15 published records
Business licenses and permits in Delaware County, Pennsylvania
Delaware County, Pennsylvania — seat Media (Media Borough) — is entirely made up of 49 municipalities (1 city, Chester; 27 boroughs; 21 townships), since Pennsylvania has no unincorporated territory anywhere. Chester is the county's only city but is not its most populous place — Upper Darby Township (~86,000, 2024 est.) is the county's largest municipality, a position it has held since 1950. Delaware County is one of Pennsylvania's three original counties (1682) and in 1976 became the Commonwealth's first Home Rule county. It is also one of only 7 of Pennsylvania's 67 counties (plus Philadelphia, a city-county) to run its own county health department under the Local Health Administration Law of 1951 — the Delaware County Health Department (DCHD), whose Board of Health was appointed in April 2021 and which began operating in April 2022, making it the newest of the seven. Each of the 49 municipalities separately administers its own zoning under the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, its own building and Uniform Construction Code permitting, and, where adopted, its own business-privilege or mercantile tax under the Local Tax Enabling Act of 1965 — a power the Act gives only to municipalities and school districts, not counties, which is why Delaware County issues no general county business license of its own. All of that municipal-level licensing stacks on top of every county record below.
What are you opening in Delaware 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 Delaware County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| On-Lot Sewage (Septic) System Permitonly if it applies to you | Delaware County Health Department | $95–$950 new construction, residential or commercial, initial EDU $950, each additional EDU $190; repair, initial EDU $570, each additional EDU $95; redesign — new construction $570, repair $285; minor permits — new construction $190, repair $95, septic tank only $380; holding tank — new construction $475, repair $285, temporary (weather) $285; every sewage permit application carries a non-refundable $95 processing fee; operating without a permit carries a penalty of 2× the permit fee | per permit | 2026-10-01 |
| DCHD Subdivision/Land Development (Act 537) Sewage-Facilities Reviewonly if it applies to you | Delaware County Health Department | $47–$475 residential Component I/Component II/exemptions $142/lot; non-residential and land development $190/site; non-building waiver plans and inspection $190 flat; public sewer/SFTF Component 3 review $475 flat; substantial plan re-review after initial review $47/lot | per application | 2026-10-01 |
| County Subdivision & Land Development Review Fee (MPC §502) | Delaware County Planning Department | Delaware County Ordinance 02-04 sets three tiers: a residential subdivision or land development is $150 per plan plus $10 per lot or unit; a non-residential subdivision is $200 per plan plus $50 per lot; and a non-residential land development is $200 per plan plus $25 per 1,000 square feet of gross floor area (or portion thereof). Fees are waived only for a government sub-unit applicant — §105 states this exemption 'does not apply to any private, nonprofit organization.' | per application/plan; a resubmission on the same tract is charged again, but a refinement within 180 days of Commission review is not (§108) | 2026-10-01 |
| County 2016 Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance (SALDO) — Default Reviewonly if it applies to you | Delaware County Planning Department | No fee | no separate term — governed by the MPC §502 Review Fee record recorded separately for Delaware County | 2026-10-01 |
| Well Construction Permitonly if it applies to you | Delaware County Health Department | $47–$2,375 new well permit $237; 2nd or additional well permit $142; monitoring/test/open-loop geothermal wells $142/well; closed-loop geothermal wells, 1st–5th well $237, each additional well $47/borehole, up to a maximum of $2,375; direct core boring $95/parcel; well relocation prior to drilling $76/well; alteration of an existing well $95 | per well | 2026-10-01 |
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 Delaware County?
On-Lot Sewage (Septic) System Permit
Any Delaware County business not connected to public sewer needs an on-lot sewage (septic) permit from DCHD, which acts county-wide as the Sewage Enforcement Officer under the Pennsylvania Sewage Facilities Act. An Equivalent Dwelling Unit (EDU) equals 400 gallons per day for a commercial or non-residential property. Per the current DCHD Fee Schedule, a new-construction system costs $950 for the initial EDU and $190 for each additional EDU, a repair costs $570 for the initial EDU and $95 for each additional EDU, and separate lines cover redesigns, minor permits, septic-tank-only permits, and holding tanks, from $95 up to $950. Every application also carries a non-refundable $95 processing fee, and operating without a permit carries a penalty of twice the permit fee.
DCHD Subdivision/Land Development (Act 537) Sewage-Facilities Review
Any Delaware County business undertaking a subdivision or land-development project that requires Act 537 sewage-planning review pays this DCHD fee, which is separate from, and charged in addition to, the Planning Department's MPC §502 land-use review fee recorded separately for Delaware County — the two fees appear as distinct line items in two separate fee documents issued by two different agencies under two different statutes. Per the current DCHD Fee Schedule, the fee is $142 per lot for a residential Component I, Component II, or exemption review, $190 per site for a non-residential or land-development review, a flat $190 for a non-building waiver plan and inspection, a flat $475 for a public-sewer/SFTF Component 3 review, and $47 per lot for a substantial plan re-review after the initial review.
