What do these permits involve in Stark County?

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Regular (County) Vendor's License

A shop, restaurant, cafe, salon, garage, gym or clinic that makes taxable retail sales from a fixed location in Stark County takes this license from the County Auditor, one for each location. The Auditor's vendor page states that the 'Regular/County Vendor's License is the only vendor's license issued by the Stark County Auditor Office and is required to sell products at a fixed place of business within the county. Vendors with multiple locations must obtain one regular vendor's license for each fixed sales location. The application fee is $50.00, and there is no annual renewal fee.' The amount is set by statute: ORC 5739.17(A) requires 'a license fee in the sum of fifty dollars for each fixed place of business in the county that will be the situs of retail sales,' with twenty-five dollars sent to the state's organized crime commission fund and twenty-five dollars credited to the county general fund. ORC 5739.17(C) also states that 'each vehicle intended to be used within a county constitutes a place of business.' The same Auditor page states that 'Transient Licenses can ONLY be purchased through the State of Ohio', so a vendor selling at shows and events around the state deals with the state, not the county.

Plumbing Permit and Commercial Plumbing Plan Review

Any plumbing work in a business build-out or remodel inside the Stark County Health Department's area, from new fixtures in a salon to a grease interceptor in a restaurant kitchen, needs a plumbing permit from the Department. Its plumbing page states that 'Plumbing permits must be obtained through the Stark County Health Department prior to the start of work' and that 'Permit fees cover two inspections.' A commercial permit comes after plan review: 'Prior to obtaining a Commercial Plumbing Permit, you must submit a Plumbing Plan Review Application. A professional engineer or architect must design a plan.' The page also states that plans 'will be reviewed within 30 days.' The amounts above are Board of Health Resolution #8-2025, adopted December 10, 2025 and effective January 1, 2026, and the Department's 2026 plumbing permit application prints the same unit amounts. Working without a permit costs a penalty of 200% of the total permit fee. Scope: the Department's About Us page gives its jurisdiction as '17 Townships, 12 Villages, and the cities of Canal Fulton, Louisville, and North Canton'.

Commercial Plan Examination and Building / Trade Permits

Building out, remodeling or changing the use of a commercial space where the Stark County Building Inspection Department has jurisdiction needs a plan review and permits from it. The figures above are as printed on the Department's fee schedule headed 'Effective 8/29/26', linked from its Fees page. Each building or tenant space on the same site needs its own plan review and permits, all fees are non-refundable, and a 3% Board of Building Standards surcharge is added to all commercial fees. The Department's page states that 'Commercial structures require submission of plans drafted by a registered Ohio design professional', and that 'Approvals required before a building permit can be issued include township zoning, sewer or septic, and Stark County regional planning.' After final inspection, the Department issues a 'Certificate of Occupancy'. Coverage, in the page's words: 'The department's jurisdiction covers the unincorporated areas of Stark County and those villages and cities that have entered into a contract with the county. Currently, contracts exist with Brewster, East Canton, Hills and Dales, Limaville, Magnolia, Meyers Lake, Minerva and Waynesburg. The office also inspects commercial structures only for East Sparta, Louisville and Hartville since each of these jurisdictions have residential building departments of their own. Alliance, Canton, Massillon and North Canton have their own building inspection departments. Areas that do not have a building inspection department or a contract with any other office obtain commercial permits from the state.'

Permit	Issuing agency	Fee	Renews	Last checked
Regular (County) Vendor's License	Stark County Auditor	$50 one-time, for each fixed place of business in the county; under ORC 5739.17(A) the auditor sends $25 of it to the state Organized Crime Commission Fund and credits $25 to the county general fund, so the $50 is a combined state and county amount	one-time; the Auditor's vendor page states that 'there is no annual renewal fee'	2026-10-20
Plumbing Permit and Commercial Plumbing Plan Reviewonly if it applies to you	Stark County Health Department (Stark County Combined General Health District)	Per Board of Health Resolution #8-2025 (adopted December 10, 2025; effective January 1, 2026): commercial permit application $135.00; residential permit application $80.00; commercial remodeling plan review $90.00; commercial new construction plan review $150.00; trap charge $15.00 each; water heater new construction $25.00, replacement $50.00; oil/grease interceptor $25.00; backflow prevention device $20.00; lift station with sewage ejector $20.00; water service $25.00; reinspection $75.00; penalty for work without a permit 200% of the total permit fee.	per permit; the Department's plumbing page states that 'Permit fees cover two inspections'	2026-10-20
Commercial Plan Examination and Building / Trade Permitsonly if it applies to you	Stark County Building Inspection Department	Per the Building Inspection Department's commercial fee schedule (Exhibit B), headed 'Effective 8/29/26'. Plan examination, for each of building, HVAC, electrical, automated sprinkler and fire suppression, refrigeration and hoods: $200.00 application fee plus $2.00 per 100 sq ft up to 150,000 sq ft and $5.00 per 100 sq ft above; site work $200.00 plus $2.00 per 1,000 sq ft ($5.00 per 1,000 above 150,000); plan resubmittal after the 2nd review $100.00 per occurrence. Permits, for each of building, HVAC, electrical, low voltage, sprinkler and fire suppression, refrigeration and hoods: $2.00 per 100 sq ft up to 150,000 sq ft and $5.00 per 100 sq ft above, minimum $200 for any commercial permit, including up to 5 inspections. Special one-time inspection permit $200.00; re-inspection $60.00; additional inspection $60.00; flood plain permit $100.00 outside the flood plain, $500.00 for building or grading inside it; commercial swimming pool electric $300.00 in addition to building electrical; temporary/phased occupancy certificate $300.00; commercial appeals board $300.00. Low voltage (Exhibit C): plan examination $200.00 application plus $10.00 main panel, $5.00 for 1-5 outlets/drops and $1.00 for each additional, and the same amounts for the permit. A 3% BBS surcharge is added to all commercial fees; failure to apply in a timely manner adds a 200% penalty.	permits are valid for twelve months from date of issuance	2026-10-20

Business licenses and permits in Stark County, Ohio

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Permits that apply to every type of business in Stark County