13 published records
Business licenses and permits in Chester County, Pennsylvania
Chester County, Pennsylvania — seat West Chester Borough; population 560,745 (U.S. Census Bureau 2024 estimate) — is made up of 73 municipalities, which the county's Facts page lists as 'one city, 15 boroughs, and 57 townships': the City of Coatesville; the boroughs of Atglen, Avondale, Downingtown, Elverson, Honey Brook, Kennett Square, Malvern, Modena, Oxford, Parkesburg, Phoenixville, South Coatesville, Spring City, West Chester and West Grove; and 57 townships. Pennsylvania has no unincorporated territory. The Chester County Health Department (CCHD) is one of the county health departments listed by the Pennsylvania Department of Health and licenses food facilities, temporary events, farm-market vendors, Certified Food Managers, public bathing places and child day care centres county-wide, and permits on-lot sewage systems and wells and licenses well, pump, geothermal and liquid-waste contractors; its fees come from a schedule effective January 1, 2025, and the Board of Health has proposed a revised schedule for January 1, 2027. The county Sheriff issues the Precious Metal Dealer License and the Chester County Planning Commission conducts the Act 247 advisory review of subdivision and land development plans. Act 511 (the Local Tax Enabling Act) §301.1(a) authorises cities, boroughs, towns, townships and school districts — not counties — to levy business taxes, so any business privilege or mercantile tax comes from the municipality. CCHD Rules §602.2.1 states that a pool construction permit 'shall be obtained from the local municipality' under the PA Uniform Construction Code, and the Planning Commission describes its subdivision role as 'advisory review' — each municipality's own zoning, building and UCC permits, approvals and local taxes stack on top of every county record here. Alcohol licenses are issued by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board; its list 'Pennsylvania Dry Municipalities — As of September 2025' names 19 Chester County municipalities as dry for one or more license categories: Elverson and West Grove boroughs and East Bradford, East Brandywine, East Coventry, East Goshen, East Nantmeal, East Nottingham, Elk, Franklin, Highland, London Grove, Londonderry, Lower Oxford, New London, Upper Oxford, West Brandywine, West Fallowfield, West Nantmeal, West Pikeland and Westtown townships (check the PLCB list for the category affected).
What are you opening in Chester 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 Chester County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| On-Lot Sewage System Permitonly if it applies to you | Chester County Health Department | $200–$800 per permit or service — site evaluation $800; major permit $800; minor component repair $250; minor tank permit $450; evaluation of an existing system for building alterations, additions or change in use $200 | per permit | 2026-10-09 |
| Well Permitonly if it applies to you | Chester County Health Department | $100–$300 per permit — new well $300; 2nd or additional well $175; alteration of an existing well (extend casing, 2nd water line) $100 | per permit | 2026-10-09 |
| County Planning Commission Act 247 Subdivision and Land Development Reviewonly if it applies to you | Chester County Planning Commission | Category III non-residential land development: 0–5,000 sq ft $560 + $55 per 1,000 sq ft of gross floor area; 5,001–25,000 sq ft $680 + $49; 25,001–75,000 sq ft $1,110 + $49; 75,001 sq ft and over $1,670 + $34; parking garage/structure $480. Category II non-residential subdivision: 1–2 lots $340, 3–10 lots $680, 11 or more lots $990, financial subdivisions $340, plus $66 per lot ($62 per lot for 11 or more). Category I residential: 1–2 lots/units $200; 3–5 $200 + $34 per lot/unit; 6–20 $275 + $30; 21–75 $495 + $27; 76 and over $990 + $21. Category IV second review: $200 residential, $275 non-residential. A non-residential plan that is both subdivided and developed pays Category II plus Category III. Maximum $10,000 per plan; an unofficial sketch plan review has no fee. | per plan; the Commission has 30 days to review a subdivision or land development application | 2026-10-09 |
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 Chester County?
