10 published records
Business licenses and permits in Gaithersburg, Maryland
Unlike most Montgomery County municipalities, Gaithersburg runs its own building/zoning/sign permitting and enforces its own adopted Fire Code through its own Fire Marshal, rather than routing through county DPS. The trader's license and food-service permit still come from the county/state layer. gaithersburgmd.gov blocks direct automated fetch on every page; every figure here was recovered through a read-proxy with its exact source URL.
What are you opening in Gaithersburg?
- 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 Gaithersburg
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Construction/Improvement Permit | City of Gaithersburg Planning & Code Administration | Application fee tiered by size for projects under $500,000 — $125 (0–750 sq ft), $175 (751–1,999 sq ft), $275 (2,000+ sq ft); $1,100 flat for projects $500,000 and over. Building permit fee (includes 2 plan reviews) is $0.30 per sq ft or 1.50% of project cost, whichever is greater, minimum $175. Each specialty permit (electrical, mechanical, life safety, structural, sustainability) is 10% of the building permit fee, minimum $125. An Early Start fee is $250. | one-time, per project | 2026-09-06 |
| Use and Occupancy Permit | City of Gaithersburg Planning & Code Administration | $150 application fee, plus a 10% automation fee on the total | issued once per qualifying occupancy | 2026-09-06 |
| Trader's License | Clerk of the Circuit Court for Montgomery County | $15 a year, flat | annual | 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 Gaithersburg?
Commercial Construction/Improvement Permit
A third plan review costs 75% of the original fee (capped at $3,000); later reviews cost 100% (capped at $5,000). A 10% automation fee applies to all application and permit fees.
Use and Occupancy Permit
The fee schedule's own Use and Occupancy line reads verbatim 'Application Fee $150 every 0-5,000 square feet,' and the schedule contains no second row pricing any larger space — $150 plus the 10% automation fee is the complete published charge regardless of size, as far as the City's own current schedule states it. A verification of an existing Use and Occupancy record is $25 per address; occupying before the permit issues draws a $500 penalty.
Trader's License
Issued by the Circuit Court's License Department, not the city. Montgomery County exercised its option under Md. Business Regulation Article section 17-1808(b) to set this flat fee in place of the statewide default $15–$800 inventory-tiered schedule that otherwise applies in Maryland counties outside Baltimore City — described in the county's own materials as an irrevocable election.
Sources
Every figure in the table above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- City of Gaithersburg — FY 2027 Schedule of FeesCity of Gaithersburg · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-06
- Montgomery County Code section 30-13, Uniform Trader's License FeeMontgomery County, Maryland · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-06
Who issues business permits in Gaithersburg?
Permitting in Gaithersburg is split across 5 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.
Gaithersburg issuing agencies
- City of Gaithersburg Planning & Code AdministrationUse and Occupancy permits · Building permits · Sign permits · Mobile food vendor license4 permits
- City of Gaithersburg Fire MarshalFire code permits and inspections2 permits
- Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services, Licensure and Regulatory ServicesFood establishment permits · Certified Food Service Manager license2 permits
- Clerk of the Circuit Court for Montgomery CountyTrader's license1 permit
- Montgomery County Office of Consumer Protection, Business Education & Registration UnitAuto repair and towing business registration1 permit
Other Maryland 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.