11 published records
Business licenses and permits in Jefferson County, Missouri
Jefferson County, Missouri, seat Hillsboro, issues the county Merchant's License through its Collector of Revenue and the county liquor license through its County Clerk, which follows the state liquor license from the Missouri Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Control. The county liquor license fee equals the State of Missouri fee schedule plus a $3.00 handling fee, under Ordinance 26-0181. The Code Enforcement Division issues building, sign and onsite sewage permits and licenses plumbing, electrical, mechanical and related trade contractors under the fee schedule of Ordinance 21-0356, and the Planning Division handles zoning applications. The Jefferson County Health Department issues food establishment, mobile, temporary and childcare food permits under its 2026 cost reimbursement schedule. Under Ordinance 10-0411, a county license is issued only with proof that county real and personal property taxes are paid. The records on this page are county-level only. Jefferson County also contains incorporated cities, Hillsboro among them, and a business inside a city's limits should also check that city's own license and permit requirements, which are not described here.
What are you opening in Jefferson 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 Jefferson County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zoning Approvals (Zone Change, Conditional Use, Site Development Plan)only if it applies to you | Jefferson County Planning Division | Zone change $400; planned development $500; conditional use $300; Board of Zoning Adjustment $250; special event $100; non-residential site development plan $500 + $50 per acre (+ $25 per plan review after the first three); deviation $75 each. | per application | 2026-10-27 |
| County Merchant's Licenseonly if it applies to you | Jefferson County Collector of Revenue | $25 Merchant's License fee, county-only, as listed on the county's Licenses and Applications page | not stated on the county's Licenses and Applications page or the application | 2026-10-27 |
| Commercial Building Permitonly if it applies to you | Jefferson County Code Enforcement Division | Commercial plan review submittal $200 (credited to the total fee) + processing fee $25 + Planning and Zoning fee $10 + permit fee by construction cost, using a commercial valuation of $235 per square foot: $650 for $1–$10,000, rising by bracket to $5,060 for $900,001–$1,000,000 and $11,300 for $4,750,001–$5,000,000; over $5,000,000, cost × 0.230%. Inspection or re-inspection $50. Commercial miscellaneous permits: electrical panel $165, $188, $205 or $218 by size; meter base $67, $78 or $84; low voltage $155; miscellaneous electric $160; plumbing $160; mechanical $180; demolition $185; floodplain development $75; ADA ramp $75; event tents up to 250 sq ft $125, 251 sq ft and over $0.50 per sq ft. | per project | 2026-10-27 |
| Sign Permitonly if it applies to you | Jefferson County Code Enforcement Division | Building sign $425; monument or pole sign $530; billboard $600; plus a Planning and Zoning sign fee of $150. | per sign | 2026-10-27 |
| Onsite Sewage System Permitonly if it applies to you | Jefferson County Code Enforcement Division | New system $295; imported soil preparation $50; field repair or replacement $195; tank replacement $155. | per project | 2026-10-27 |
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 Jefferson County?
Zoning Approvals (Zone Change, Conditional Use, Site Development Plan)
The Planning Division's Fees page links a "Fee Schedule" document titled "Fees Schedule for Planning and Zoning Activities, Jefferson County, Missouri", which prints "Effective: November 1, 2020". It is the only fee schedule on that page. As published there, a zone change is $400, a planned development $500, a conditional use $300, a Board of Zoning Adjustment application $250, a special event $100, a non-residential site development plan $500 plus $50 per acre with $25 for each plan review after the first three, and a deviation $75 each. The same schedule lists a $10 Planning and Zoning fee on building permits and a $150 sign permit fee, matching the 2021 building fee ordinance. A business needs one of these approvals only when its use or site plan requires it.
