15 permits · verified 2026-08-26
What permits do you need to open a retail store in Converse?
In short
A retail store in Converse, TX has 7 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 8 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. City of Converse Health Inspector charges $100 per follow-up inspection for the follow-up reinspection. 6 of the 15 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-08-26 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a retail store in Converse
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Follow-Up Reinspectiononly if it applies to you | City of Converse Health Inspector | $100 per follow-up inspection | per inspection | 2026-08-26 |
| Permit Reinstatementonly if it applies to you | City of Converse Health Inspector | $125 per reinstatement | per reinstatement | 2026-08-26 |
| Food Establishment Plan Review | City of Converse Health Inspector | No fee | per review | 2026-08-26 |
| Contractor Registration | City of Converse Building Operations | $75–$100 initial, then annual renewal | 1 year | 2026-08-26 |
| Fuel Tank and Pump Permitonly if it applies to you | City of Converse Building Operations | $25–$100 per tank or per pump | per permit | 2026-08-26 |
| Site Development Permitonly if it applies to you | City of Converse Building Operations | $2,000 per permit | per permit | 2026-08-26 |
| Food Establishment Permit | City of Converse Health Inspector | $250 per permit, initial or renewal | 1 year, renewed on or near the anniversary of the initial inspection | 2026-08-26 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
Local permits that apply to every type of business in Converse
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Building Permit | City of Converse Building Operations | Varies — formula on the Converse page | 365 days for a commercial permit | 2026-08-26 |
| Certificate of Occupancy | City of Converse Building Operations | $250 per certificate, non-refundable | not stated in the published schedule | 2026-08-26 |
| Sign Permitonly if it applies to you | City of Converse Building Operations | Varies — formula on the Converse page | per permit | 2026-08-26 |
| Commercial Trade Permit | City of Converse Building Operations | Varies — formula on the Converse page | per permit | 2026-08-26 |
| Fire Protection System Permitonly if it applies to you | City of Converse Fire Marshal | Varies — formula on the Converse page | per permit | 2026-08-26 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
TX registrations that apply to every type of business
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate of Formationonly if it applies to you | Texas Secretary of State | $300 one-time filing | no expiry | 2026-08-20 |
| Assumed Name Certificate (DBA)only if it applies to you | Texas Secretary of State | $25 one-time filing | up to ten years, renewable | 2026-08-21 |
| Texas Sales and Use Tax Permit | Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts | No fee — there is no fee for this permit | no expiry while actively engaged in business | 2026-08-21 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
How much does it actually cost to permit a retail store in Converse?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 15 records listed for a retail store in Converse, TX, 7 apply to every business of this type and 8 are conditional. Adding every fee on the page together would overstate what most operators pay, because it would include permits they never need.
Of the 7 that always apply, 3 carry a flat fee, coming to $500.00. That is a floor, not a total. 6 of the 15 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 1 has no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:
Contractor Registration: $75–$100 initial, then annual renewal
Fuel Tank and Pump Permit: $25–$100 per tank or per pump
The other 4 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Converse permits page and the TX state page.
Is Converse expensive for a retail store?
Comparing like with like — only the permits charged as a single flat fee, since a valuation formula has no figure to rank — Converse sits where the table below puts it against every other TX jurisdiction covered here that publishes the same permit.
Certificate of Occupancy: Converse charges $250. Across 22 jurisdictions it runs from $50 in Waco to $425 in Universal City, with a median of $105. 18 charge less and 3 charge more.
Read the spread rather than the rank. Certificate of Occupancy varies by $375 between the cheapest and dearest jurisdiction here, which is the sort of gap worth knowing before you sign a lease on one side of a city line rather than the other.
Which offices issue these permits in Converse?
