8 published records
Business licenses and permits in Detroit, Michigan
Detroit runs its own food licensing program directly through its own Health Department rather than deferring to Wayne County. Its 'Motor Vehicle Service' license covers both repair shops and secondhand parts dealers under one category.
What are you opening in Detroit?
- 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 Detroit
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate of Occupancy | City of Detroit Buildings, Safety Engineering and Environmental Department | $147 flat; a temporary certificate or an extension of one is $520 | not stated on the pages consulted | 2026-09-04 |
| Commercial Building Permitonly if it applies to you | City of Detroit Buildings, Safety Engineering and Environmental Department | A flat $271.43 for a project valued at $2,000 or less. Above that, a base fee plus a per-$1,000 rate that steps down as the project grows — $34.09 per $1,000 over $2,000 up to $25,000, $24.53 per $1,000 up to $100,000, $27.82 per $1,000 up to $500,000, continuing in bands to $1.81 per $1,000 above $50,000,000. A change of use alone, with no construction, is a flat $249. | one-time, per project | 2026-09-04 |
| Sign and Awning Permitonly if it applies to you | City of Detroit Buildings, Safety Engineering and Environmental Department | $113–$1,115 $113 for a wall sign up to 100 square feet, $161 for a ground sign up to 50 square feet, rising to $1,115 for a large off-premises advertisement Downtown; a fixed awning license is $62 a year | the fee schedule lists this as an annual license, though a separate department page states signs renew every two years — both figures are recorded here rather than one resolved | 2026-09-04 |
| Annual Fire Safety Permit | City of Detroit Fire Department, Fire Marshal Division | Fee not confirmed against a primary source — the Fire Marshal Division confirms an annual fire safety permit is required for all businesses, but no published fee schedule for it could be located. | annual | 2026-09-04 |
| Business License | City of Detroit Buildings, Safety Engineering and Environmental Department | $0–$5,000 by business category, from $0 for certain veteran-owned exemptions up to $5,000 for marijuana establishments | most categories run 2 years, expiring between May 31 and October 31, though some are annual or per-event | 2026-09-04 |
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 Detroit?
Certificate of Occupancy
A researched review of existing building records to support the application costs a further $37, and a certified duplicate copy of an issued certificate is $55.
Commercial Building Permit
Electrical, mechanical and plumbing plan review each add a further 7% of the building permit fee, and a mandatory building, structural and zoning plan review deposit of 35% of the permit fee is charged up front and is non-refundable.
Sign and Awning Permit
Only a licensed City of Detroit Sign Professional may apply for a sign permit, and applications go through the city's ACCELA e-permitting system rather than in person.
Annual Fire Safety Permit
Confirmed as a genuinely general requirement rather than a restaurant-specific one — the Fire Marshal Division's own list of permit types names annual fire permits as required for all businesses, not only ones serving food.
Business License
Detroit has no single flat business license fee — it licenses roughly thirty specific categories, each priced and termed on its own schedule, the way the food, sign, contractor and auto repair records below each show for their own trade.
Sources
Every figure in the table above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- City of Detroit BSEED fee schedule, effective January 1, 2024, modified July 18, 2025City of Detroit Buildings, Safety Engineering and Environmental Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
- City of Detroit BSEED — advertising and business sign permits, renewal cycleCity of Detroit Buildings, Safety Engineering and Environmental Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
- City of Detroit Fire Department — restaurant and bar fire safety permit requirementCity of Detroit Fire Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
Who issues business permits in Detroit?
Permitting in Detroit 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.
Detroit issuing agencies
- City of Detroit Buildings, Safety Engineering and Environmental DepartmentBusiness licensing · Certificates of occupancy · Building and sign permits · Contractor registration6 permits
- City of Detroit Fire Department, Fire Marshal DivisionAnnual fire safety permits1 permit
- City of Detroit Health Department, Food Safety UnitFood service establishment licensing1 permit
Other Michigan 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.