8 published records
Business licenses and permits in Sullivan County, Tennessee
Sullivan County, Tennessee (county seat Blountville) is the Tennessee core of the Tri-Cities region. The Sullivan County Clerk, with offices in Blountville, Kingsport and Bristol, issues the $15 county business license under the Tennessee Business Tax Act; the Clerk's page lists 'business license' among its duties and states that 'Applications for Notary Publics and county beer license are also processed by the County Clerk'. The Department of Planning and Codes administers the Sullivan County Zoning Resolution, adopted under T.C.A. 13-7-101 through 13-7-116 for the unincorporated county (§ 2-106.1 gives the County Commission rezoning authority 'outside of any municipal city limits'), and issues Zoning Compliance (building) permits, site plan reviews, sign permits, temporary tent and seasonal permits, home occupation applications, Board of Zoning Appeals applications and rezonings, all priced by Table 12-109 of the Zoning Resolution (amended May 8, 2025). The county Planning page states that 'Electrical permits are issued by the State of Tennessee.' The State Fire Marshal's exempt-jurisdiction list names Bristol, Johnson City and Kingsport, which do their own commercial plans review and inspections; Sullivan County is not on the list, so the State Fire Marshal's Office reviews commercial plans for the listed occupancies in the unincorporated county. Food service establishment permits are Tennessee Department of Health permits recorded at the Tennessee layer; the Sullivan County Regional Health Department's website links its 'Restaurant Scores' to the statewide Tennessee inspection portal. Per the CTAS county profile, the county's 'Incorporated Cities or Towns' are Bluff City, Bristol, Johnson City and Kingsport. The Department of Revenue notice hosted on the county site states that a business license is obtained 'from the local county and/or incorporated municipality', and each city runs its own business license, building and zoning regime, which stacks on the county requirements. The population figure of 162,703 is the U.S. Census Bureau's Vintage 2024 estimate.
What are you opening in Sullivan 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 Sullivan County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Building Permit / Zoning Compliance Permit (unincorporated county) | Sullivan County Department of Planning and Codes | Commercial / Industrial / Non-Residential, based on total cost of project (grading, utilities, construction): $1–$25,000 = $173; $25,001–$50,000 = $273; $50,001–$100,000 = $473; $100,001–$150,000 = $673; $150,001–$200,000 = $773; $200,001–$250,000 = $973; $250,001–$300,000 = $1,273; $300,001–$350,000 = $1,373; $350,001–$400,000 = $1,473; $400,001–$450,000 = $1,573; $450,001–$500,000 = $1,673; $500,001–$600,000 = $1,873; $600,001–$700,000 = $2,073; $700,001–$800,000 = $2,273; $800,001–$900,000 = $2,473; $900,001–$1,000,000 = $2,673; $1,000,001–$1,250,000 = $3,173; $1,250,001–$1,500,000 = $3,573; $1,500,001–$2,000,000 = $3,973; $2,000,001–$5,000,000 = $6,973; $5,000,001 and up = $6,973 + $1,000 per additional $1,000,000. Construction started without a permit: permit fee doubled, as printed in Table 12-109. | invalid if work has not started within 180 days of issue; construction must be completed and a certificate of occupancy requested and approved within 36 months | 2026-10-27 |
| County Business License (Standard or Minimal Activity)only if it applies to you | Sullivan County Clerk | $15 county license per location (set by state statute; a city that has enacted the business tax charges its own license separately) | minimal activity license: renewed every year for $15; standard license: renewed at no additional cost when the business tax return is filed and the tax paid | 2026-10-27 |
| Site Plan Reviewonly if it applies to you | Sullivan County Department of Planning and Codes | $303 per site plan | one-time, per site plan | 2026-10-27 |
| Sign Permit (unincorporated county)only if it applies to you | Sullivan County Department of Planning and Codes | $58 per sign structure (wall and freestanding) | one-time, per sign structure | 2026-10-27 |
| Board of Zoning Appeals Application (variance, special exception or administrative appeal)only if it applies to you | Sullivan County Department of Planning and Codes | $103 per application | one-time, per application | 2026-10-27 |
| Rezoning Request (unincorporated county)only if it applies to you | Sullivan County Department of Planning and Codes | Rezoning request (per application or group application with common plan): $203 for the A-1, A-2, A-5, R-1, R-2, R-2A, R-3, R-3A and R-3B districts; $353 for the B-1, B-2, B-3, B-4, PBD, PBD-3, PUD, M-1, M-2, PMD-1, PMD-2, AR, A-RV and RRC districts. | one-time, per request | 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 Sullivan County?