County Merchant's License
The county's Licenses and Applications page states: "A County Merchant's License is required if you are selling certain products in Jefferson County (RSMo. 150.010)." It also states: "If your business is 'service only' a Merchant's License is not required," so the record applies only to a business that sells products. The page lists "Merchant's Fee - $25.00", and the Collector's application asks applicants to enclose the $25.00 Merchant License fee. The application requires a sales tax number and workers' compensation verification (construction businesses with one or more employees, other businesses with five or more), and an applicant who is not a county resident files a notarized affidavit. The application states that "Licenses can not be issued if there are delinquent Personal Property & Real Estate Taxes due," consistent with Ordinance 10-0411, and that the Merchant's License does not exempt the holder from other county permits such as zoning, occupancy and building permits and liquor licenses.
Commercial Building Permit
The county's Permits page states: "On July 26, 2021 the Jefferson County, Missouri Council adopted Ordinance Number 21-0356 … adopting a new fee schedule to apply to all building permits. The new fee schedule is in effect for ALL PERMITS." The ordinance amends County Code §500.250. Its schedule sets a commercial plan review submittal fee of $200, paid with the application and deducted from the total fee, a $25 processing fee, a $50 inspection or re-inspection fee and a $10 Planning and Zoning fee. The commercial permit fee is set by construction cost brackets, from $650 for work up to $10,000 to $11,300 for $4,750,001 to $5,000,000, and cost times 0.230% above $5,000,000. The ordinance also lists commercial miscellaneous permits, including electrical panels from $165 to $218, plumbing $160, mechanical $180, demolition $185 and floodplain development $75. Under §2 the ordinance took effect thirty days after publication in full.
Sign Permit
Ordinance 21-0356, which amends the County Code §500.250 fee schedule, lists sign permit fees in §500.250(A)(15): $425 for a building sign, $530 for a monument or pole sign and $600 for a billboard, plus a $150 Planning and Zoning sign fee. The same $150 sign permit amount appears on the Planning Division's fee schedule. The county's Permits page states that the Ordinance 21-0356 fee schedule "is in effect for ALL PERMITS." A business installing a building, monument or pole sign applies through the Code Enforcement Division.
Onsite Sewage System Permit
Ordinance 21-0356, which amends the County Code §500.250 fee schedule, lists onsite sewage system fees in §500.250(A)(11): $295 for a new system, $50 for imported soil preparation, $195 for a field repair or replacement and $155 for a tank replacement. The county's Permits page states that the Ordinance 21-0356 fee schedule "is in effect for ALL PERMITS." The permit applies to a business site served by an onsite sewage system rather than a public sewer. Installers, designers and soil evaluators hold county contractor licenses, which are a separate record.
Sources
Every figure in the table above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- Fees Schedule for Planning and Zoning Activities, Jefferson County, Missouri (Effective: November 1, 2020)Jefferson County, Missouri · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
- Planning and Zoning — FeesJefferson County, Missouri · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
- Licenses and ApplicationsJefferson County, Missouri · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
- Merchant's License Application (Jefferson County Collector of Revenue)Jefferson County, Missouri · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
- Ordinance 10-0411 (Bill 10-1212): Liquor License OrdinanceJefferson County, Missouri · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
- Ordinance 21-0356 (Bill 21-0707): Amending Section 500.250 Fee ScheduleJefferson County, Missouri · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
- PermitsJefferson County, Missouri · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
Who issues business permits in Jefferson County?
Permitting in Jefferson County 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.
Jefferson County issuing agencies
- Jefferson County Code Enforcement DivisionCommercial building, sign and onsite sewage system permits under Ordinance 21-0356 · Plumbing, electrical, electrical communication, mechanical, sprinkler fitter, lawn irrigation, on-site sewer and soil evaluator contractor licenses4 permits
- Jefferson County Health DepartmentAnnual food establishment permits · Mobile food permits · Temporary food permits for fairs, festivals and limited-use events · Childcare and latchkey food permits4 permits
- Jefferson County ClerkCounty liquor license, issued after the state liquor license1 permit
- Jefferson County Collector of RevenueCounty Merchant's License1 permit
- Jefferson County Planning DivisionZone changes, planned developments, conditional uses, Board of Zoning Adjustment cases and non-residential site development plans1 permit
Other Missouri 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.