9 published records
Business licenses and permits in Eagle Pass, Texas
Eagle Pass bands its food permit on employee count in three steps from $150 to $250 — the lowest ceiling of any employee-banded schedule in this dataset, less than a third of the $773 that Senate Bill 1008 would allow. The penalty structure is where it bites: operating without a permit costs $150 on top of the permit itself, and a late renewal compounds at 10 per cent for every month past due rather than as a one-off. The code also requires plans to be submitted to the planning department before work begins wherever a food establishment is built, converted, or remodelled by 25 per cent or more of floor area.
What are you opening in Eagle Pass?
- 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 Eagle Pass
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Permit | City of Eagle Pass Planning Department | $25 per permit | not stated in the published documents | 2026-08-25 |
| Commercial Building Permit | City of Eagle Pass Planning Department | $30 base permit fee plus $2.00 per $1,000 of value for non-residential buildings, valued from ICC Building Valuation Data; plan check $193 for new commercial and industrial or $88 for additions and renovations; projects over $1,000,000 valuation add 1% of the building fee | application lapses 180 days after filing; permit lapses if work is not commenced within 180 days | 2026-08-25 |
| Certificate of Occupancy | City of Eagle Pass Planning Department | $50 per certificate | not stated in the published documents | 2026-08-25 |
| Sign Permitonly if it applies to you | City of Eagle Pass Planning Department | $88 per sign permit | per permit | 2026-08-25 |
| Demolition Permitonly if it applies to you | City of Eagle Pass Planning Department | $98 per structure | per permit | 2026-08-25 |
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 Eagle Pass?
Business Permit
$25 — the cheapest general business permit recorded in this dataset. It sits on the building permit fee table beside the certificate of occupancy, which suggests the two are usually taken together when premises change hands. The application does not state a renewal period; confirm with the Planning Department whether it runs annually.
Commercial Building Permit
Two dollars per thousand of value is among the lowest construction rates in this dataset — a $250,000 fit-out is about $530 including the base fee, against roughly $6,450 in Mansfield for the same job. The value is taken from ICC Building Valuation Data rather than from what you declare. Two additions are easy to miss: a park dedication charge of $1.00 per $1,000 of value on top, and a further 1 per cent of the building fee once valuation passes $1m. Building without a permit doubles the fee with a $200 floor. Note the lapse rules — the application dies 180 days after filing, and the permit dies if work has not started within 180 days of issue.
Certificate of Occupancy
$50, and the city runs a separate application for occupancy or use that does NOT require a building permit — which is the form a tenant taking on finished premises needs. The ordinance reaches further than most: Appendix A section 18 says no vacant LAND may be occupied or used except for agricultural purposes until a certificate has issued, so an outdoor use such as a car lot or a storage yard needs one even with no building involved.
Sign Permit
$88 flat, whatever the size or illumination. The application form requires a site plan and an elevation drawing with the sign application, which is more documentation than most cities here ask for at this price. A sign contractor must hold the city's contractor registration separately.
Demolition Permit
$98 per structure, and the form is explicit that an asbestos survey is required for all work except a single-family residence — so a commercial demolition carries a survey cost that is not on the fee table and will usually exceed the permit. Fill and grade work is $193, and a right-of-way curb cut $50.
Sources
Every figure in the table above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- City of Eagle Pass Commercial and Industrial Building Permit Application, revision 06/2025, including the Office Use Only fee tableCity of Eagle Pass Planning Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-08-25
Who issues business permits in Eagle Pass?
Permitting in Eagle Pass 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.
Eagle Pass issuing agencies
- City of Eagle Pass Planning DepartmentCommercial and industrial building permits · Certificates of occupancy · Business permits · Sign and demolition permits · Contractor registration6 permits
- City of Eagle Pass Health DepartmentFood establishment business permits · Per-event food permits · Food establishment plan review · Food establishment inspections3 permits
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.