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9 permits · verified 2026-10-02

What permits do you need to open a auto repair shop in Montgomery County Md?

In short

A auto repair shop in Montgomery County Md, MD has 5 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 4 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). 4 of the 9 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 Montgomery County Md

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Motor Vehicle Repair/Towing Registration — 1 to 5 EmployeesMontgomery County Department of Permitting Services$111–$138 a year; $138.00 standard, $111.00 with the ASE-certification discount, for a business with an average of 1 to 5 weekly employees1 year initial registration, renewable for 3-year terms2026-10-02
Motor Vehicle Towing-Only Registration — by Truck CountMontgomery County Department of Permitting Services$138–$299 a year, by number of tow trucks: $138.00 for 1 to 5 trucks; $219.00 for 6 to 10 trucks; $299.00 for 11 or more trucks; no ASE-certification discount applies to a towing-only registration1 year initial registration, renewable for 3-year terms2026-10-02
Motor Vehicle Repair/Towing Registration — 6 to 10 and 11+ EmployeesMontgomery County Department of Permitting ServicesCOMCOR 31A.03.01.01 sets the registration fee at $219.00 for a business with an average of 6 to 10 weekly employees ($175.00 with the ASE-certification discount), and $299.00 for a business with 11 or more average weekly employees ($240.00 with the ASE-certification discount). The ASE discount, a flat 20% reduction, requires at least 25% of the shop's mechanics to hold ASE certification.1 year initial registration, renewable for 3-year terms2026-10-02
Automotive Repair Facility Registration — State of Maryland positiononly if it applies to youMaryland Office of the Attorney General, Consumer Protection DivisionNo feenot applicable2026-09-03

Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.

MD registrations that apply to every type of business

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Trader's LicenseComptroller of Maryland, State License BureauVaries — formula on the MD page1 May to 30 April, whenever it is bought2026-09-03
Sales and Use Tax LicenseComptroller of Maryland, Revenue Administration DivisionNo feeno expiry — effective until surrendered or revoked2026-09-03
Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to youMaryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation, Corporate Charter Division$100 one-time filingperpetual, but a $300 annual report is due every 15 April2026-09-03
Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to youMaryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation, Corporate Charter Division$120 one-time minimum — $100 filing plus a $20 organization and capitalization feeperpetual, but a $300 annual report is due every 15 April2026-09-03
Annual Reportonly if it applies to youMaryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation, Corporate Charter Division$300 a yearannual — due 15 April, extendable to 15 June2026-09-03

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 Montgomery County Md?

There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 9 records listed for a auto repair shop in Montgomery County Md, MD, 5 apply to every business of this type and 4 are conditional. Adding every fee on the page together would overstate what most operators pay, because it would include permits they never need.

4 of the 9 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:

Motor Vehicle Repair/Towing Registration — 1 to 5 Employees: $111–$138 a year; $138.00 standard, $111.00 with the ASE-certification discount, for a business with an average of 1 to 5 weekly employees

Motor Vehicle Towing-Only Registration — by Truck Count: $138–$299 a year, by number of tow trucks: $138.00 for 1 to 5 trucks; $219.00 for 6 to 10 trucks; $299.00 for 11 or more trucks; no ASE-certification discount applies to a towing-only registration

Motor Vehicle Repair/Towing Registration — 6 to 10 and 11+ Employees: COMCOR 31A.03.01.01 sets the registration fee at $219.00 for a business with an average of 6 to 10 weekly employees ($175.00 with the ASE-certification discount), and $299.00 for a business with 11 or more average weekly employees ($240.00 with the ASE-certification discount). The ASE discount, a flat 20% reduction, requires at least 25% of the shop's mechanics to hold ASE certification.

The other 1 variable fee belongs to permits that apply to every type of business here; its formula is set out on the Montgomery County Md permits page and the MD state page.

Which offices issue these permits in Montgomery County Md?

Permits for a auto repair shop in Montgomery County Md, MD come from 5 separate offices: Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services, 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.

What does a auto repair shop need in Montgomery County Md that other businesses do not?