Commercial Building Permit / Zoning Compliance Permit (unincorporated county)
Per the county Planning page, 'Zoning Compliance Permits are required for all multi-family and planned developments as well as non-residential structures: commercial, churches, signs, manufacturing and the like', in unincorporated Sullivan County, which adopted zoning in 1988. The fee is set by Table 12-109 of the Zoning Resolution, the adopted 'Building Permit/Zoning Compliance Fee Schedule' (fee schedule update amended May 8, 2025; pages 123-125). The commercial, industrial and non-residential section prices the permit on the total cost of the project, including grading and utilities, in 21 tiers from $173 for $1 to $25,000 up to $6,973 plus $1,000 per additional $1,000,000 above $5,000,000. The tier printed as '$1,500,001 2,000,000' is the $1,500,001 to $2,000,000 band at $3,973, and the next band, $2,000,001 to $5,000,000, is a flat $6,973. Construction without a building permit 'Permit fee is doubled (minus initial Archive Fee)'. Table 12-109 also lists a reinspection fee of $25 after the second failed inspection, a $58 building permit renewal fee ('Flat rate for any expired building permit'), and a $103 demolition permit. Section 12-109 requires all fees to be paid at the time of filing and waives them for applications by federal, state or municipal agencies. Under § 12-102.6 item 1, a permit 'becomes invalid if work authorized is not commenced within one hundred and eighty (180) days' of issue, and all construction must be completed within 36 months, with a Certificate of Occupancy requested and approved, or a new permit must be purchased. The permit form asks for the contractor's state license number. Per the Planning page, electrical permits are issued by the State of Tennessee, and the State Fire Marshal's exempt-jurisdiction list does not name Sullivan County, so the state reviews commercial plans for the occupancies it lists. Contact Planning and Codes at (423) 323-6440 or Permits@sullivancountytn.gov.
County Business License (Standard or Minimal Activity)
The Sullivan County Clerk's page lists among its duties 'issuing vehicle registrations, boat registrations, marriage license, business license', and links the Tennessee Department of Revenue's Business Tax Notice #23-08, which it hosts. Per that notice, a business with annual gross receipts of more than $3,000 but less than $100,000 within a jurisdiction must obtain a minimal activity license 'from the local county and/or incorporated municipality'; 'The license must be renewed annually, and the fee is $15', with a separate license for each location. A business with $100,000 or more in a jurisdiction needs a standard business license for each location, and when it files the return and pays the business tax, 'the county clerk and/or appropriate city official will automatically renew the license at no additional cost'. The notice states that 'The Department of Revenue does not issue business licenses' and that the thresholds apply to tax years ending on or after December 31, 2023 (Pub. Ch. 377 (2023)). The $15 license fee is set by T.C.A. § 67-4-723 as recorded at the Tennessee layer. The county license is separate from any license a city issues to a business inside its limits. The Clerk's offices are at 3258 Highway 126, Blountville ((423) 323-6428), 408 Clay St, Kingsport ((423) 224-1790) and 801 Anderson Street, Bristol ((423) 989-4366).
Site Plan Review
The county Planning page states that 'Site plans are required for all non-residential and multi-family improvements', so a new or expanded business site in unincorporated Sullivan County goes through site plan review alongside the Zoning Compliance permit. Table 12-109 of the Sullivan County Zoning Resolution, the adopted Building Permit/Zoning Compliance Fee Schedule (fee schedule update amended May 8, 2025), lists 'Site Plan Review' at $303.00 as its last line (page 125). Section 12-109 requires the fee to be paid at the time of filing. Inside a city, that city's own site plan process applies. Contact the Department of Planning and Codes, 3425 Highway 126, Suite 101, Blountville, at (423) 323-6440.
