13 permits · verified 2026-10-02
What permits do you need to open a retail store in Davis County Ut?
In short
A retail store in Davis County Ut, UT has 2 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 11 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Davis County Community & Economic Development charges $60 a year for the general business license — all other business. 6 of the 13 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-02 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a retail store in Davis County Ut
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tobacco Retailer Permitonly if it applies to you | Davis County Health Department, Environmental Health Division | New Permit $30.00; Permit Renewal $20.00; Permit Reinstatement $30.00; Retail Tobacco Specialty Business (RTSB) plan review (required for all new RTSB applications, covers both the plan review and the new permit) $250.00. | General Tobacco Retailer permit: up to 2 calendar years. RTSB permit: up to 1 calendar year. | 2026-10-02 |
| Beer (Retail) Licenseonly if it applies to you | Davis County Commission | Off-Premises Beer Retailer license $75.00 a year; On-Premises Beer Retailer license $100.00 a year. | Annual | 2026-10-02 |
| Retail Food Establishment Registration (grocery, processor or warehouse)only if it applies to you | Utah Department of Agriculture and Food, Regulatory Services Division | $100–$1,250 banded by the size and type of the facility | set by the registration cycle | 2026-09-04 |
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 Davis County Ut
| 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 | Varies — formula on the Davis County Ut page | One-time, per permit | 2026-10-02 |
| Zoning / Land Use Feesonly if it applies to you | Davis County Community & Economic Development | Varies — formula on the Davis County Ut page | Per application | 2026-10-02 |
| Onsite Wastewater (Septic) System Permitonly if it applies to you | Davis County Health Department, Environmental Health Division | Varies — formula on the Davis County Ut page | 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.
UT registrations that apply to every type of business
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sales and Use Tax License | Utah State Tax Commission | No fee | ongoing — no fixed expiration, with a filing frequency the state assigns and can revisit | 2026-09-04 |
| Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | Utah Division of Corporations and Commercial Code | $59 one-time filing | perpetual, but a renewal is due every year | 2026-09-04 |
| Certificate of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to you | Utah Division of Corporations and Commercial Code | $59 one-time filing | perpetual, but a renewal is due every year | 2026-09-04 |
| General Business License — Utah State Position (Entity Registration)only if it applies to you | Utah Division of Corporations and Commercial Code | No fee | set by the city or county | 2026-09-04 |
| Annual Renewalonly if it applies to you | Utah Division of Corporations and Commercial Code | $18 a year; a late renewal adds $10 | annual — due in the calendar month tied to the entity's own formation anniversary | 2026-09-04 |
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 Davis County Ut?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 13 records listed for a retail store in Davis County Ut, UT, 2 apply to every business of this type and 11 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 2 that always apply, 1 carry a flat fee, coming to $60.00. That is a floor, not a total. 6 of the 13 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 2 have no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:
Tobacco Retailer Permit: New Permit $30.00; Permit Renewal $20.00; Permit Reinstatement $30.00; Retail Tobacco Specialty Business (RTSB) plan review (required for all new RTSB applications, covers both the plan review and the new permit) $250.00.
Beer (Retail) License: Off-Premises Beer Retailer license $75.00 a year; On-Premises Beer Retailer license $100.00 a year.
Retail Food Establishment Registration (grocery, processor or warehouse): $100–$1,250 banded by the size and type of the facility
The other 3 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Davis County Ut permits page and the UT state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Davis County Ut?