4 of the 4 permits particular to a auto repair shop here apply to no other business type we cover in Montgomery County Md: Motor Vehicle Repair/Towing Registration — 1 to 5 Employees, Motor Vehicle Towing-Only Registration — by Truck Count, Motor Vehicle Repair/Towing Registration — 6 to 10 and 11+ Employees and Automotive Repair Facility Registration — State of Maryland position.

Motor Vehicle Repair/Towing Registration — 1 to 5 Employees

Montgomery County Code Chapter 31A requires registration of any business that repairs, maintains or tows motor vehicles, or installs, repairs or maintains motor vehicle equipment. For a business with an average of 1 to 5 weekly employees, the registration fee is $138.00, discounted to $111.00 (a 20% discount) if at least 25% of the shop's mechanics hold ASE certification, per the current COMCOR Registration Fee Schedule, 31A.03.01.01. Registration is valid 1 year initially and renews for 3-year terms thereafter. Chapter 31A's own administrative-history note still names its originating department as 'Housing and Community Affairs,' which has since been folded into the Department of Permitting Services; DPS is listed here as the administering agency, consistent with where the county's permitting functions sit today.

Motor Vehicle Towing-Only Registration — by Truck Count

A towing-only business — one that tows motor vehicles without also repairing or maintaining them — registers under the same Montgomery County Code Chapter 31A program, but at fees keyed to the number of tow trucks operated rather than employee count: $138.00 for 1 to 5 trucks, $219.00 for 6 to 10 trucks, and $299.00 for 11 or more trucks, per the current COMCOR Registration Fee Schedule, 31A.03.01.01. No ASE-certification discount is available for a towing-only registration, unlike the repair-shop tiers above. Registration is valid 1 year initially and renews for 3-year terms thereafter. Chapter 31A's own administrative-history note still names its originating department as 'Housing and Community Affairs,' which has since been folded into the Department of Permitting Services; DPS is listed here as the administering agency, consistent with where the county's permitting functions sit today.

Motor Vehicle Repair/Towing Registration — 6 to 10 and 11+ Employees

Montgomery County Code Chapter 31A requires registration of any business that repairs, maintains or tows motor vehicles, or installs, repairs or maintains motor vehicle equipment. For a business with an average of 6 to 10 weekly employees, the fee is $219.00, discounted to $175.00 with the ASE-certification discount; for 11 or more weekly employees, the fee is $299.00, discounted to $240.00 with the ASE-certification discount — all per the current COMCOR Registration Fee Schedule, 31A.03.01.01. The ASE discount requires at least 25% of the shop's mechanics to hold ASE certification. Registration is valid 1 year initially and renews for 3-year terms thereafter. Chapter 31A's own administrative-history note still names its originating department as 'Housing and Community Affairs,' which has since been folded into the Department of Permitting Services; DPS is listed here as the administering agency, consistent with where the county's permitting functions sit today.

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 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 Montgomery County Md?

The closest match is a coffee shop, which shares 0 of these permits. A auto repair shop also needs Motor Vehicle Repair/Towing Registration — 1 to 5 Employees, Motor Vehicle Towing-Only Registration — by Truck Count, Motor Vehicle Repair/Towing Registration — 6 to 10 and 11+ Employees and Automotive Repair Facility Registration — State of Maryland position. A coffee shop needs Food Service Facility License — Moderate Priority, Food Service Facility License — Low Priority, Class B Beer, Wine, and Liquor License and 3 more, which a auto repair shop does not.

Permits particular to each business type in Montgomery County Md, MD, compared with a auto repair shop
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a auto repair shopOnly a auto repair shop needsOnly it needs
Coffee shops6046
Food trucks4044
Restaurants7047
Retail stores1041
Salons and barbers3043

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 Montgomery County Md permits page and the MD state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.

  1. COMCOR 31A.03.01.01, Registration Fee Schedule — Montgomery County Code Chapter 31A, Motor Vehicle Repair and Towing RegistrationMontgomery County (hosted via American Legal Publishing / amlegal.com) · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-02
  2. 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
  3. 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.