17 permits · verified 2026-08-25
What permits do you need to open a retail store in New Braunfels?
In short
A retail store in New Braunfels, TX has 8 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 9 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. City of New Braunfels Building Division charges $150 per permit for the new occupant permit. 10 of the 17 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-08-25 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a retail store in New Braunfels
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temporary Food Establishment Permitonly if it applies to you | City of New Braunfels Health Division | $25–$150 single, multiple event or sampler | per event, or up to 6 events a year | 2026-08-25 |
| Grocery and Tavern Food Permit | City of New Braunfels Health Division | $100–$250 per year, by establishment type | 1 year | 2026-08-25 |
| Food Establishment Plan Review | City of New Braunfels Health Division | one-half of the full-year annual food establishment permit fee for the applicable permit type | one-time | 2026-08-25 |
| Frozen Dessert Manufacturer Permitonly if it applies to you | City of New Braunfels Health Division | $50–$200 permanent or temporary retail | not stated in the published schedule | 2026-08-25 |
| Food Handler Card | City of New Braunfels Health Division | $15 per card | not stated in the published schedule | 2026-08-25 |
| Food Establishment Permit | City of New Braunfels Health Division | $258–$773 per year, by employee count | 1 year | 2026-08-25 |
| Farmers Market and Mobile Food Court Permitonly if it applies to you | City of New Braunfels Health Division | $100–$150 per year, by venue type | 1 year | 2026-08-25 |
| Health Inspection Request and Reinspectiononly if it applies to you | City of New Braunfels Health Division | $150 per inspection | per inspection | 2026-08-25 |
| Special Use Permitonly if it applies to you | City of New Braunfels Planning and Development Services | $1,500 plus $100 per acre, capped at $4,000, plus $52 for mail notification | per application | 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.
Local permits that apply to every type of business in New Braunfels
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Occupant Permit | City of New Braunfels Building Division | $150 per permit | not stated in the published schedule | 2026-08-25 |
| Commercial Building Permit | City of New Braunfels Building Division | Varies — formula on the New Braunfels page | per permit | 2026-08-25 |
| Electrical, Plumbing, Mechanical and Fuel Gas Permitonly if it applies to you | City of New Braunfels Building Division | $100 commercial permit application fee | per permit | 2026-08-25 |
| Fire Sprinkler and Fire Alarm System Permit | City of New Braunfels Fire Department, Fire Marshal | Varies — formula on the New Braunfels page | per permit | 2026-08-25 |
| Sign Permitonly if it applies to you | City of New Braunfels Planning and Development Services | Varies — formula on the New Braunfels page | 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.
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 New Braunfels?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 17 records listed for a retail store in New Braunfels, TX, 8 apply to every business of this type and 9 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 8 that always apply, 3 carry a flat fee, coming to $165.00. That is a floor, not a total. 10 of the 17 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:
Temporary Food Establishment Permit: $25–$150 single, multiple event or sampler
Grocery and Tavern Food Permit: $100–$250 per year, by establishment type
Food Establishment Plan Review: one-half of the full-year annual food establishment permit fee for the applicable permit type
Frozen Dessert Manufacturer Permit: $50–$200 permanent or temporary retail
Food Establishment Permit: $258–$773 per year, by employee count
Farmers Market and Mobile Food Court Permit: $100–$150 per year, by venue type
Special Use Permit: $1,500 plus $100 per acre, capped at $4,000, plus $52 for mail notification
The other 3 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the New Braunfels permits page and the TX state page.
Which offices issue these permits in New Braunfels?
