14 published records
Business licenses and permits in Clermont County, Ohio
Clermont County lies on the Ohio River east of Cincinnati, with its seat in the Village of Batavia. Three county-level offices matter to a business here. Clermont County Public Health, the Clermont County General Health District, is governed by its own Board of Health and licenses food operations, vending, mobile and temporary food, public pools and body art, and registers plumbing and septic contractors; its About page states that it 'serves approximately 214,000 residents in 14 townships and nine villages in Clermont County and contracts for public health services with the City of Milford.' Its Board of Health adopted Resolution No. 12-26 on October 14, 2026, which changes most of its license fees from December 1, 2026. The Clermont County Auditor issues the retail cigarette dealer's license and inspects commercial weighing and measuring devices. Clermont County Permit Central, the county Building Inspection Department at 2275 Bauer Road in Batavia, issues building, electrical, mechanical and fire protection permits under a fee schedule the Board of County Commissioners approved on December 1, 2021 (Resolution #180-2021, effective January 1, 2022). Zoning is local: Permit Central's FAQ states that 'You will need Zoning Approval from the respective jurisdiction you're building the structure in (village or township)', and the county Planning page states that 'the Planning Commission only provides guidance to the local zoning commission and board of trustees on township zoning matters.' Permit Central's zoning contact list names 14 townships (Batavia, Franklin, Goshen, Jackson, Miami, Monroe, Ohio, Pierce, Stonelick, Tate, Union, Washington, Wayne and Williamsburg) and the villages of Batavia, Bethel, Chilo, Felicity, Moscow, Neville, New Richmond, Newtonsville, Owensville and Williamsburg. The county also contains the City of Milford and part of the City of Loveland. Each city and village sets its own zoning, and any municipal license or permit it requires stacks on top of the county-level records here.
What are you opening in Clermont 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 Clermont County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Building, Electrical, Mechanical and Fire Protection Permitsonly if it applies to you | Clermont County Permit Central/Building Inspection Department | Per the Permit Central fee schedule (BCC Resolution #180-2021, effective January 1, 2022): $50 base fee per application, plus the applicable fees below, plus a 3% state surcharge on non-residential fees. New construction and additions, use groups A, E, B and M: $0.15 per sq ft ($120 minimum). Non-residential alterations: $0.11 per sq ft ($120 minimum). Change of use and occupancy (no work): $70. Conditional (temporary) occupancy: $50 each. Non-residential mechanical: $20 per $1,000 of cost up to $100,000 ($70 minimum). Non-residential electrical: $120 minimum, plus $0.60 per amp of service over 200 amps, $5 per circuit up to 30 amps and $15 per circuit over 30 amps or transformer. Kitchen hood fire suppression: $105 each. New fire alarm system: $150. Signs: $120 up to 150 sq ft, $175 for 150 sq ft and larger. Tents used less than 14 days: $70. Re-inspection: $35 per trip. Work started without a permit: double permit fee up to a maximum of $1,000. Non-residential occupancy without a valid certificate of occupancy: $500. Non-residential WMSC: $250 up to 1 acre plus a $60 Phase II stormwater surcharge. Non-residential floodplain development: $100. | per project | 2026-10-27 |
| Commercial Plumbing Permitonly if it applies to you | Clermont County Public Health | Per the CCPH FEE SCHEDULE (updated 11/12/25), rows effective 1/1/2024: commercial plumbing plan review $150; commercial, industrial or institutional base permit fee $150; plus $20 per fixture for a commercial building or $75 per fixture for an industrial or institutional building; plumbing installation begun without a permit is charged two times the applicable fees. Annual backflow recertification test fee: $25 through December 31, 2026 → $30 from January 1, 2027 (Resolution No. 12-26). | per project; the backflow recertification test is annual | 2026-10-27 |
| Zoning Approval from the Township or Village | Township and village zoning offices in Clermont County | Set by the township or village that zones the site; Permit Central's zoning page lists a phone number for each township and village zoning office. | obtained before the building permit application; a copy is filed with Permit Central | 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 Clermont County?
Commercial Building, Electrical, Mechanical and Fire Protection Permits
Opening, building out or changing the use of a restaurant, shop, salon, gym, childcare center, clinic or repair shop in a Clermont County township or village goes through Clermont County Permit Central, the Building Inspection Department at 2275 Bauer Road in Batavia (513-732-7213). Its FAQ lists commercial construction, change of use, electrical installations, fire alarms, fire suppression systems, range hoods, signs, tents over 400 square feet and site development among the projects that need a permit, and states that the plan submittal includes the 'Zoning Permit/Letter of Approval from Township/Village' and, where applicable, approval from the public health department. The amounts are from the fee schedule 'Per BCC Resolution # 180-2021, Effective Date: January 1, 2022'; Permit Central's Fee Schedule page states that 'final approval was issued with the Board of County Commissioners on Dec. 1, 2021' and that all applicable fees 'are due with the initial submittal of the application and construction drawings'. The schedule charges the $50 base fee once per application and adds a 3% state surcharge to non-residential fees. It states that WMSC regulations are enforced in 'All Townships, Villages of Batavia, New Richmond, Owensville and Williamsburg' and flood regulations in 'All Townships, Villages of Chilo, Moscow, Neville and Williamsburg'. The FAQ gives a goal of 15 to 30 business days for commercial plan review and states that 'NO OCCUPANCY IS APPROVED UNTIL THE CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY OR A CONDITIONAL CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY IS ISSUED.'
