5 published records
Business licenses and permits in Taylor County, Texas
Taylor County, Texas, has its seat at Abilene. The county's own permits for a business site are land and road permits: the Taylor County Environmental Department issues on-site sewage facility (OSSF) permits and, for unincorporated areas, floodplain development permits, and Road and Bridge issues permits to construct driveways on county road right-of-way. The Tax Assessor-Collector sells amusement machine permits and accepts beer and liquor license applications on behalf of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission. The county's Development & Permitting page states: "Taylor County does not issue certificates of occupancy." The same page states: "Taylor County does not have the authority to implement or enforce zoning." TABC's "Unofficial list of Wet/Dry Areas in Texas", dated "As of Dec. 4, 2023", lists Taylor County countywide as "PW: B-On, B-Off, W-On, W-Off, DS-Off, MB" and Justice of the Peace Precinct 4 and the cities of Lawn and Trent as "Dry"; TABC states that only the city or county clerk's office can officially declare a location wet or dry. The same TABC list names Abilene, Buffalo Gap, Lawn, Merkel, Trent, Tuscola and Tye as cities in Taylor County. A business inside one of those cities also deals with that city's own permits, zoning and business requirements, which stack on the county items listed here; the county page adds that plats within a municipality's extraterritorial jurisdiction "require the approval by the respective municipality."
What are you opening in Taylor County?
- 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 Taylor County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Floodplain Development Permit (Taylor County Environmental Department)only if it applies to you | Taylor County Environmental Department | $50 per development permit | per development; no term is stated on the county's Development Permit form | 2026-10-31 |
| Permit to Construct Driveway Facilities on County Road Right-of-Way (Taylor County)only if it applies to you | Taylor County Road and Bridge | $25 per permit | void if the driveway facilities are not constructed within six (6) months from the issuance date | 2026-10-31 |
| On-Site Sewage Facility (OSSF) Permit (Taylor County Environmental Department)only if it applies to you | Taylor County Environmental Department | $310 per application ($300.00 Permit Application Fee plus $10.00 TDH Research Fee); reinspection $50.00 each time the system requires reinspection, paid by the installer | the Authorization to Construct is valid for one calendar year from the date of issuance; a License to Operate is issued after final inspection | 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.
What do these permits involve in Taylor County?
Floodplain Development Permit (Taylor County Environmental Department)
The Taylor County Environmental Department serves as the county's floodplain administrator. Under the heading "Floodplain Administration For All Development In Unincorporated Areas Of Taylor County", the department page states that it will "Regulate and issue development permits" and that "Floodplain development permits are required for houses, mobile homes, buildings and other structures." A business planning to build or place a structure in unincorporated Taylor County should apply on the county's Development Permit Application Form before work starts. As printed on that current county form ("Development Permit 2024"), the permit fee is $50.00. Contact the Environmental Department, 400 Oak St., Suite 107, Abilene, 325-674-1393, environmental@taylorcounty.texas.gov, about a particular site.
Permit to Construct Driveway Facilities on County Road Right-of-Way (Taylor County)
A business site that needs a new driveway or culvert onto a Taylor County road applies for a permit to construct driveway facilities on county road right-of-way. As printed on the county's current form, linked as "Driveway Culvert Permit" on the Development & Permitting page, the permit fee is $25.00. The form requires culverts of at least 16 inch gauge steel, with a minimum length of 30 ft. and a maximum of 60 ft., and states: "This permit will become null and void if the above referenced driveway facilities are not constructed within six (6) months from the issuance date of this permit." The completed form is returned to Taylor County Road and Bridge, 301 Oak Street, Abilene, TX 79602, 325-674-1235, and is signed by the Taylor County Commissioner.
On-Site Sewage Facility (OSSF) Permit (Taylor County Environmental Department)
A business premises in Taylor County served by an on-site sewage facility (septic system) rather than a public sewer needs an OSSF permit from the Taylor County Environmental Department before a new system is installed or an existing one is repaired, altered or added to. The department page describes its role as "Regulate State Of Texas On-Site Sewage Facility Laws Within Taylor County". As printed on the county's current application form, "OSSF Permit Application 2024", the fee is $310.00 in total: a $300.00 Permit Application Fee plus a $10.00 TDH Research Fee. The same form states that a reinspection fee of $50.00 must be paid by the installer each time the system requires reinspection. The form states that the Authorization to Construct is valid for one calendar year from its issuance; if no construction inspection is requested within that year, the owner must submit a new application and pay the fee again. The application is filed with a technical information sheet, a soil evaluation and site plan and an OSSF plan, and a License to Operate is issued after final inspection. Contact the Environmental Department, 400 Oak St., Suite 107, Abilene, 325-674-1393.
Sources
Every figure in the table above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- County of Taylor, Texas, Development Permit Application Form (Development Permit 2024)Taylor County Environmental Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-31
- Environmental DepartmentTaylor County, Texas · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-31
- Development & PermittingTaylor County, Texas · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-31
- Exhibit "E": Application for Permit to Construct Driveway Facilities on County Road Right-of-WayTaylor County, Texas · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-31
- OSSF Permit Application 2024Taylor County Environmental Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-31
Who issues business permits in Taylor County?
Permitting in Taylor County is split across 3 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.
Taylor County issuing agencies
- Taylor County Environmental DepartmentOn-site sewage facility (OSSF) permits within Taylor County · Floodplain administration and development permits for development in unincorporated areas of Taylor County2 permits
- Taylor County Tax Assessor-CollectorAmusement machine permits · Accepts beer and liquor license applications and renewals on behalf of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission2 permits
- Taylor County Road and BridgePermits to construct driveway facilities on county road right-of-way1 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.