8 published records
Business licenses and permits in Jackson County, Mississippi
Jackson County, Mississippi, seat Pascagoula, on the Gulf Coast, is a different place from the City of Jackson (the state capital, in Hinds County). Outside its incorporated cities, a business first obtains a Business Permit from the County Planning Department, which checks that the location sits in the correct zoning district, and then presents that permit to the Jackson County Tax Collector, who issues and renews the county privilege license. Contractors must also post a $2,000 surety bond made to Jackson County, and a transient business with no building or home to work from pays a $250 first-time fee and posts the same bond for a license good for 90 days, as stated on the Tax Collector's Privilege Licenses page. The Planning Department also issues building, electrical, plumbing, gas and mechanical permits for unincorporated areas under the county Zoning Ordinance and the 2018 International Building Code, and handles variances, use permits and rezonings. The county's four incorporated cities — Pascagoula, Ocean Springs, Gautier and Moss Point — each run their own business license, building and zoning regimes, which stack on state requirements; the county's Privilege Licenses page tells businesses within the incorporated areas to contact that city. Food establishment permits come from the Mississippi State Department of Health, recorded at the state layer, and alcohol and beer permits are issued by the Mississippi Department of Revenue.
What are you opening in Jackson 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 Jackson County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| In-House Review and Public Hearing (Variance, Use Permit, Rezoning)only if it applies to you | Jackson County Planning Department (Building Department and Zoning) | $25–$100 per application: in-house variance or temporary permit $25; public hearing variance, use permit, parking space exception or special exception $75; change in zoning district $100 | one-time, per application | 2026-10-27 |
| Electrical, Plumbing, Gas and Mechanical Permits (Commercial)only if it applies to you | Jackson County Planning Department (Building Department and Zoning) | Electrical: commercial service $15 per 100 amps; 110/115 circuits $5 per 10; 208/220 circuits and above $10 per 10; $35 per inspection; new meter $3.50. Commercial plumbing: $25 inspection fee plus $2.50 per fixture, $5 per water line or sewer line. Gas: $10 for piping with 4 outlets plus $2 for each additional outlet. Mechanical: $20 for 2 tons or less, $22 for 2 to 4 tons, $24 for 4 to 6 tons, $26 per unit above 6 tons. | per job | 2026-10-27 |
| County Privilege License (Unincorporated Jackson County) | Jackson County Tax Collector | The county's Privilege Licenses page asks the applicant to bring the Planning Department's Business Permit, the number of full-time employees and, if applicable, the amount of inventory. The page publishes no rate table; contact the Jackson County Tax Collector, 228-769-3074, for the amount due. | annual; issued and renewed through the Jackson County Tax Collector | 2026-10-27 |
| Business Permit (Zoning Check Before the Privilege License) | Jackson County Planning Department (Building Department and Zoning) | No fee | one-time, per business and location | 2026-10-27 |
| Building Permit (Unincorporated Jackson County)only if it applies to you | Jackson County Planning Department (Building Department and Zoning) | By total valuation: $100 and less, no fee unless inspections are required, then $25 per inspection; $101 to $49,000, $15 for the first $1,000 plus $5 for each additional thousand or fraction; $100,000 to $399,000, $460 for the first $100,000 plus $4 for each additional thousand or fraction; $400,000 and up, $1,660 for the first $400,000 plus $3 for each additional thousand or fraction. For a valuation from $50,000 to $99,000, call the Building Department for the amount. Each permit also carries a $10 issuance fee and a $1 public record filing fee. Commercial plan review is one half of the building permit fee, or the third-party engineer's fee if higher. A re-inspection after a correction notice may be charged $35. | commercial work must start within 6 months of issuance; the permit stays valid for 2 years (Zoning Ordinance §4.01.01) | 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 Jackson County?
In-House Review and Public Hearing (Variance, Use Permit, Rezoning)
A business whose location or use does not fit its zoning district applies to the Planning Department. The In-House Review Application lists a variance at $25.00 and a temporary permit at $25.00 (notice to adjacent property owners). The Public Hearing Application lists a change in zoning district at $100.00 and a variance, use permit, parking space exception or special exception at $75.00 each, and states that no action can be taken until the Board of Supervisors meets on the first Monday of the following month; after approval the applicant must file for any required permits. Both forms are linked from the county's Zoning page and carry no date. The county's Building Department and Zoning pages both ask applicants to call before completing an application "to confirm that you have the correct application, fee amounts, attachments and deadlines"; the Planning Department's number on those pages is 228-769-3056.
