18 published records
Business licenses and permits in Longview, Texas
Longview sets its food permit by category and tells you what each one buys: Category I at $400 is inspected quarterly, Category II at $300 twice a year, Category III at $250 annually. Very few schedules in this dataset make the link between fee and inspection frequency explicit, and it makes the pricing easy to understand. Every permit expires on 31 December regardless of when it was bought, so one taken out in the autumn is short-lived. The food fee sheet the City filed with Texas DSHS in October 2025 lists four kinds of business as not requiring permits — daycare establishments, premises offering only pre-packaged, not potentially hazardous food, produce stands offering only whole uncut produce, and registered 501(c)(3) non-profits. The FY2026-27 fee resolution presented to City Council on 17 September 2026 adds a Day Care Permit for state-licensed facilities serving open food, so a daycare should confirm its position with Environmental Health.
What are you opening in Longview?
- 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 Longview
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Certificate of Occupancy | City of Longview Development Services — Building Inspection Division | $105 per certificate | issued per occupancy | 2026-10-09 |
| Commercial Building Permit (New, Addition, Remodel, Alteration)only if it applies to you | City of Longview Development Services — Building Inspection Division | Valuation-based under Schedule A of the City fee schedule (value includes building, electrical, plumbing, roofing and mechanical project cost), plus plan review at one-third of the building permit fee | per project | 2026-10-09 |
| Sign Permitonly if it applies to you | City of Longview Development Services — Building Inspection Division | Valuation-based under Schedule A of the City fee schedule | per sign project | 2026-10-09 |
| Site Plan Reviewonly if it applies to you | City of Longview Development Services — Building Inspection Division | $640 per application | per application | 2026-10-09 |
| On-Site Sewerage Facility (OSSF) Permitonly if it applies to you | City of Longview Development Services — Building Inspection Division | $410 per permit (systems other than single-family dwellings) | per installation | 2026-10-09 |
| Monitored Fire Alarm — False Alarm Service Feeonly if it applies to you | City of Longview Fire Marshal's Office | $250 per chargeable false alarm from the 5th in a calendar year | counted per calendar year | 2026-10-09 |
| Security Alarm Annual Registrationonly if it applies to you | Longview Police Department — Alarm Services | Set by the City of Longview alarm program and billed through the City of Longview Alarm Services website managed by Public Safety Corporation; contact the Alarm Services coordinator at 903-237-1199 for the current amount | annual — renew by the registration anniversary date | 2026-10-09 |
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 Longview?
Commercial Certificate of Occupancy
$105 for a commercial certificate of occupancy, as published on the City's Development Services Fee Schedule 2025-2026 (residential is $30). The FY2026-27 fee resolution presented to City Council on 17 September 2026 prints the same figure. The City's Certificate of Occupancy Application asks for the new business name, business use, previous use of the building, square footage, parking spaces and seats, and requires a representative of the business to meet the inspector at the location. A restaurant, private club, church or daycare must also provide a seating and floor plan showing the accurate square footage, and every application must include a parking site plan showing the dumpster.
Commercial Building Permit (New, Addition, Remodel, Alteration)
Commercial new construction, additions, remodels and alterations are priced by project valuation under Schedule A, with plan review charged at one-third of the building permit fee, as published on the City's Development Services Fee Schedule 2025-2026; the FY2026-27 fee resolution presented to City Council on 17 September 2026 uses the same valuation basis and the same one-third plan review charge. The two documents draw the lowest Schedule A bracket at different valuations, so the bracket amounts are not repeated here; Building Inspection (903-237-1074) quotes the fee for a given valuation. Applications are listed on the City's Permit Applications page.
Sign Permit
New signs, additions, remodels and alterations are listed under 'Building Permit- Signs' and priced by valuation under Schedule A, as published on the City's Development Services Fee Schedule 2025-2026; the FY2026-27 fee resolution presented to City Council on 17 September 2026 uses the same basis. The two documents draw the lowest Schedule A bracket at different valuations, so the bracket amounts are not repeated here. Sign contractors register with Development Services separately (see the contractor registration record).
Site Plan Review
$640 per site plan review, with revisions submitted after the third review or after plans are approved charged at $100 per hour, as published on the City's Development Services Fee Schedule 2025-2026. The FY2026-27 fee resolution presented to City Council on 17 September 2026 prints the same figures. The City's Site Plan Review Application must be accompanied by a PDF of the site plan, and the form states that site plan approval is not an application for, or approval of, a building permit.
On-Site Sewerage Facility (OSSF) Permit
$410 for an on-site sewerage facility of any type other than a single-family dwelling (which is $210), with real estate inspections of an existing facility at $100, as published on the City's Development Services Fee Schedule 2025-2026. The FY2026-27 fee resolution presented to City Council on 17 September 2026 prints the same figures. It applies only to a site served by a septic or other on-site system; a premises connected to City sewer has no OSSF permit.
Monitored Fire Alarm — False Alarm Service Fee
The Fire Marshal's Office False Alarms page states that there is no fee for the first four chargeable false alarms in a calendar year, and that the 5th and each later false alarm costs $250. Alarm users must appeal under §40-88 of the City Code or pay within thirty days of receiving notice. The FY2026-27 fee resolution presented to City Council on 17 September 2026 sets the same $250 service fee under §40-86. The City's Alarm Services FAQ states that the Fire Department manages the registration of monitored fire alarm systems (903-237-1119).
Security Alarm Annual Registration
The Police Department's Alarm Services page states that the City requires all monitored security alarm systems to be registered and permitted annually, with registration, payments and records handled by Public Safety Corporation through its Cry Wolf system. The Alarm Services FAQ says the requirement applies to all residents and commercial businesses in the city limits that have a security alarm system, and that systems must be re-registered every year by the registration anniversary date. Monitored fire alarm systems are registered separately with the Fire Marshal's Office.
Sources
Every figure in the table above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- City of Longview Development Services Fee Schedule 2025-2026City of Longview · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-09
- Certificate of Occupancy ApplicationCity of Longview Development Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-09
- City of Longview City Council agenda packet, 17 September 2026 — resolution specifying city fees and charges effective 1 October 2026City of Longview · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-09
- Permit Applications — Building InspectionCity of Longview · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-09
- Site Plan Review ApplicationCity of Longview Development Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-09
- False Alarms — Fire Marshal's OfficeCity of Longview Fire Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-09
- Alarm ServicesLongview Police Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-09
- Alarm Services FAQLongview Police Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-09
Who issues business permits in Longview?
Permitting in Longview is split across 6 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.
Longview issuing agencies
- City of Longview Development Services — Building Inspection DivisionCommercial building, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, gas and sign permits · Fire alarm and fire sprinkler plan review and inspections · Certificates of occupancy · Contractor registration · Site plan review applications · On-site sewerage facility permits9 permits
- City of Longview Environmental Health DepartmentFood service establishment permits · Temporary event and farmers market permits · Scheduled inspections for non-profits, daycares and schools · Re-inspections and personalised training5 permits
- City of Longview City Secretary's OfficeCity alcoholic beverage licenses for retail businesses1 permit
- City of Longview Development Services — Planning and ZoningOutdoor event and parade permits1 permit
- City of Longview Fire Marshal's OfficeMonitored fire alarm registration and false alarm service fees1 permit
- Longview Police Department — Alarm ServicesAnnual registration of monitored security alarm systems1 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.