Permits for a retail store in Converse, TX come from 5 separate offices: City of Converse Health Inspector, City of Converse Building Operations, City of Converse Fire Marshal, Texas Secretary of State, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- City of Converse Health InspectorIssues 4 permits on this page: Follow-Up Reinspection, Permit Reinstatement, Food Establishment Plan Review, Food Establishment Permit403 S Seguin Street, Converse, TX 78109www.conversetx.net
- City of Converse Building OperationsIssues 7 permits on this page, including Commercial Building Permit, Certificate of Occupancy, Contractor Registration403 S Seguin Street, Converse, TX 78109www.conversetx.gov/city_services/community_development/building/permits.php
- City of Converse Fire MarshalIssues 1 permit on this page: Fire Protection System Permit403 S Seguin Street, Converse, TX 78109www.conversetx.gov
- Texas Secretary of StateIssues 2 permits on this page: Certificate of Formation, Assumed Name Certificate (DBA)www.sos.state.tx.us
- Texas Comptroller of Public AccountsIssues 1 permit on this page: Texas Sales and Use Tax Permitcomptroller.texas.gov/taxes/permit
What does a retail store need in Converse that other businesses do not?
Permit Reinstatement
$125 for the inspection and processing needed to reinstate a food establishment whose permit has been suspended or revoked. Half the cost of the permit itself, which makes coming back from a suspension cheaper here than in most jurisdictions covered — but the suspension power is broad, exercisable without warning, notice or hearing where operation poses an imminent hazard, and food operations must cease immediately.
Food Establishment Plan Review
Required but not priced: section 10-76 sets the obligation and names no charge, so the absence of a figure here reflects the ordinance's own text. The threshold is worth knowing precisely: plans go to the regulatory authority before work begins whenever a food establishment is constructed, extensively remodelled, or an existing structure is converted to food use, and "extensive remodeling" means 20 per cent or more of the area — a lower bar than the 25 per cent Eagle Pass uses. Failing to follow the approved plans results in permit denial, suspension or revocation.
Shared with other businesses in Converse
- Follow-Up Reinspection — City of Converse Health Inspector, $100 per follow-up inspection, per inspection. Also required for restaurants and coffee shops; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
- Contractor Registration — City of Converse Building Operations, $75–$100 initial, then annual renewal, 1 year. Also required for auto repair shops, contractors and trades, restaurants and salons and barbers; what it involves is set out on the auto repair shops page.
- Fuel Tank and Pump Permit — City of Converse Building Operations, $25–$100 per tank or per pump, per permit. Also required for auto repair shops and contractors and trades; what it involves is set out on the contractors and trades page.
- Site Development Permit — City of Converse Building Operations, $2,000 per permit, per permit. Also required for restaurants, auto repair shops, contractors and trades, fitness studios, veterinary clinics and childcare centres; what it involves is set out on the auto repair shops page.
- Food Establishment Permit — City of Converse Health Inspector, $250 per permit, initial or renewal, 1 year, renewed on or near the anniversary of the initial inspection. Also required for coffee shops and restaurants; what it involves is set out on the restaurants page.
The other 5 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Converse, TX; what each one involves is set out on the Converse permits page. The 3 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across TX and are covered on the TX state page.
How does a retail store compare with other businesses in Converse?
The closest match is a restaurant, which shares 6 of these permits. A retail store also needs Fuel Tank and Pump Permit. A restaurant needs Grease Trap, Interceptor or Separator Permit and Mixed Beverage Permit (MB), which a retail store does not.
| Business | Its own permits | Shared with a retail store | Only a retail store needs | Only it needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurants | 8 | 6 | 1 | 2 |
| Coffee shops | 5 | 4 | 3 | 1 |
| Auto repair shops | 4 | 3 | 4 | 1 |
| Contractors and trades | 4 | 3 | 4 | 1 |
| Childcare centres | 2 | 1 | 6 | 1 |
| Fitness studios | 2 | 1 | 6 | 1 |
| Salons and barbers | 2 | 1 | 6 | 1 |
| Veterinary clinics | 2 | 1 | 6 | 1 |
Sources
Every figure for the permits explained on this page was read from one of these government pages on the date shown. Sources for the permits shared with other businesses are listed with their explanations on the coffee shops page, auto repair shops page, contractors and trades page and restaurants page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Converse permits page and the TX state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- City of Converse Ordinance No. 728-2025 amending section 10-74, Application for permit and fees (second reading 21 October 2025; filed with Texas DSHS 23 October 2025)City of Converse, filed with Texas Department of State Health Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-08-26
Related
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.