10 published records
Business licences and permits in Columbus, Ohio
No general business licence — Columbus Public Health permits food inside city limits (and Worthington), while Franklin County Public Health covers the rest of the county. A county-issued Vendor's Licence, not a city one, registers sales tax.
What are you opening in Columbus?
- 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 licence and the practitioner licences 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 licence covers.See the full permit list
Who issues business permits in Columbus?
Permitting in Columbus 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.
Columbus issuing agencies
- City of Columbus Department of Building and Zoning ServicesCertificates of occupancy · Building and sign permits · Contractor registration4 permits
- Columbus Public Health, Food Protection ProgramFood establishment licensing · Mobile food service licensing · Food protection training3 permits
- City of Columbus Division of Fire, Fire Prevention BureauDay care fire safety inspections1 permit
- City of Columbus License Section, Department of Building and Zoning ServicesSpecific business licence categories · Income tax registration guidance1 permit
- Franklin County Auditor, Vendor's Licence SectionSales tax vendor's licence1 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.