2)): $15 at the lowest tier (stock-in-trade value up to $1,000), rising through $18, $20, $25, $30, $40, $50, $65, $80, $100, $125, $150, $200, $250, $300, $350, $400 and $500 at intermediate tiers, up to $800 at the highest tier (stock-in-trade value over $750,000)
The other 4 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Anne Arundel County permits page and the MD state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Anne Arundel County?
Permits for a auto repair shop in Anne Arundel County, MD come from 7 separate offices: Anne Arundel County Department of Inspections and Permits, Clerk of the Circuit Court for Anne Arundel County, City of Annapolis, Licenses & Permits Division, Comptroller of Maryland, State License Bureau, Comptroller of Maryland, Revenue Administration Division, Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation, Corporate Charter Division, Maryland Office of the Attorney General, Consumer Protection Division. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- Anne Arundel County Department of Inspections and PermitsIssues 2 permits on this page: Building / Electrical / Gas / Grading / Mechanical / Plumbing Permits, Sewage Disposal System (Septic) Permits2664 Riva Rd, Annapolis, MD 21401 · 410-222-7730www.aacounty.org/inspections-and-permits
- Clerk of the Circuit Court for Anne Arundel CountyIssues 1 permit on this page: Trader's License8 Church Circle, Annapolis, MD 21401 · 410-222-1434mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gbr§ion=17-1807&enactments=false
- City of Annapolis, Licenses & Permits DivisionIssues 1 permit on this page: City of Annapolis Business Licensing (Stacks on County Requirements)www.annapolis.gov/923/Permits-Licensing
- Comptroller of Maryland, State License BureauIssues 1 permit on this page: Trader's LicenseState License Bureau, 80 Calvert Street, Room 314, Annapolis, MD 21404-1751 · (410) 260-6240jportal.mdcourts.gov/license
- Comptroller of Maryland, Revenue Administration DivisionIssues 1 permit on this page: Sales and Use Tax LicensePO Box 549, Annapolis, MD 21411-0001 · (410) 260-7980www.marylandtaxes.gov
- Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation, Corporate Charter DivisionIssues 3 permits on this page: Articles of Organization (LLC), Articles of Incorporation, Annual Report700 East Pratt Street, Suite 2700, Baltimore, MD 21202-6377 · (410) 767-1340egov.maryland.gov/businessexpress
- Maryland Office of the Attorney General, Consumer Protection DivisionIssues 1 permit on this page: Automotive Repair Facility Registration — State of Maryland position200 Saint Paul Place, Baltimore, MD 21202 · (410) 576-6300www.marylandattorneygeneral.gov/Pages/CPD/default.aspx
What does a auto repair shop need in Anne Arundel County that other businesses do not?
1 of the 2 permits particular to a auto repair shop here applies to no other business type we cover in Anne Arundel County: Automotive Repair Facility Registration — State of Maryland position.
Trader's License
A retail seller, restaurant, coffee shop, salon, auto-repair shop, fitness studio selling goods, or veterinary practice with a retail component doing business in Anne Arundel County needs a trader's license, issued by the Clerk of the Circuit Court for Anne Arundel County, 8 Church Circle, Annapolis. This is a state license under Md. Code, Business Regulation Article, Title 17, Subtitle 18, not a county ordinance, and the fee follows the statewide 21-tier schedule in §17-1807(c)(2) that applies in a county other than Baltimore City or Baltimore County, running from $15 up to $800 by stock-in-trade value. Maryland law separately lets a county instead elect a flat $15 uniform fee under §17-1806, by December 1 of a given year; Anne Arundel County's own published sources do not state whether the county has made that election, so the statute's default value-based schedule is shown here, which is what applies absent a published election. Alcoholic-beverage sales are excluded from this license under BR §17-1802 and are licensed separately through the Board of License Commissioners, recorded separately for Anne Arundel County.
Automotive Repair Facility Registration — State of Maryland position
No fee: Maryland's Automotive Repair Facilities Act sounds like licensing, but it imposes conduct duties rather than a registration. The motor vehicle administration's complete schedule of business license fees lists dealers, motorcycle and trailer dealers, dismantlers, scrap processors, factory branches, wholesalers, salespersons, title service agents, driving schools and inspection stations, and no repair facility; the dealers subtitle of the transportation article defines license as a dealer's license; and the Act itself imposes only conduct duties — a written estimate above fifty dollars, an invoice, the return of replaced parts, no unauthorised charges and a customer's rights authorisation form — enforced by complaint to the Attorney General. Two adjacent things do exist: a vehicle safety inspection station license, which is optional and costs $100 to open and $50 to renew, and is administered with the State Police rather than by the motor vehicle administration alone; and a clerk of court garage or trader's license, which most shops will need.
The other 3 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Anne Arundel County, MD; what each one involves is set out on the Anne Arundel County permits page. The 5 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across MD and are covered on the MD state page.
How does a auto repair shop compare with other businesses in Anne Arundel County?
The closest match is a fitness studio, which shares 1 of these permits. A auto repair shop also needs Automotive Repair Facility Registration — State of Maryland position. A fitness studio needs nothing here that a auto repair shop does not.
| Business | Its own permits | Shared with a auto repair shop | Only a auto repair shop needs | Only it needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fitness studios | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Retail stores | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Veterinary clinics | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Salons and barbers | 5 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Coffee shops | 8 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
| Restaurants | 8 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
| Childcare centres | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Contractors and trades | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Food trucks | 5 | 0 | 2 | 5 |
Sources
Every figure for the permits explained on this page was read from one of these government pages on the date shown. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Anne Arundel County permits page and the MD state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- Maryland Business Regulation Article section 17-1807, Trader's License FeesMaryland General Assembly · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-06
- Maryland Business Regulation Article section 17-1806, Uniform License Fee Election — the irrevocable, form-filed county election mechanism referenced by section 17-1807(a); names no countiesMaryland General Assembly · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-18
- COMAR 11.11.05.05 — the complete schedule of Motor Vehicle Administration regulatory business license fees, which contains no automotive repair facilityMaryland Motor Vehicle Administration · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
- Maryland Commercial Law section 14-1001 — the Automotive Repair Facilities Act, which defines the term and creates no licenceMaryland General Assembly · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
Related
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.