7 published records
Business licenses and permits in Yonkers, New York
Westchester County permits Yonkers's food establishments, having absorbed the city's own health district in 1973 — but Yonkers licenses its own contractors directly, since the county's parallel license explicitly excludes any city already regulating the trade itself.
What are you opening in Yonkers?
- 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
- 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 Yonkers
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate of Occupancy | City of Yonkers Department of Housing and Buildings | New construction or alteration of a non-residential, commercial or industrial use: $250 for each floor, including basement, cellar and mezzanine, plus $250 for each individual tenant space or use, for each certificate or partial certificate. Existing non-residential commercial construction: $175 for each tenant space or use. | issued once per qualifying occupancy; a temporary certificate costs the same fee and runs up to 180 days, with that fee charged again for each further 30-day extension | 2026-09-04 |
| Sign Permitonly if it applies to you | City of Yonkers Department of Housing and Buildings | $150 plus $1 per square foot of face area for a non-illuminated sign, or $175 plus $1.25 per square foot if illuminated. Annual renewal runs $100 plus 75 to 85 cents per square foot depending on illumination. | annual renewal required after the initial installation permit | 2026-09-04 |
| Commercial Building Permitonly if it applies to you | City of Yonkers Department of Housing and Buildings | A $250 filing fee, plus $15 per $1,000 of estimated construction cost up to $1,000,000, and $12 per $1,000 above that. | one-time, per project | 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 Yonkers?
Certificate of Occupancy
A newly erected building may not be occupied or used, in whole or in part, until the Department of Housing and Buildings issues a certificate of occupancy (Code section 56-40); a building enlarged, extended or altered needs one before it is occupied after the work, or within 30 days of completion if occupancy continued during the work (section 56-43). No change of occupancy or use inconsistent with the last certificate may be made, and in an existing building a change of occupancy needs a certificate that the building meets zoning and the building codes for the proposed new use (section 56-45). The certificate is issued within 10 days of a written application once a final inspection finds the work complete in accordance with the building permit and the codes and the zoning chapter has been complied with; an applicant other than the owner must also file the owner's notarized authorization (section 56-41). The per-floor-plus-per-tenant-space fee applies to certificates, including partial certificates, for new construction or alteration of a non-residential, commercial or industrial use, while a certificate for existing non-residential commercial construction is $175 for each tenant space or use. A temporary certificate costs the same as the full certificate for up to 180 days, with that fee charged again for each further 30-day extension, and a copy of an existing certificate costs a flat $10.
Sign Permit
An illegal installation is billed at twice the total permit fee, and a late renewal adds a flat $200 penalty within the first 30 days, $300 more after that.
Commercial Building Permit
A reinspection costs $250 the first time and $500 for every one after that — a real incentive to get the work right before calling for the next inspection.
Sources
Every figure in the table above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- Yonkers Code of Ordinances section 56-42 — certificate of occupancy feesCity of Yonkers, mirrored by eLaws · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
- Yonkers Code of Ordinances section 56-40 — certificate of occupancy required before occupancy or useCity of Yonkers, mirrored by eLaws · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-18
- Yonkers Code of Ordinances section 56-43 — buildings enlarged, extended or alteredCity of Yonkers, mirrored by eLaws · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-18
- Yonkers Code of Ordinances section 56-45 — change of occupancyCity of Yonkers, mirrored by eLaws · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-18
- Yonkers Code of Ordinances section 56-41 — issuance and filing of certificates of occupancyCity of Yonkers, mirrored by eLaws · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-18
- Yonkers Code of Ordinances section 47-5 — sign permit feesCity of Yonkers, mirrored by eLaws · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
- Yonkers Code of Ordinances section 56-18 — building permit feesCity of Yonkers, mirrored by eLaws · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
Who issues business permits in Yonkers?
Permitting in Yonkers is split across 4 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.
Yonkers issuing agencies
- City of Yonkers Department of Housing and BuildingsCertificates of occupancy · Building and sign permits3 permits
- Westchester County Department of HealthFood service establishment permits · Child day care facility inspections2 permits
- City of Yonkers Fire Department, Fire Prevention DivisionMotor vehicle repair shop permits · Fire code operating permits1 permit
- City of Yonkers Office of Licensing, Consumer Protection BureauHome improvement contractor licensing1 permit
Other New York 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.