County Subdivision & Land Development Review Fee (MPC §502)
Every subdivision, new construction, or land-development project anywhere in Delaware County's 49 municipalities triggers this mandatory advisory review by the Delaware County Planning Department/Planning Commission under the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code's own §502 requirement for every county in the Commonwealth — a countywide obligation, not limited to the municipalities that rely on the county's own default SALDO. Per Ordinance 02-04 (approved by County Council September 24, 2002, effective October 4, 2002), the fee is $150 per plan plus $10 per lot or unit for a residential project, $200 per plan plus $50 per lot for a non-residential subdivision, and $200 per plan plus $25 per 1,000 square feet of gross floor area for a non-residential land development. The application and the county fee, payable to the Treasurer of Delaware County, are submitted through the municipality, which forwards them to the Planning Department — §109 states the county fee 'shall not be combined with the municipal fee.' A resubmission on the same tract is charged again, but a refinement filed within 180 days of Commission review is not, per §108.
County 2016 Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance (SALDO) — Default Review
Delaware County's 2016 Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance (SALDO) serves as the default subdivision and land-use code for the subset of the county's 49 municipalities that have not adopted a SALDO of their own — per the county's own publication page (updated February 25, 2026), the ordinance is 'the governing subdivision and land development document for 21 of the County's 49 municipalities,' with no further source naming which specific municipalities rely on it. The ordinance's own text places plan review, approval, and enforcement with the municipality (and its Municipal Planning Commission), and §105(B)(8) lets a municipality separately designate the Delaware County Planning Commission as its own administering agency under Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code §502(c). Because §105(B) ties any filing fee to the municipality, a project governed by the county's 2016 SALDO charges no additional county-collected fee beyond the countywide MPC §502 review fee recorded separately for Delaware County — there is no second, SALDO-specific fee layered on top of it.
Well Construction Permit
Any Delaware County business drilling a well on a property not served by public water needs a well construction permit from DCHD. Per the current DCHD Fee Schedule, a new well permit is $237, a second or additional well on the same property is $142, a monitoring, test, or open-loop geothermal well is $142 per well, and a closed-loop geothermal well is $237 for the first through fifth well and $47 per additional borehole, capped at $2,375. Related fees include $95 per parcel for direct core boring, $76 per well for relocating a well before drilling, and $95 for altering an existing well.
Sources
Every figure in the table above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- Delaware County Health Department Fee Schedule (current; no printed effective date — fees set by County Council resolution under County Code Chapter 57)Delaware County Health Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-02
- DCHD Sewage and Water pageDelaware County Health Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-02
- Delaware County Planning Department Fee Schedule for Subdivision/Land Development Reviews under MPC §502 (Ordinance 02-04, effective October 4, 2002)Delaware County Planning Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-02
- Delaware County 2016 Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance (SALDO), full textDelaware County Planning Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-02
- Delaware County SALDO publication page (updated February 25, 2026)Delaware County Planning Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-02
Who issues business permits in Delaware County?
Permitting in Delaware 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.
Delaware County issuing agencies
- Delaware County Health DepartmentLicenses and inspects retail food facilities, mobile and temporary food facilities, and farmers'-market/event food vendors county-wide under DCHD Rules & Regulations Chapter 300 and Chapter 700 · Issues Child Day Care Center Certificates of Registration under DCHD Rules & Regulations Chapter 400, §406, a county-level certificate distinct from the state's own Certificate of Compliance · Licenses organized camps and campgrounds, and registers public bathing places (pools, spas and hot tubs) · Acts as the county's Sewage Enforcement Officer under the Pennsylvania Sewage Facilities Act (Act 537 of 1966), permitting on-lot sewage systems, wells, and land-development sewage-planning review · Licenses well-drilling, geothermal-well, pump-installer and liquid-waste-hauler contractors under DCHD Rules & Regulations Chapter 50011 permits
- Delaware County Planning DepartmentConducts the mandatory advisory Subdivision/Land Development review required of every Pennsylvania county under MPC §502, countywide across all 49 municipalities, under Ordinance 02-04 · Administers the county's 2016 Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance (SALDO) as the default land-use code only in the municipalities that have not adopted their own SALDO; a project reviewed under the county SALDO pays the same §502 review fee, not a separate charge2 permits
- Delaware County Office of Consumer Affairs, Bureau of Weights and MeasuresAdministers the annual commercial weighing, measuring and scanning device license required of every business that operates such a device, under Delaware County Code Chapter 1141 permit
- Delaware County Sheriff's OfficeIssues the state-created Precious Metals Dealer License under the Precious Metal Sale Regulation Law (Act 17 of 1984); the annual fee is paid into the Delaware County treasury, not to the Sheriff's Office itself1 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.