20 published records
Business licenses and permits in Davis County, Utah
Davis County, seat Farmington, runs a general business license, retail beer license, building-permit program, and zoning/land-use fee schedule through its Community & Economic Development (CED) department, reaching unincorporated Davis County only. The Davis County Health Department (DCHD), by contrast, is a single-county health department under Utah Code §26A-1-103 and reaches every one of the county's 15 incorporated cities as well as the unincorporated area alike for food service, mobile food, temporary and seasonal food, microenterprise home kitchens, food handler cards, body art, tanning, pools/spas, septic systems, vehicle-emissions stations, and tobacco retailer permitting. Davis County's 15 incorporated municipalities — Bountiful, Centerville, Clearfield, Clinton, Farmington, Fruit Heights, Kaysville, Layton, North Salt Lake, South Weber, Sunset, Syracuse, West Bountiful, West Point, and Woods Cross — each run their own business-license, building, and zoning regime that stacks on top of the county-wide DCHD health permits but stands outside, not on top of, the county's own CED business-license, beer-license, building-permit, and zoning fees, which apply only in unincorporated Davis County. The 378,470 population figure is the U.S. Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program figure for July 1, 2024; the county's own 'Cities' page separately states an older, different-vintage estimate of 342,281, not used here.
What are you opening in Davis 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 Davis County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Business License — All Other Business | Davis County Community & Economic Development | $60 a year | Annual, expires December 31; renewal due by January 31 | 2026-10-02 |
| General Business License — Home Occupationonly if it applies to you | Davis County Community & Economic Development | $50 a year | Annual, expires December 31; renewal due by January 31 | 2026-10-02 |
| Building Permitonly if it applies to you | Davis County Community & Economic Development | Valuation-based table from $200.00 (valuation $7,500 or less) up to $17,608.00 minimum plus $96.00/hour beyond 183 hours of service, for a project over $5,000,000. Flat and per-square-foot fees apply to specific project types: Shed $10.50/sq ft (no floor) or $13.00/sq ft (with floor); Reroof $8.00/sq ft; Remodel $25.00/sq ft (minimum $192.00); agricultural buildings $3.00 (greenhouse) to $10.50/sq ft (enclosed), minimum $288.00 per tier; Swimming Pool $288.00; Wood Stove $288.00; Deck $384.00; Temporary Trailer $192.00; Demolition $96.00; Manufactured Housing $576.00; Cell Tower Site $960.00. Plan review is 65% of the building-permit fee or actual cost, whichever is less. Site Plan review (Planning Commission) is $200.00. Refundable construction bonds: Accessory Units $200.00, Remodel/Addition $500.00, New Construction $1,000.00. | One-time, per permit | 2026-10-02 |
| Zoning / Land Use Feesonly if it applies to you | Davis County Community & Economic Development | Agriculture Protection Area Application $500.00; Appeals Fee $200.00; Conditional Use Permit $500.00; Rezoning $250.00; Subdivision Preliminary Plat $500.00 plus $40.00 per lot; Subdivision Final Plat $500.00 plus $50.00 per lot; Zoning Ordinance Amendment $250.00; Excavation Permit $250.00; Board of Adjustment $250.00. | Per application | 2026-10-02 |
| Onsite Wastewater (Septic) System Permitonly if it applies to you | Davis County Health Department, Environmental Health Division | Plan review $90.00 (holding tank/vault privy) to $240.00 (other alternative/experimental). Construction permit $180.00 (absorption trench) to $750.00 (holding tank), plus a $40.00 state new-system fee. Operating permit $100.00. Feasibility determination $200.00-$600.00. Miscellaneous items (extension, subdivision duplication, insufficient plans, permit extension, additional inspection, late fee) $30.00 each. | Per system | 2026-10-02 |
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 Davis County?
General Business License — All Other Business
A restaurant, coffee shop, food truck, retail store, childcare business, fitness studio, auto-repair shop, veterinary clinic, or salon operating in unincorporated Davis County needs this license, priced at $60.00 a year under Davis County Code §2.48.050(C)'s residual 'All Other Business' tier, which was re-confirmed against the county's own freshly re-downloaded current fee schedule. The license runs the calendar year and expires December 31; renewal is due by January 31, after which the fee doubles, per the Handbook and Guide for Doing Business. The license is non-refundable once issued and non-transferable between persons or locations. This requirement applies only in unincorporated Davis County, confirmed both by the business-license application's own applicant-agreement language, which states the license covers conducting business 'in the unincorporated area of Davis County,' and by Davis County Code §5.04.010's definition of 'County' as the unincorporated areas only — a business inside any of the county's 15 incorporated cities instead licenses with that city.
