7 published records
Business licenses and permits in Memphis, Tennessee
Shelby County Health Department, not the city, permits every food facility. The Shelby County Clerk Business Tax Division page states that every business operating in Shelby County registers with the County Clerk within 20 days of starting business and that a separate city business license is required inside a municipality; for Memphis the city and county business tax licenses are both administered by the Shelby County Clerk. The sign-permit fee recorded below comes from the Memphis and Shelby County Office of Construction Code Enforcement 2022 Fee Schedule, linked as the approved fee schedule from the develop901.com Fee Information page; certificate of occupancy and commercial building permit dollar fees are not listed as separate records here — contact the Office of Construction Code Enforcement for those amounts.
What are you opening in Memphis?
- 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 Memphis
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Tax License | Shelby County Clerk, Business Tax Division | $30 combined $15 city plus $15 county remittance, per application; must register within 20 days of starting business | the underlying state business tax return is filed annually via TNTAP | 2026-09-05 |
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 Memphis?
Business Tax License
Businesses grossing under $3,000 a year are exempt from licensing entirely; those grossing $100,000 or more must additionally file the state business tax return. Memphis levies no separate municipal business tax beyond this combined city+county structure, confirmed directly against the county's own page.
Sources
Every figure in the table above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- Shelby County Clerk — Business Tax Division, fee and thresholdsShelby County Clerk · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-05
Who issues business permits in Memphis?
Permitting in Memphis 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.
Memphis issuing agencies
- Memphis Fire Prevention BureauFire operational permits · Recurring fire inspections2 permits
- Shelby County Clerk, Business Tax DivisionCity and county business tax license2 permits
- Shelby County Health Department, Food Inspection ProgramFood establishment permits · Free food handler training2 permits
- Memphis & Shelby County Office of Construction Code EnforcementCertificates of occupancy · Building and sign permits · Contractor registration1 permit
Other Tennessee 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.