Commercial Plumbing Permit
New plumbing in a restaurant, salon, shop, clinic, gym, childcare center or other commercial building in the Clermont County Public Health district is permitted and inspected by CCPH; Permit Central's FAQ lists 'Plumbing (from General Health District)' among the permits a project may need. The amounts are from the Clermont County Public Health 'FEE SCHEDULE (updated 11/12/25)', which the Food Safety page links as 'Fee Schedule': commercial plumbing plan review $150, a $150 base permit fee for commercial, industrial or institutional work, and $20 per fixture in a commercial building or $75 per fixture in an industrial or institutional building, each effective 1/1/2024. The schedule defines commercial buildings to include restaurants, gas stations and office buildings, and industrial and institutional buildings to include factories, warehouses and educational, hospital and government buildings. Work begun without a permit is charged two times the applicable fees. The annual backflow recertification test fee is $25 through December 31, 2026; Board of Health Resolution No. 12-26, adopted October 14, 2026, sets it at $30 and states that its plumbing fees 'hereby become effective on January 1, 2027.' Clermont County Public Health's About page states that the agency 'serves approximately 214,000 residents in 14 townships and nine villages in Clermont County and contracts for public health services with the City of Milford.'
Zoning Approval from the Township or Village
Zoning approval in Clermont County comes from the township or village where the business is located. Permit Central's FAQ states: 'Zoning Approval – You will need Zoning Approval from the respective jurisdiction you're building the structure in (village or township). A copy of your Zoning Certificate/Approval is to be filed with our department.' The county Planning page describes the county's role this way: 'The planning staff also offers professional planning support to the Clermont County Planning Commission. They prepare staff reports and recommendations for zoning map and text amendment cases before the commission. However, the Planning Commission only provides guidance to the local zoning commission and board of trustees on township zoning matters.' Permit Central's zoning page lists contacts for Batavia, Franklin, Goshen, Jackson, Miami, Monroe, Ohio, Pierce, Stonelick, Tate, Union, Washington, Wayne and Williamsburg Townships and for the villages of Batavia, Bethel, Chilo, Felicity, Moscow, Neville, New Richmond, Newtonsville, Owensville and Williamsburg; the fee is set by that office. CCPH's Body Art page likewise states that approval 'must first be obtained from the local zoning office' before a body art facility submits plans.
Sources
Every figure in the table above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- FEE SCHEDULE FOR CLERMONT COUNTY PERMIT CENTRAL/BUILDING INSPECTION DEPARTMENT, Per BCC Resolution # 180-2021, Effective Date: January 1, 2022Clermont County Permit Central/Building Inspection Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
- Permit Central/Building Inspection - Fee ScheduleClermont County Permit Central/Building Inspection Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
- Permit Central/Building Inspection - Frequently Asked QuestionsClermont County Permit Central/Building Inspection Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
- Permit Central/Building Inspection - ZoningClermont County Permit Central/Building Inspection Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
- FEE SCHEDULE (updated 11/12/25)Clermont County Public Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
- Resolution No. 12-26: Resolution Establishing Revised License Fees (adopted October 14, 2026)Board of Health of the Clermont County General Health District · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
- About - Clermont County Public HealthClermont County Public Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
- Clermont County Ohio - PlanningClermont County Department of Community and Economic Development · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
- Body Art - Clermont County Public HealthClermont County Public Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
Who issues business permits in Clermont County?
Permitting in Clermont County 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.
Clermont County issuing agencies
- Clermont County Public HealthThe Clermont County General Health District; its About page states that it serves 14 townships and nine villages in Clermont County and contracts for public health services with the City of Milford · Food service operation and retail food establishment licensing, food plan review, mobile, temporary and vending machine location licenses · Public swimming pool, spa and special-use pool licensing · Body art (tattooing, body piercing and permanent makeup) establishment licensing under ORC Chapter 3730 and OAC Chapter 3701-9 · Plumbing registration and plumbing permits; septic installer, service provider and septage hauler registration10 permits
- Clermont County AuditorRetail cigarette dealer's license, renewed each year for the June 1 to May 31 period · Weights & Measures inspection, testing and sealing of commercial devices such as fuel dispensers, scales, timing devices and length meters2 permits
- Clermont County Permit Central/Building Inspection DepartmentBuilding, mechanical, electrical and fire protection permits, plan review, inspections and certificates of occupancy under the fee schedule per BCC Resolution #180-2021, effective January 1, 2022 · Water management and sediment control (WMSC) and floodplain development fees in the townships and in the villages the fee schedule names · Requires a copy of the township or village zoning certificate or approval with each building application1 permit
- Township and village zoning offices in Clermont CountyZoning approval for a site in a township or village; Permit Central's zoning page lists a phone number for each of 14 townships and 10 villages · The Clermont County Planning Commission, per the county Planning page, 'only provides guidance to the local zoning commission and board of trustees on township zoning matters'1 permit
Other Ohio 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.