9 published records
Business licenses and permits in Cameron County, Texas
Cameron County, Texas, at the southern tip of the state on the Rio Grande and the Gulf coast, has its seat in Brownsville, while its Public Health and Transportation permit offices work from the County Annex at 1390 W. Expressway 83 in San Benito. Cameron County Public Health's Environmental Health Program issues annual and temporary food service permits and on-site sewage facility permits; the Department of Transportation's Building & Inspections Division applies the county's Flood Damage Prevention and Building Regulations, which cover all unincorporated areas, issuing building, certificate of occupancy and sign permits and registering licensed trade professionals; the Fire Marshal Service handles fire code permits for new businesses outside city limits; and the Tax Assessor-Collector collects the county's coin-operated machine occupation tax. The incorporated places the U.S. Census Bureau's Vintage 2024 estimates list in the county are Bayview, Brownsville, Combes, Harlingen, Indian Lake, La Feria, Laguna Vista, Los Fresnos, Los Indios, Palm Valley, Port Isabel, Primera, Rancho Viejo, Rio Hondo, San Benito, Santa Rosa and South Padre Island. County forms send a business inside one of these cities to the local building department and ask for the city's letter of authorization, and each city runs its own business, building and permit rules, which stack on top of any county requirement listed here.
What are you opening in Cameron 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
- 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 Cameron County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| On-Site Sewage Facility (Septic) Permitonly if it applies to you | Cameron County Public Health, Environmental Health Program | $120 OSSF permit application fee, non-refundable, as stated in the county's Conventional System Instructions 06.21.2022; the TCEQ fee in the county OSSF order is stated separately | one year; the Conventional System Instructions state that the permit is non-transferable and valid only one year | 2026-10-19 |
| Non-Residential and Multifamily Building Permit (Unincorporated Cameron County)only if it applies to you | Cameron County Department of Transportation, Building & Inspections | Non-residential and multifamily, by square footage: under 500 sq ft $75.00; 500 to 1,000 sq ft $0.225 x sf; 1,000 to 5,000 sq ft $75.00 + $0.15 x sf; 5,000 to 10,000 sq ft $450.00 + $0.075 x sf; 10,000 sq ft or more $825.00 + $0.0375 x sf. Temporary structure Type I: $30.00; $0.09 x sf; $30.00 + $0.06 x sf; $180.00 + $0.03 x sf; $330.00 + $0.015 x sf. Type II: $100.00; $0.30 x sf; $100.00 + $0.20 x sf; $600.00 + $0.10 x sf; $1,100.00 + $0.05 x sf. Plus application $25.00; plan review $75.00 per plan set; single trade permit and inspection $75.00; utility connection $75.00; failed-inspection reinspection $100.00; temporary permit renewal $100 flat (commercial). Site development fee for developments exempt from platting: under 1 acre $50.00 + $0.075 per sq ft disturbed; 1 acre or more $3,000.00 + $0.005 per sq ft disturbed. | one permit per project; temporary Type I structures 4 weeks, renewable to 6 months, and Type II 6 months | 2026-10-19 |
| Certificate of Occupancy, Existing Structure (Unincorporated Cameron County)only if it applies to you | Cameron County Department of Transportation, Building & Inspections | $100 per certificate, non-residential and multifamily existing structure, per Section J.3 item 9 and Appendix B of Order No. 2022-006030 | one-time per occupancy of an existing structure | 2026-10-19 |
| Sign Permit (Unincorporated Cameron County)only if it applies to you | Cameron County Department of Transportation, Building & Inspections | $75 per sign, per Article 4 Section I.5 and Section J.3 item 5 of Order No. 2022-006030 | one-time per sign | 2026-10-19 |
| Fire Code Permit (new businesses, commercial projects, change of ownership or occupancy)only if it applies to you | Cameron County Fire Marshal Service | No fee amount is published on the Fire Marshal Service page or in its Fire Code Permit Application (updated 09.09.25), which lists accepted payment methods only (check, money order, or debit or credit card, payable to "Cameron County Fire Marshal"); contact the Fire Marshal Service at (956) 982-5464 for the amount. | per project or change of ownership or occupancy; a final inspection follows permit approval | 2026-10-19 |
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 Cameron County?
On-Site Sewage Facility (Septic) Permit
A business site served by a septic system needs an on-site sewage facility permit from Cameron County Public Health's Environmental Health Program, (956) 247-3599. The county's OSSF order, Order No. 2013010027, passed on October 10, 2013 and approved by the TCEQ Executive Director on November 18, 2013, applies to areas in the county other than those regulated under an existing order, ordinance or resolution; under section 10 a permit is required regardless of acreage, and no utility connection is authorized without OSSF construction authorization. The Conventional System Instructions 06.21.2022, linked from the current OSSF page, list "OSSF Permit Application Fee $120.00 Non-Refundable" and add "FEES SUBJECT TO CHANGE". Separately, the order states: "A fee of $10 will also be collected for each on-site sewage facility permit to be paid to the credit of the TCEQ Water Resources Management Account as required by the THSC, Chapter 367." A food establishment on septic also needs the department's probe letter.
