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12 permits · verified 2026-09-28

What permits do you need to open a auto repair shop in Travis County?

In short

A auto repair shop in Travis County, TX has 3 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 9 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Travis County Transportation & Natural Resources (TNR), Development Services, Permitting Center charges $25 flat, filed with the initial application and again with each renewal application for the junkyard, automotive wrecking & salvage yard license (ch. 249). 7 of the 12 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-09-28 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.

Permits particular to a auto repair shop in Travis County

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Junkyard, Automotive Wrecking & Salvage Yard License (Ch. 249)only if it applies to youTravis County Transportation & Natural Resources (TNR), Development Services, Permitting Center$25 flat, filed with the initial application and again with each renewal applicationper Travis County Code Chapter 249; the fee applies at initial application and again at each renewal application, and the ordinance's fee provision does not itemize a fixed number of years between renewals2026-09-28

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 Travis County

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
General Business License — Travis County Positiononly if it applies to youTravis County Clerk, Recording DivisionNo feenot applicable — Travis County issues no general business license2026-09-28
Building PermitTravis County Fire Marshal's OfficeVaries — formula on the Travis County pageone-time per project/permit2026-09-28
Development Permit (floodplain / stormwater)only if it applies to youTravis County Transportation & Natural Resources (TNR), Development Services, Permitting CenterVaries — formula on the Travis County pageone-time per project2026-09-28
Fire Alarm / Sprinkler / Suppression System Construction Permitsonly if it applies to youTravis County Fire Marshal's OfficeVaries — formula on the Travis County pageone-time per project, issued alongside or separately from the Building Permit above2026-09-28
Fire Code Operational Permit (hazard-specific)only if it applies to youTravis County Fire Marshal's OfficeVaries — formula on the Travis County pageannual; the published Operational Permits fee schedule does not itemize a distinct renewal cadence beyond 'annual' for each hazard category2026-09-28
On-Site Sewage Facility (OSSF/Septic) Permitonly if it applies to youTravis County Transportation & Natural Resources (TNR), Development Services, Permitting CenterVaries — formula on the Travis County pageone-time per installation or change of use2026-09-28
Driveway, Fence, Site-Development, Demolition/Clearing and Subdivision Permitsonly if it applies to youTravis County Transportation & Natural Resources (TNR), Development Services, Permitting CenterVaries — formula on the Travis County pageone-time per permit/project2026-09-28
Assumed Name Certificate (DBA) FilingTravis County Clerk, Recording DivisionVaries — formula on the Travis County pageTexas Business and Commerce Code Chapter 71 sets a 10-year term for an assumed name certificate statewide; the Travis County Clerk's own DBA page does not separately restate this term2026-09-28

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

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Certificate of Formationonly if it applies to youTexas Secretary of State$300 one-time filingno expiry2026-08-20
Assumed Name Certificate (DBA)only if it applies to youTexas Secretary of State$25 one-time filingup to ten years, renewable2026-08-21
Texas Sales and Use Tax PermitTexas Comptroller of Public AccountsNo fee — there is no fee for this permitno expiry while actively engaged in business2026-08-21

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 auto repair shop in Travis County?

There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 12 records listed for a auto repair shop in Travis County, TX, 3 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 3 that always apply, 1 carry a flat fee, coming to $0.00. That is a floor, not a total. 7 of the 12 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 1 has no fee published at all.

The other 7 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Travis County permits page and the TX state page.

Which offices issue these permits in Travis County?

Permits for a auto repair shop in Travis County, TX come from 5 separate offices: Travis County Clerk, Recording Division, Travis County Fire Marshal's Office, Travis County Transportation & Natural Resources (TNR), Development Services, Permitting Center, 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.

What does a auto repair shop need in Travis County that other businesses do not?

1 of the 1 permit particular to a auto repair shop here applies to no other business type we cover in Travis County: Junkyard, Automotive Wrecking & Salvage Yard License (Ch. 249).

Junkyard, Automotive Wrecking & Salvage Yard License (Ch. 249)

This license does NOT apply to an ordinary auto-repair or auto-body shop — only if a business also operates as a junkyard, automotive wrecking yard, or salvage yard, meaning it dismantles or stores wrecked or junk vehicles for parts or scrap, in unincorporated Travis County. The fee is a flat $25.00, filed with the initial application and again with each renewal application, with proceeds deposited to the county general fund. Chapter 249's own text designates only 'the Director' as the licensing authority without naming a specific county department; TNR Development Services is listed here as the agency of record because it is the county's general public-facing contact for unincorporated-area commercial licensing questions, and an applicant should confirm the correct administering office directly with Travis County before applying. Most auto-repair businesses will NOT need this license.

The other 8 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Travis County, TX; what each one involves is set out on the Travis 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 auto repair shop compare with other businesses in Travis County?

The closest match is a childcare centre, which shares 0 of these permits. A auto repair shop also needs Junkyard, Automotive Wrecking & Salvage Yard License (Ch. 249). A childcare centre needs Child Care Facility Sanitation/Food-Service Permit (Ch. 247), Child Care Operating License — State HHSC License Applies (Travis County) and Child Care License, which a auto repair shop does not.

Permits particular to each business type in Travis County, TX, compared with a auto repair shop
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a auto repair shopOnly a auto repair shop needsOnly it needs
Childcare centres3013
Coffee shops3013
Contractors and trades2012
Fitness studios4014
Food trucks4014
Restaurants4014
Retail stores3013
Salons and barbers2012
Veterinary clinics2012

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 that apply to every type of business are listed on the Travis County permits page and the TX state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.

  1. Travis County Code Chapter 249, Junkyards, Automotive Wrecking, and Salvage YardsTravis County Commissioners Court · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-29

Related

Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.