Permits for a retail store in New Braunfels, TX come from 6 separate offices: City of New Braunfels Health Division, City of New Braunfels Building Division, City of New Braunfels Fire Department, Fire Marshal, City of New Braunfels Planning and Development Services, 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 New Braunfels Health DivisionIssues 8 permits on this page, including Temporary Food Establishment Permit, Grocery and Tavern Food Permit, Food Establishment Plan Review550 Landa Street, New Braunfels, TX 78130www.newbraunfels.gov
- City of New Braunfels Building DivisionIssues 3 permits on this page: New Occupant Permit, Commercial Building Permit, Electrical, Plumbing, Mechanical and Fuel Gas Permit550 Landa Street, New Braunfels, TX 78130newbraunfels.gov/3433/Building-Permits
- City of New Braunfels Fire Department, Fire MarshalIssues 1 permit on this page: Fire Sprinkler and Fire Alarm System Permit550 Landa Street, New Braunfels, TX 78130newbraunfels.gov
- City of New Braunfels Planning and Development ServicesIssues 2 permits on this page: Sign Permit, Special Use Permit550 Landa Street, New Braunfels, TX 78130www.newbraunfels.gov/4134/Development-Services
- 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 New Braunfels that other businesses do not?
Grocery and Tavern Food Permit
Most food permits in New Braunfels are banded on employee count at $258, $515 and $773. These are not: a grocery is a flat $250, a tavern $100, a meat processor $100 and a school kitchen run by a private company $250, whatever the headcount. A non-profit pays nothing regardless of employees, and a state-licensed adult or childcare facility pays nothing at all. Plan review is one half of the full-year permit fee for every one of these types.
Health Inspection Request and Reinspection
$150 either way — to request a health inspection, or to be reinspected after failing one. An adoption or foster inspection is $50. The line most likely to catch an existing operator is the late fee: a food establishment application submitted after 1 January costs an extra $100 per permit type, so a site holding three permit types pays $300 for being late once.
Shared with other businesses in New Braunfels
- Temporary Food Establishment Permit — City of New Braunfels Health Division, $25–$150 single, multiple event or sampler, per event, or up to 6 events a year. Also required for coffee shops, food trucks and restaurants; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
- Food Establishment Plan Review — City of New Braunfels Health Division, one-half of the full-year annual food establishment permit fee for the applicable permit type, one-time. Also required for coffee shops and restaurants; what it involves is set out on the restaurants page.
- Frozen Dessert Manufacturer Permit — City of New Braunfels Health Division, $50–$200 permanent or temporary retail, not stated in the published schedule. Also required for restaurants and coffee shops; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
- Food Handler Card — City of New Braunfels Health Division, $15 per card, not stated in the published schedule. Also required for restaurants, coffee shops and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the food trucks page.
- Food Establishment Permit — City of New Braunfels Health Division, $258–$773 per year, by employee count, 1 year. Also required for coffee shops and restaurants; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
- Farmers Market and Mobile Food Court Permit — City of New Braunfels Health Division, $100–$150 per year, by venue type, 1 year. Also required for restaurants and coffee shops; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
- Special Use Permit — City of New Braunfels Planning and Development Services, $1,500 plus $100 per acre, capped at $4,000, plus $52 for mail notification, per application. Also required for auto repair shops, restaurants, childcare centres, veterinary clinics and fitness studios; what it involves is set out on the auto repair shops page.
The other 5 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in New Braunfels, TX; what each one involves is set out on the New Braunfels 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 New Braunfels?
The closest match is a restaurant, which shares 9 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 | 10 | 9 | 0 | 1 |
| Coffee shops | 7 | 7 | 2 | 0 |
| Food trucks | 3 | 2 | 7 | 1 |
| Auto repair shops | 1 | 1 | 8 | 0 |
| Childcare centres | 2 | 1 | 8 | 1 |
| Fitness studios | 2 | 1 | 8 | 1 |
| Veterinary clinics | 2 | 1 | 8 | 1 |
| Contractors and trades | 1 | 0 | 9 | 1 |
| Salons and barbers | 1 | 0 | 9 | 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, restaurants page, food trucks page and auto repair shops page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the New Braunfels permits page and the TX state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- City of New Braunfels Code of Ordinances Appendix D, Fee ScheduleCity of New Braunfels · primary source · retrieved 2026-08-25
Related
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.