19 published records
Business licenses and permits in Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City's own general Business License is mandatory and reviews zoning, fire and building-code compliance in one process; it charges a base fee plus an employee fee plus, for several specific trades, a further named-category fee on the Consolidated Fee Schedule. Food service, mobile-food, and salon/cosmetology premises licensing is delegated to the Salt Lake County Health Department (confirmed as the department's current name via its own history page — the city's own Mobile Food Business page still uses 'Salt Lake Valley Health Department,' a name retired in 2013). No fee for a Certificate of Occupancy is published; the Consolidated Fee Schedule's fire section prices no day-care-specific operational permit, and its Business Licensing list names no separate category for veterinary or fitness-studio use beyond the base business license.
What are you opening in Salt Lake City?
- 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 Salt Lake City
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Business License | City of Salt Lake City Finance Department, Business Licensing Division | A base Commercial license fee of $198/year (risen from $193 before September 2026), plus $29/year for every full- or part-time employee once the business has more than one. Several specific trades owe a further named-category fee on top — see the individual industry records below. Per the Consolidated Fee Schedule amended 06/16/2026 (Ordinance 2026-29). | annual (renewal cycle not stated in the published fee schedule) | 2026-09-09 |
| Zoning Verification Letteronly if it applies to you | City of Salt Lake City, Planning Division | $84 filing fee, plus $61 per hour of additional research time if the review extends beyond the first hour. | one-time, no stated expiration | 2026-09-09 |
| Building Permit (Commercial) | City of Salt Lake City, Department of Community and Neighborhoods, Building Services Division | Priced by total project valuation on a stepped table: $55.97 flat up to $500; $55.97 plus $4 per additional $100 (or fraction) from $500.01-$2,000; $115.97 plus $20 per additional $1,000 (or fraction) from $2,000.01-$25,000; $575.97 plus $14 per additional $1,000 from $25,000.01-$50,000; $925.97 plus $10 per additional $1,000 from $50,000.01-$100,000; $1,425.97 plus $8 per additional $1,000 from $100,000.01-$500,000; $4,625.97 plus $7 per additional $1,000 from $500,000.01-$1,000,000; and $8,125.97 plus $5 per additional $1,000 (or fraction) above $1,000,000. A plan review fee of 65% of the building permit fee applies separately. | one-time, per project | 2026-09-09 |
| Certificate of Occupancy | City of Salt Lake City, Department of Community and Neighborhoods, Building Services Division | No fee | one-time, no expiration | 2026-09-09 |
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 Salt Lake City?
General Business License
Mandatory for anyone conducting business — even temporarily — within Salt Lake City's corporate limits, per the Finance Department's own description; the licensing review itself is what confirms zoning, fire-code and building-code compliance rather than a separate stand-alone certificate. A commonly repeated '$100 non-refundable application fee' appears on several third-party small-business sites but does not match the city's own Consolidated Fee Schedule, which is the figure given here.
Zoning Verification Letter
An advisory letter documenting a property's current legal use, whether that use conforms to current zoning, and whether the building can be rebuilt, open permits, or associated variances exist — most often requested by lenders, buyers or appraisers rather than required to open a business. Submitted through the Citizen Access Portal; the Planning Division's own process states a 1-2 day turnaround once a planner is assigned. The Consolidated Fee Schedule (amended 06/16/2026) prices a similarly-scoped 'Administrative Interpretation' at the same $84 plus $61 an hour; it is a related but distinct product, not the same application under a different name.
Building Permit (Commercial)
Applied for through the Citizen Access Portal, with plans submitted through ProjectDox. Electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits are priced on their own separate tables within the same Consolidated Fee Schedule rather than folded into this figure. New structures, additions, commercial changes of use, and historic-district work should start at the Planning Counter (801-535-7700) before applying.
Certificate of Occupancy
No fee is published for this certificate: Building Services' own page states that the office issues Certificates of Occupancy and gives a direct contact (801-535-6000), but neither that page nor the Community and Neighborhoods portion of the Consolidated Fee Schedule (which itemizes building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, fencing and boarding-registration fees individually) names a separate dollar figure for it. It may be folded into the building permit fee already paid rather than charged again; confirm treatment for a specific project directly with Building Services before assuming it is free of charge.
Sources
Every figure in the table above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- Salt Lake City Consolidated Fee Schedule, Amended 06/16/2026 by Ordinance 2026-29 (business license columns 'Effective Sept '26') — business licensing, building/electrical/plumbing/sign permit, zoning and fire fee tablesCity of Salt Lake City · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-08
- Business Licensing — program overview, mandatory-license statement, and application processCity of Salt Lake City, Finance Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-09
- Zoning Verification — Planning Process packet, including the application form and required fees (updated 07/01/2026)City of Salt Lake City, Planning Division · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-09
- Building Permit Applications — application process, Certificate of Occupancy contact, and fee schedule linksCity of Salt Lake City, Building Services Division · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-09
Who issues business permits in Salt Lake City?
Permitting in Salt Lake City is split across 5 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.
Salt Lake City issuing agencies
- Salt Lake County Health Department, Environmental Health Division (Food Protection Bureau)Food establishment and mobile food permits · Cosmetology, body art and tanning facility permits · Child-care facility food-service inspections12 permits
- City of Salt Lake City Finance Department, Business Licensing DivisionGeneral business license · Home occupation permits · Mobile food business license9 permits
- City of Salt Lake City, Department of Community and Neighborhoods, Building Services DivisionBuilding, electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits · Sign permits · Certificates of occupancy3 permits
- Salt Lake City Fire Department, Fire Prevention BureauFire prevention permits and inspections · Hazardous-materials and place-of-assembly operational permits2 permits
- City of Salt Lake City, Planning DivisionZoning verification letters · Administrative interpretations · Zoning compliance1 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.