13 permits · verified 2026-10-31
What permits do you need to open a retail store in Kaufman County?
In short
A retail store in Kaufman County, TX has 2 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 11 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Kaufman County Fire Marshal's Office charges $200 per new Certificate of Occupancy / Certificate of Compliance for a new business or change of ownership in the same occupancy class; occupying a building without obtaining a new C.O. adds $100 on top of the new C.O. fee for the certificate of occupancy / certificate of compliance (new business or change of ownership). 7 of the 13 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-31 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a retail store in Kaufman County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fire Operational Permits — Places of Assembly; High-Piled Storageonly if it applies to you | Kaufman County Fire Marshal's Office | Places of assembly $100; high-piled storage (> 500 sq. ft.) $100. | annual | 2026-10-31 |
| County Clerk Signature and Wet/Dry Certification for TABC Applicationsonly if it applies to you | Kaufman County Clerk | The license or permit fee is set by TABC commission rule and paid to TABC (Alcoholic Beverage Code section 61.31(c) for an original license). Contact the County Clerk's office about any charge for the clerk's signature or certification. | per application; the clerk certifies within 30 days of a request, and once a permit or license is issued the wet-area certification stands until a later local option election (Alcoholic Beverage Code sections 11.37 and 61.37) | 2026-10-31 |
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 Kaufman County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fire Code Building Permit (unincorporated Kaufman County)only if it applies to you | Kaufman County Fire Marshal's Office | Varies — formula on the Kaufman County page | per project | 2026-10-31 |
| Certificate of Occupancy / Certificate of Compliance (new business or change of ownership) | Kaufman County Fire Marshal's Office | $200 per new Certificate of Occupancy / Certificate of Compliance for a new business or change of ownership in the same occupancy class; occupying a building without obtaining a new C.O. adds $100 on top of the new C.O. fee | renewed annually after a fire inspection ("renewed for a period of one year", Certificate of Occupancy page) | 2026-10-31 |
| Fire Construction Permits (hood suppression, sprinkler, alarm, tenant finish-out)only if it applies to you | Kaufman County Fire Marshal's Office | Varies — formula on the Kaufman County page | per permit (each installation or modification) | 2026-10-31 |
| On-Site Sewage Facility (OSSF) Permitonly if it applies to you | Kaufman County Development Services | Varies — formula on the Kaufman County page | per system; aerobic system maintenance contracts must be submitted 30 days before the previous contract expires | 2026-10-31 |
| Floodplain Development Permit (unincorporated Kaufman County)only if it applies to you | Kaufman County Development Services | Varies — formula on the Kaufman County page | per project | 2026-10-31 |
| Stormwater Management Permit and Stormwater Maintenance Permit (commercial)only if it applies to you | Kaufman County Development Services | Varies — formula on the Kaufman County page | per project for the Stormwater Management Permit; the Stormwater Maintenance Permit is renewed | 2026-10-31 |
| Culvert (Driveway) Permit — County Right-of-Wayonly if it applies to you | Kaufman County Development Services | $75 per culvert permit ("Total Amount due: $75.00", Development Services Payments page) | expires 12 months from the date of issuance | 2026-10-31 |
| 911 Address Applicationonly if it applies to you | Kaufman County Development Services | $40 per address application ("Total Amount Due: $40.00", Development Services Payments page) | one-time, per new address | 2026-10-31 |
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 Kaufman County?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 13 records listed for a retail store in Kaufman County, TX, 2 apply to every business of this type and 11 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 2 that always apply, 2 carry a flat fee, coming to $200.00. That is a floor, not a total. 7 of the 13 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 0 have no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:
Fire Operational Permits — Places of Assembly; High-Piled Storage: Places of assembly $100; high-piled storage (> 500 sq. ft.) $100.
County Clerk Signature and Wet/Dry Certification for TABC Applications: The license or permit fee is set by TABC commission rule and paid to TABC (Alcoholic Beverage Code section 61.31(c) for an original license). Contact the County Clerk's office about any charge for the clerk's signature or certification.
The other 5 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Kaufman County permits page and the TX state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Kaufman County?
Permits for a retail store in Kaufman County, TX come from 5 separate offices: Kaufman County Fire Marshal's Office, Kaufman County Development Services, Kaufman County Clerk, 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.
- Kaufman County Fire Marshal's OfficeIssues 4 permits on this page: Fire Operational Permits — Places of Assembly; High-Piled Storage, Fire Code Building Permit (unincorporated Kaufman County), Certificate of Occupancy / Certificate of Compliance (new business or change of ownership), Fire Construction Permits (hood suppression, sprinkler, alarm, tenant finish-out)101 N. Houston Street, Kaufman, TX 75142 · 469-376-4122www.kaufmancounty.net/374/Building-Permits
- Kaufman County Development ServicesIssues 5 permits on this page, including On-Site Sewage Facility (OSSF) Permit, Floodplain Development Permit (unincorporated Kaufman County), Stormwater Management Permit and Stormwater Maintenance Permit (commercial)101 N. Houston Street, Kaufman, TX 75142 · (469) 376-4127www.kaufmancounty.net/355/On-Site-Sewage-Facilities
- Kaufman County ClerkIssues 1 permit on this page: County Clerk Signature and Wet/Dry Certification for TABC Applicationswww.kaufmancounty.net/169/Beer-Wine
- 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 Kaufman County that other businesses do not?
Shared with other businesses in Kaufman County
- Fire Operational Permits — Places of Assembly; High-Piled Storage — Kaufman County Fire Marshal's Office, Places of assembly $100; high-piled storage (> 500 sq. ft.) $100., annual. Also required for restaurants and fitness studios; what it involves is set out on the restaurants page.
- County Clerk Signature and Wet/Dry Certification for TABC Applications — Kaufman County Clerk, The license or permit fee is set by TABC commission rule and paid to TABC (Alcoholic Beverage Code section 61.31(c) for an original license). Contact the County Clerk's office about any charge for the clerk's signature or certification., per application; the clerk certifies within 30 days of a request, and once a permit or license is issued the wet-area certification stands until a later local option election (Alcoholic Beverage Code sections 11.37 and 61.37). Also required for restaurants and coffee shops; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
The other 8 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Kaufman County, TX; what each one involves is set out on the Kaufman County 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 Kaufman County?
The closest match is a restaurant, which shares 2 of these permits. A restaurant needs 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 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| Coffee shops | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Fitness studios | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Auto repair shops | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Childcare centres | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Contractors and trades | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Salons and barbers | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Veterinary clinics | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
Sources
Sources for the permits shared with other businesses are listed with their explanations on the restaurants page and coffee shops page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Kaufman County permits page and the TX state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
Related
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.