Permits for a retail store in Davis County Ut, UT come from 6 separate offices: Davis County Community & Economic Development, Davis County Health Department, Environmental Health Division, Davis County Commission, Utah State Tax Commission, Utah Division of Corporations and Commercial Code, Utah Department of Agriculture and Food, Regulatory Services Division. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- Davis County Community & Economic DevelopmentIssues 4 permits on this page: General Business License — All Other Business, General Business License — Home Occupation, Building Permit, Zoning / Land Use Fees61 S. Main St., Room 304 (Licensing) / Room 221 (Planning), Farmington, UT 84025 · (801) 451-3279www.daviscountyutah.gov/ced/online-payments/business-license
- Davis County Health Department, Environmental Health DivisionIssues 2 permits on this page: Onsite Wastewater (Septic) System Permit, Tobacco Retailer Permit22 South State St., Clearfield, UT 84015 · (801) 525-5000 (general); (801) 525-5128 (Environmental Health)www.daviscountyutah.gov/health/home/1
- Davis County CommissionIssues 1 permit on this page: Beer (Retail) Licensewww.daviscountyutah.gov
- Utah State Tax CommissionIssues 1 permit on this page: Sales and Use Tax License210 North 1950 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84134 · (801) 297-2200tax.utah.gov
- Utah Division of Corporations and Commercial CodeIssues 4 permits on this page: Articles of Incorporation, Certificate of Organization (LLC), General Business License — Utah State Position (Entity Registration), Annual Renewal160 East 300 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84111 · (801) 530-4849corporations.utah.gov
- Utah Department of Agriculture and Food, Regulatory Services DivisionIssues 1 permit on this page: Retail Food Establishment Registration (grocery, processor or warehouse)4315 South 2700 West, Taylorsville, UT 84129 · (385) 332-1499ag.utah.gov/regulatory-services/retail-food-regulatory-program
What does a retail store need in Davis County Ut that other businesses do not?
2 of the 3 permits particular to a retail store here apply to no other business type we cover in Davis County Ut: Tobacco Retailer Permit and Retail Food Establishment Registration (grocery, processor or warehouse).
Tobacco Retailer Permit
A retail store selling tobacco products anywhere in Davis County needs this permit from the Davis County Health Department. The department's own current Tobacco Retailer Permit Application, updated 10/2025, states in Section 5, 'Permit Fees': a New Permit is $30.00, a Permit Renewal is $20.00, a Permit Reinstatement is $30.00, and a Retail Tobacco Specialty Business (RTSB) plan review, required for all new RTSB applications, is $250.00 and covers both the plan review and the new permit for an RTSB. A general Tobacco Retailer permit runs up to 2 calendar years; an RTSB permit runs up to 1 calendar year. DCHD reaches every incorporated city and the unincorporated area alike.
Retail Food Establishment Registration (grocery, processor or warehouse)
This is the state's own registration, and it applies only to a grocery, a food processor or a warehouse — never to a restaurant. The fee runs in five bands by size and function, from $100 for a cottage operation up to $1,250 for a large processor or grocer. Anything serving food for immediate consumption is licensed instead by a local health department under a different fee entirely — see the food service permit record.
Shared with other businesses in Davis County Ut
- Beer (Retail) License — Davis County Commission, Off-Premises Beer Retailer license $75.00 a year; On-Premises Beer Retailer license $100.00 a year., Annual. Also required for restaurants, coffee shops and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the restaurants page.
The other 5 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Davis County Ut, UT; what each one involves is set out on the Davis County Ut permits page. The 5 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across UT and are covered on the UT state page.
How does a retail store compare with other businesses in Davis County Ut?
The closest match is a coffee shop, which shares 1 of these permits. A retail store also needs Tobacco Retailer Permit and Retail Food Establishment Registration (grocery, processor or warehouse). A coffee shop needs Food Establishment Permit, Seasonal Food Establishment Permit (including Flavored Ice), Food Handler Permit and 3 more, which a retail store does not.
| Business | Its own permits | Shared with a retail store | Only a retail store needs | Only it needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coffee shops | 7 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| Food trucks | 7 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| Restaurants | 8 | 1 | 2 | 7 |
| Auto repair shops | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Childcare centres | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Contractors and trades | 5 | 0 | 3 | 5 |
| Fitness studios | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Salons and barbers | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Veterinary clinics | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
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 restaurants page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Davis County Ut permits page and the UT state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- Davis County Tobacco Retailer Permit Application, Updated 10/2025 — Section 5, Permit FeesDavis County Health Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-02
- Utah Department of Agriculture and Food — fee schedule, retail food establishment registration by size tierUtah Department of Agriculture and Food · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
- Utah Department of Agriculture and Food — retail food regulatory program, splitting jurisdiction between the state and local health departmentsUtah Department of Agriculture and Food · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
Related
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.