Non-Residential and Multifamily Building Permit (Unincorporated Cameron County)
Article 3 of the Cameron County Flood Damage Prevention and Building Regulations, adopted by Commissioners Court on July 5, 2022 as Order No. 2022-006030 and linked from the county Department of Transportation page, states: "These regulations apply to all unincorporated areas of Cameron County." A building permit is required for development in that area. Section J and Appendix B, revised by amendment 4 dated 04/08/2025 in the order's amendment table, set the non-residential and multifamily fee by square footage, from $75.00 under 500 sq ft to $825.00 plus $0.0375 per sq ft at 10,000 sq ft or more, with separate tiers for temporary structures and added fees for the application ($25.00), plan review ($75.00), utility connection ($75.00) and failed reinspection ($100.00). A refund is approved only within six months and only if no development has begun. Apply to DOT Building & Inspections, 1390 W. Expressway 83, San Benito, (956) 247-3500. Inside a city, that city's building department governs.
Certificate of Occupancy, Existing Structure (Unincorporated Cameron County)
Section J.3 item 9 of the Cameron County Flood Damage Prevention and Building Regulations, Order No. 2022-006030, sets the fee for a certificate of occupancy for an existing non-residential or multifamily structure at $100.00, and Appendix B repeats it; the regulations apply to all unincorporated areas of the county. Under Section F.2 the Building Official may suspend or revoke a county-issued certificate of occupancy. Cameron County Public Health's Establishment Application lists the certificate among the documents a food business must submit, stating that it "shall be obtained from Cameron County Building Permit Department (956) 247-3500" and that a business located within a municipality should contact the local building department. Apply to DOT Building & Inspections, 1390 W. Expressway 83, San Benito.
Sign Permit (Unincorporated Cameron County)
Article 4 Section I.5 of the Cameron County Flood Damage Prevention and Building Regulations, Order No. 2022-006030, requires a sign permit before anyone erects, installs, replaces or services a sign for which a permit is required, and states: "The original permit fee shall be $75.00 per sign." Section J.3 item 5 and Appendix B list the same $75.00 per sign. Section I.6 lists signs that are exempt when they are not electrified, such as small nameplates fastened to the building. The regulations apply to all unincorporated areas of Cameron County, so a business outside city limits that puts up a sign applies to DOT Building & Inspections, 1390 W. Expressway 83, San Benito, (956) 247-3500. Inside a city, that city's sign rules govern.
Fire Code Permit (new businesses, commercial projects, change of ownership or occupancy)
The Cameron County Fire Marshal Service's Fire Code Permit Application, updated 09.09.25 and linked from its current page, states: "For any and all new businesses, commercial projects, change of ownership and/or occupancy client must comply the following". The steps are to submit the application to firemarshalservice@co.cameron.tx.us, send a PDF floor plan showing the business's measurements (the page states that printed plans are not accepted), pay, and comply with the permit approval before setting up the final inspection. For restaurants a trip test of the hood suppression system is required, with the servicing company present at the final inspection. Cameron County Public Health's Establishment Application directs a business located outside city limits to the county Fire Marshal at (956) 982-5464; a business within a city that has its own fire marshal goes to that office. The office is at 964 East Harrison Street, Brownsville.
Sources
Every figure in the table above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- Conventional System Instructions 06.21.2022Cameron County Public Health, Environmental Health Program · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-19
- Order Adopting Rules of Cameron County, Texas for On-Site Sewage Facilities (Order No. 2013010027; approved by the TCEQ Executive Director November 18, 2013)Cameron County Commissioners Court · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-19
- On-Site Sewage Facility (OSSF)Cameron County Public Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-19
- Cameron County Flood Damage Prevention and Building Regulations (Order No. 2022-006030, adopted July 5, 2022, as amended)Cameron County Commissioners Court · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-19
- Department of TransportationCameron County Department of Transportation · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-19
- Establishment Application (documents required to process the establishment application)Cameron County Public Health, Environmental Health Program · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-19
- Fire Code Permit Application (updated 09.09.25)Cameron County Fire Marshal Service · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-19
- Cameron County Fire Marshal ServiceCameron County Fire Marshal Service · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-19
Who issues business permits in Cameron County?
Permitting in Cameron 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.
Cameron County issuing agencies
- Cameron County Department of Transportation, Building & InspectionsBuilding, certificate of occupancy, sign and site development permits in unincorporated Cameron County under the Flood Damage Prevention and Building Regulations · County registration of licensed trade professionals before a building permit is issued (Planning and Inspections Division)4 permits
- Cameron County Public Health, Environmental Health ProgramAnnual food service permits for food service establishments and retail food stores, and temporary food service permits for events · On-site sewage facility (septic) permits and probe inspections under the county's TCEQ-approved OSSF order3 permits
- Cameron County Fire Marshal ServiceFire code permit applications, plan review and final inspections for new businesses, commercial projects and changes of ownership or occupancy outside city limits1 permit
- Cameron County Tax Assessor-CollectorCollects the county occupation tax on coin-operated machines and issues the annual tax receipt for each machine1 permit
Other Texas 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.