General Business License — Home Occupation
Any of the ten covered industries operated as a home occupation in unincorporated Davis County is billed under the county's own 'Home Occupations' tier, priced at $50.00 a year under Davis County Code §2.48.050(C), re-confirmed against the county's own freshly re-downloaded current fee schedule — distinct from, and lower than, the ordinary 'All Other Business' or 'Construction Companies' rates that apply to a non-home-based location. The license runs the calendar year, expiring December 31, with renewal due by January 31 or the fee doubles, and is non-refundable once issued. Applies only to a home-based business in unincorporated Davis County; a home occupation inside any of the county's 15 incorporated cities instead licenses with that city.
Building Permit
Any of the ten covered industries building, remodeling, or installing a pool, deck, shed, or similar structure in unincorporated Davis County needs a building permit, priced from $200.00 for work valued at $7,500 or less up to a $17,608.00 minimum plus $96.00 an hour beyond 183 hours of service for a project valued over $5,000,000, with separate flat and per-square-foot rates for specific project types (full schedule in the fee formula above), all re-confirmed character for character against the county's own freshly re-downloaded current fee schedule. Plan review is billed at 65% of the building-permit fee or actual cost, whichever is less; a Planning Commission site-plan review is $200.00; and refundable construction bonds run from $200.00 for an accessory unit to $1,000.00 for new construction. Applies only to unincorporated Davis County; a project inside any of the county's 15 incorporated cities instead permits through that city's own building department.
Zoning / Land Use Fees
Any of the ten covered industries seeking a conditional use permit, rezoning, subdivision plat approval, excavation permit, or similar zoning or land-use action on a parcel in unincorporated Davis County pays the fee set at Davis County Code §2.48.050(B), re-confirmed against the county's own freshly re-downloaded current fee schedule: amounts range from $200.00 for an appeal up to $500.00 for an Agriculture Protection Area application, a Conditional Use Permit, or a subdivision plat (plus a per-lot charge for a subdivision plat). These fees apply only in unincorporated Davis County; a project inside any of the county's 15 incorporated cities instead applies through that city's own zoning and planning process.
Onsite Wastewater (Septic) System Permit
Any of the ten covered industries building on a septic system, chiefly in unincorporated Davis County, needs this permit from the Davis County Health Department, priced per the department's own live Onsite Wastewater permit page: plan review from $90.00 (holding tank/vault privy) to $240.00 (other alternative/experimental system), a construction permit from $180.00 (absorption trench) to $750.00 (holding tank) plus a $40.00 state new-system fee, a $100.00 operating permit, a $200.00-$600.00 feasibility determination, and $30.00 each for miscellaneous items such as an extension, subdivision duplication, insufficient plans, permit extension, additional inspection, or late fee. DCHD reaches every incorporated city and the unincorporated area alike, though a septic system is chiefly found where sewer service is unavailable, typically in the unincorporated county.
Sources
Every figure in the table above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- Davis County Current Fee Schedule — codification of §2.48.050 (business license, beer license, building permit, and zoning/land-use fees), last amended Ord. No. 4-2017, §1, adopted 05/23/2017Davis County Community & Economic Development · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-02
- Davis County Business License Applications (current) — applicant agreement naming the unincorporated-area scopeDavis County Community & Economic Development · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-02
- Davis County Health Department — Onsite Wastewater (Septic) System Permit pageDavis County Health Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-02
Who issues business permits in Davis County?
Permitting in Davis County is split across 4 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.
Davis County issuing agencies
- Davis County Health Department, Environmental Health DivisionFood establishment, mobile food, temporary food, seasonal food, microenterprise home kitchen, food handler, and residential-care/childcare food-service inspection permitting, county-wide (Davis County Board of Health Food Service Sanitation Regulation, eff. 09/23/1980, rev. 08/20/2024) · Body art, tanning, pool/spa, onsite wastewater (septic), vehicle-emissions I/M station and technician, and tobacco retailer permitting, county-wide, reaching all 15 incorporated cities and the unincorporated area alike (Utah Code §26A-1-103)13 permits
- Davis County Community & Economic DevelopmentGeneral business license for any business operated in unincorporated Davis County (Davis County Code Title 5, Ch. 5.04; fee table at §2.48.050(C)) · Building permits and zoning/land-use application fees in unincorporated Davis County (§2.48.050(A) and (B))5 permits
- Davis County Animal CareKennel licensing for boarding-kennel operators, county-wide (Davis County Code §6.32.010)1 permit
- Davis County CommissionIssues the county's own retail beer license for unincorporated Davis County, separate from the general business license (Davis County Code §5.04.330-360; fee at §2.48.050(D)) · Signs local consent for state DABS alcohol licenses covering premises in unincorporated Davis County1 permit
Other Utah 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.