8 published records
Business licenses and permits in Licking County, Ohio
Licking County lies east of Columbus in central Ohio, with its seat at Newark. Three county offices matter most to a business. The Licking County Health Department, run by the Board of Health of the Licking County Combined General Health District at 675 Price Rd., Newark, licenses food service operations and retail food establishments, mobile and temporary food operations, public swimming pools and spas, and tattoo and body piercing businesses, and it registers plumbing contractors and issues plumbing permits. The Licking County Building Code Department, at the same address, describes itself as 'responsible for the enforcement of building codes for all residential and commercial projects throughout the majority of Licking County.' Its Areas of Jurisdiction sheet, dated 11/18/24, lists Licking County as the commercial (Ohio Building Code) department for Alexandria, Buckeye Lake, Granville, Hanover, Hartford, Heath, Hebron, Johnstown, Kirkersville, Newark, Pataskala, Utica and the unincorporated areas; it lists the Mid-East Ohio Building Department for Gratiot, the New Albany and Reynoldsburg building departments for those two places, and the State of Ohio for St. Louisville. The same sheet names a separate zoning contact for each village, city and zoned township. On zoning, the county's Township & Zoning Info page states that 'Licking County has 25 townships, 19 townships are zoned (blue) and 6 townships are un-zoned (green).' The Building Code Department's Steps for Obtaining a Permit sheet sends business and commercial development to the Licking County Planning Commission for townships and to the applicable planning department for villages and cities.
What are you opening in Licking 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 Licking County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Building Permit / Certificate of Plan Approval | Licking County Building Code Department | Fee Schedule dated 01/01/13 (Resolution No. 69-399), 4 or more family dwellings, commercial, accessory structures and signs. New construction, change of occupancy, additions: structural $290.00 base + $12.75/100 sq ft; electrical $290.00 base + $8.25/100 sq ft; HVAC $290.00 base + $4.25/100 sq ft heating + $4.25/100 sq ft cooling; sprinkler $290.00 base + $9.00/100 sq ft sprinklered area. Alterations, remodeling: structural $250.00 base + $8.50/100 sq ft; electrical $250.00 base + $5.25/100 sq ft; HVAC $250.00 base + $3.50/100 sq ft heating + $3.50/100 sq ft cooling; sprinkler $250.00 base + $6.50/100 sq ft sprinklered area; fire alarm $250.00 base + $4.00 per device. Wall signs: structural $95.00 total for all signs; electrical $95.00 total for all signs. Free-standing signs: structural $190.00 each, electrical $190.00 each ($95.00 for signs under 24 sq ft and 8 ft high). Each application adds a $25.00 application fee plus the State of Ohio surcharge; the total fee due is rounded to the nearest dollar. | per project | 2026-10-27 |
| Development Review (Business/Commercial Use in Townships)only if it applies to you | Licking County Planning Commission | The development review fee is not published on the Building Code Department's Steps for Obtaining a Permit sheet; contact Licking County Planning & Development at (740) 670-5200 for the current amount. | 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 Licking County?
Commercial Building Permit / Certificate of Plan Approval
A new commercial building, addition, change of occupancy, remodel or sign in the communities the Licking County Building Code Department serves needs its plan approval and permits. The department's Areas of Jurisdiction sheet (11/18/24) lists Licking County as the commercial department for Alexandria, Buckeye Lake, Granville, Hanover, Hartford, Heath, Hebron, Johnstown, Kirkersville, Newark, Pataskala, Utica and the unincorporated areas; the same sheet lists other departments for Gratiot, New Albany, Reynoldsburg and St. Louisville, so this record does not cover those four. The figures are as published in the department's linked 'Fee Schedule', dated 01/01/13 and citing Resolution No. 69-399, which the Applications, Forms, and Handouts page lists under Building Permit Fees; the resolution itself is not published online. Each application adds a $25.00 application fee and the State of Ohio surcharge, and the schedule notes that the 'Total fee due is rounded to the nearest dollar.' The department's home page states: 'Before obtaining approval from our office, you must first obtain a Zoning Certificate from your local Zoning Inspector. If your project is located in a township that does not have zoning enforcement, you must obtain approval from the Licking County Health Department.' A submission takes a completed application, a copy of the zoning certificate (or Health Department approval) and two complete sets of construction plans. The Steps for Obtaining a Permit sheet (09/18/24) adds: 'After final inspections, a Certificate of Occupancy from the Zoning Inspector and the Building Code Dept. MUST be obtained before occupancy or use.'
Development Review (Business/Commercial Use in Townships)
Building a new business in a Licking County township starts with development review. The Building Code Department's 'Review Procedure for Building in Licking County' sheet, dated 09/18/24, lists Step 1 as 'Development' with the Licking County Planning Commission for townships and the applicable planning department for villages and cities, and states that it 'Applies to any business/commercial use, manufacturing/industrial use, institution or multi-family/condominium use development.' The sheet asks applicants to complete the steps in order, filing a copy of each earlier approval with the next application, and lists Licking County Planning & Development (20 S. 2nd St., Newark, (740) 670-5200) as the floodplain contact for townships and unincorporated areas. The development review fee is not published on that sheet; contact Licking County Planning & Development for the current amount.
Sources
Every figure in the table above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- Fee Schedule (01/01/13, Resolution No. 69-399)Licking County Building Code Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
- Licking County - Building CodeLicking County Building Code Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
- Licking County - Applications, Forms, and HandoutsLicking County Building Code Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
- Areas of Jurisdiction (11/18/24)Licking County Building Code Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
- Review Procedure for Building in Licking County (Steps for Obtaining a Permit, 09/18/24)Licking County Building Code Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
- Licking County - Township & Zoning InfoLicking County Planning & Development · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
Who issues business permits in Licking County?
Permitting in Licking County is split across 3 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.
Licking County issuing agencies
- Licking County Health DepartmentBoard of Health of the Licking County Combined General Health District · Food service operation and retail food establishment licensing, including mobile and temporary food operations · Public swimming pool, spa, sprayground and bathing beach licensing and inspection · Tattoo and body piercing business approval under ORC 3730.02 · Plumbing contractor registration and plumbing permits under the Licking County Plumbing Regulations6 permits
- Licking County Building Code DepartmentCommercial plan approval and building, electrical, HVAC, sprinkler and fire alarm permits under the Ohio Building Code in the communities listed for Licking County on its Areas of Jurisdiction sheet · Certificates of occupancy issued with the local zoning inspector after final inspections1 permit
- Licking County Planning CommissionDevelopment review for business/commercial, manufacturing/industrial, institutional and multi-family development in the townships · Floodplain determinations for townships and unincorporated areas, through Licking County Planning & Development1 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.