Sign Permit (unincorporated county)
Per the county Planning page, Zoning Compliance Permits are required for non-residential structures including 'signs'. Table 12-109 of the Sullivan County Zoning Resolution, the adopted Building Permit/Zoning Compliance Fee Schedule (fee schedule update amended May 8, 2025), lists 'Sign Permit' at $58.00 'Per structure (wall and freestanding)'. A business with both a wall sign and a freestanding sign pays for each structure. The fee is paid at the time of filing under § 12-109. This applies in unincorporated Sullivan County; a sign inside a city falls under that city's sign rules. Contact Planning and Codes at (423) 323-6440 or Permits@sullivancountytn.gov.
Board of Zoning Appeals Application (variance, special exception or administrative appeal)
Table 12-109 of the Sullivan County Zoning Resolution, the adopted Building Permit/Zoning Compliance Fee Schedule (fee schedule update amended May 8, 2025), lists the 'Board of Zoning Appeals Application', which 'Includes requests for Setback Variances, Special Exceptions or Administrative Appeals', at $103.00. The same table lists a 'Request for Deferral (BZA or Rezoning)' at $103.00 and 'Special Called Meetings (BZA or Planning Commission)' at $253.00. A business needs this application when its site in unincorporated Sullivan County requires a setback variance or a use that the zoning district allows only by special exception. The fee is paid at the time of filing under § 12-109. Contact Planning and Codes at (423) 323-6440.
Rezoning Request (unincorporated county)
Table 12-109 of the Sullivan County Zoning Resolution, the adopted Building Permit/Zoning Compliance Fee Schedule (fee schedule update amended May 8, 2025), lists a 'Rezoning Request' 'Per application or group application with common plan' at $203.00 for the A-1, A-2, A-5, R-1, R-2, R-2A, R-3, R-3A and R-3B districts and $353.00 for the B-1 to B-4, PBD, PBD-3, PUD, M-1, M-2, PMD-1, PMD-2, AR, A-RV and RRC districts. A rezoning (a change to the zoning map) is needed only where a business wants to operate on unincorporated land whose district does not allow its use. Under § 2-106.1, the County Commission acts on rezonings 'outside of any municipal city limits, pursuant to the TCA 13-7-105'. A request for deferral costs $103. The fee is paid at the time of filing under § 12-109. Contact Planning and Codes at (423) 323-6440.
Sources
Every figure in the table above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- Sullivan County Zoning Resolution (updated 05-08-2025), including Table 12-109 Building Permit/Zoning Compliance Fee ScheduleSullivan County Department of Planning and Zoning · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
- Planning and CodesSullivan County Department of Planning and Codes · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
- Sullivan County Building/Zoning Permit Application (August 2024)Sullivan County Department of Planning and Codes · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
- Tennessee Fire Codes Enforcement Exempt Jurisdictions for Commercial BuildingsTennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, State Fire Marshal's Office · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
- Business Tax Notice #23-08 — Tennessee Works Tax Act Increases Business Tax Filing ThresholdTennessee Department of Revenue (hosted by Sullivan County) · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
- County ClerkSullivan County Clerk · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
Who issues business permits in Sullivan County?
Permitting in Sullivan County is split across 2 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.
Sullivan County issuing agencies
- Sullivan County Department of Planning and CodesZoning Compliance (building) permits, site plan review, sign permits and temporary tent and seasonal use permits in unincorporated Sullivan County, priced by Zoning Resolution Table 12-109 · Home occupation applications, Board of Zoning Appeals applications and rezoning requests under the Sullivan County Zoning Resolution7 permits
- Sullivan County ClerkCounty business license (standard and minimal activity) under the Tennessee Business Tax Act · Per the Clerk's page: 'Applications for Notary Publics and county beer license are also processed by the County Clerk'1 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.