Electrical, Plumbing, Gas and Mechanical Permits (Commercial)
A commercial build-out or alteration in unincorporated Jackson County that adds or changes electrical service, plumbing fixtures, gas piping or heating and cooling equipment takes the matching trade permit from the Building Department. The figures are published in items 6, 10, 11 and 12 of the county's Building Permit Fee Schedule (Applications A-D), linked from the Building Department page; the schedule carries no adoption date. Extra inspection trips made necessary because work was not ready are charged $35, and a gas inspection without the required pressure test gauge is charged $35. The county's Building Department and Zoning pages both ask applicants to call before completing an application "to confirm that you have the correct application, fee amounts, attachments and deadlines"; the Planning Department's number on those pages is 228-769-3056.
County Privilege License (Unincorporated Jackson County)
The county's Privilege Licenses page defines a privilege license as "a license allowing a person to do business in the County for a profit" and states that businesses outside the incorporated areas of the county must obtain one through the Jackson County Tax Collector's Office, while "Businesses within the incorporated areas need to contact that city." The Tax Collector's own page says the office "handles the issuing and renewal of all county privilege licenses." Step 1 is the Planning Department's Business Permit; step 2 is presenting that permit to the Tax Collector at 2915 Canty Street, Pascagoula (Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.), with the number of full-time employees and, if applicable, the amount of inventory. For daycares, salons and convenience stores the page also lists a "Health Department Permit", a "State License" and a "Tobacco/Beer License from State (if applicable)". The page publishes no rate table and no renewal due date; contact the Tax Collector, 228-769-3074, for both.
Business Permit (Zoning Check Before the Privilege License)
No fee is published on the Business Permit Application, the Privilege Licenses page or the Zoning page; contact the Planning Department, 228-769-3056, for any amount due. Step 1 of the county's privilege-license process is a Business Permit from the Planning Department. The application asks for the applicant, the property owner (a lease or letter of permission is required when leasing), the business name, location and description. Per the Privilege Licenses page, "If the location of the New business is in the correct zoning district, the permit will be issued"; otherwise the owner must bring a legal description, a survey and the names and addresses of nearby residents before a Planning Commission hearing for rezoning. The Zoning page also offers the application online.
Building Permit (Unincorporated Jackson County)
Zoning Ordinance §4.01.01 requires a permit from the Board of Supervisors before anyone builds, places a manufactured or modular home, or relocates a structure in unincorporated Jackson County; commercial work must start within six months and the permit is valid for two years. The Building Department enforces the 2018 International Building Code. The figures are published in the county's Building Permit Fee Schedule (Applications A-D), linked from the Building Department page; the schedule carries no adoption date. The county's Building Department and Zoning pages both ask applicants to call before completing an application "to confirm that you have the correct application, fee amounts, attachments and deadlines"; the Planning Department's number on those pages is 228-769-3056. This permit covers unincorporated areas only; Pascagoula, Ocean Springs, Gautier and Moss Point issue their own.
Sources
Every figure in the table above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- Public Hearing ApplicationJackson County Planning Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
- In-House Review ApplicationJackson County Planning Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
- ZoningJackson County Planning Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
- Jackson County Building Permit Fee Schedule (Applications A-D)Jackson County Planning Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
- Building DepartmentJackson County Planning Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
- Privilege LicensesJackson County Tax Collector · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
- Tax CollectorJackson County Tax Collector · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
- Business Permit ApplicationJackson County Planning Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
- Jackson County Zoning Ordinance (effective May 2, 2022; revised 05/01/2024)Jackson County Board of Supervisors · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
Who issues business permits in Jackson County?
Permitting in Jackson County is split across 2 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.
Jackson County issuing agencies
- Jackson County Planning Department (Building Department and Zoning)Issues the Business Permit (zoning check of a business location) required before the county privilege license · Issues building, electrical, plumbing, gas and mechanical permits in unincorporated Jackson County under the county Zoning Ordinance and the 2018 International Building Code · Takes in-house review and public hearing applications (variances, use permits, rezonings), with public hearing items acted on by the Board of Supervisors5 permits
- Jackson County Tax CollectorIssues and renews county privilege licenses for businesses outside the incorporated cities of Jackson County · Takes the contractor and transient-business surety bonds made to Jackson County with the privilege license3 permits
Other Mississippi 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.