On-Lot Sewage System Permit
A business on a Chester County site without public sewer that installs, repairs or alters an individual or community on-lot sewage system must first obtain a permit from CCHD under CCHD Rules §503.4, which adopts 25 Pa. Code chapters 71 to 73. A site evaluation is $800, a major permit $800, a minor component repair $250 and a minor tank permit $450, and an evaluation of an existing system for a building alteration, addition or change in use — the line most relevant to a business moving into an existing building — is $200. These amounts come from the CCHD Bureau of Environmental Health Protection fee schedule effective January 1, 2025, set by the Department under CCHD Rules and Regulations §701 and repeated on the county's Fee Schedule & Payment page (chesco.org/5973); they are county-only fees with no state component. The Board of Health has proposed a revised schedule for January 1, 2027: its July 21, 2026 minutes record that the draft is complete and that 'a small increase to fees is planned', and its August 18, 2026 minutes record that a summary was shared with the Commissioners and Board ahead of public comment. The revised amounts are not published.
Well Permit
A business on a Chester County site with a private well needs a CCHD permit before any well is installed, repaired or altered under CCHD Rules §501.7.1.2, and §501.7.2.1 requires the application to be made by a CCHD-licensed well contractor. A new well permit is $300, a second or additional well $175 and an alteration of an existing well $100. These amounts come from the CCHD Bureau of Environmental Health Protection fee schedule effective January 1, 2025, set by the Department under CCHD Rules and Regulations §701 and repeated on the county's Fee Schedule & Payment page (chesco.org/5973); they are county-only fees with no state component. The Board of Health has proposed a revised schedule for January 1, 2027: its July 21, 2026 minutes record that the draft is complete and that 'a small increase to fees is planned', and its August 18, 2026 minutes record that a summary was shared with the Commissioners and Board ahead of public comment. The revised amounts are not published.
County Planning Commission Act 247 Subdivision and Land Development Review
The Chester County Planning Commission's Act 247 page states that 'Under the Municipalities Planning Code (Act 247) any proposed subdivision, land development proposal or ordinance revision, is to be submitted to the County Planning Commission for advisory review.' A business that subdivides land or builds a new non-residential development pays the Commission's review fee from its official fee schedule (effective January 1, 2025, updated February 2025): for non-residential land development, $560 plus $55 per 1,000 square feet of gross floor area up to 5,000 square feet, rising to $1,670 plus $34 per 1,000 square feet above 75,000 square feet; for a non-residential subdivision, $340 to $990 plus $62 to $66 per lot. The fee is capped at $10,000 per plan, a sketch plan review is free, and checks are payable to 'County of Chester'. The Commission has 30 days to return its review comments; the municipality's own approval is separate.
Sources
Every figure in the table above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- CCHD Bureau of Environmental Health Protection Fee Schedule — Effective January 1, 2025Chester County Health Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-09
- Fee Schedule & Payment (CCHD Environmental Health fees, live page)Chester County Health Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-09
- CCHD Rules and Regulations §503 (Individual and Community On-Lot Sewage Systems), effective November 12, 2014Chester County Health Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-09
- Chester County Board of Health, minutes of July 21, 2026 (Old Business: Fee Schedule)Chester County Board of Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-09
- CCHD Rules and Regulations §501 (Wells and Well Contractors), effective November 12, 2014Chester County Health Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-09
- Act 247 Referral Application and Fee Schedule — Effective January 1, 2025, Updated February 2025Chester County Planning Commission · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-09
- Act 247 Plan ReviewChester County Planning Commission · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-09
Who issues business permits in Chester County?
Permitting in Chester 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.
Chester County issuing agencies
- Chester County Health DepartmentLicenses and inspects food facilities, mobile food facilities, temporary food events and farm-market vendors county-wide under CCHD Rules and Regulations Chapters 300 and 605 · Issues Certified Food Manager certificates under CCHD Rules §303 · Issues Certificates of Registration for public bathing places (Ch. 602) and child day care centres (Ch. 406) · Issues on-lot sewage permits (Ch. 503) and well permits (Ch. 501), and licenses well-drilling, geothermal-well, pump-installer (Ch. 501) and liquid-waste-hauler (Ch. 504) contractors · Sets its fees administratively under CCHD Rules §701; schedule effective January 1, 2025, with a revised schedule proposed for January 1, 202711 permits
- Chester County Planning CommissionConducts the advisory review of proposed subdivisions, land development proposals and ordinance revisions submitted under the Municipalities Planning Code (Act 247), with a 30-day review period for subdivision and land development applications1 permit
- Chester County Sheriff's OfficeReceives applications for, and issues, the Precious Metal Dealer License (37 Pa. Code §501.3)1 permit
Other Pennsylvania 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.