11 permits · verified 2026-10-01
What permits do you need to open a auto repair shop in Washington County Ut?
In short
A auto repair shop in Washington County Ut, UT has 2 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 9 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Utah Motor Vehicle Enforcement Division charges $112 plus a required $20,000 surety bond for the motor vehicle body shop license. 4 of the 11 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-01 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a auto repair shop in Washington County Ut
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Motor Vehicle Body Shop Licenseonly if it applies to you | Utah Motor Vehicle Enforcement Division | $112 plus a required $20,000 surety bond | set by the license renewal cycle | 2026-09-04 |
| Automotive Repair Shop Licensing — Utah MVED Positiononly if it applies to you | Utah Motor Vehicle Enforcement Division | No fee | not applicable | 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 Washington County Ut
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Business License (Standard) | Washington County Community Development Department | Varies — formula on the Washington County Ut page | Annual, expiring January 31; an application filed after July 1 is prorated to half the annual fee | 2026-10-01 |
| Building Permit and Related Building-Division Feesonly if it applies to you | Washington County Community Development Department | Varies — formula on the Washington County Ut page | One-time, per project; add-on inspection fees are billed per occurrence | 2026-10-01 |
| Zoning / Land Use / Planning Application Feesonly if it applies to you | Washington County Community Development Department | Varies — formula on the Washington County Ut page | Per application | 2026-10-01 |
| Commercial Septic System Permitsonly if it applies to you | Southwest Utah Public Health Department | Varies — formula on the Washington County Ut page | One-time per installation for a conventional system; annual renewal for an alternative/experimental system or a hauler-vehicle permit | 2026-10-01 |
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 auto repair shop in Washington County Ut?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 11 records listed for a auto repair shop in Washington County Ut, UT, 2 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.
4 of the 11 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 3 have no fee published at all.
The other 4 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Washington County Ut permits page and the UT state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Washington County Ut?
Permits for a auto repair shop in Washington County Ut, UT come from 5 separate offices: Washington County Community Development Department, Southwest Utah Public Health Department, Utah State Tax Commission, Utah Motor Vehicle Enforcement Division, Utah Division of Corporations and Commercial Code. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- Washington County Community Development DepartmentIssues 3 permits on this page: General Business License (Standard), Building Permit and Related Building-Division Fees, Zoning / Land Use / Planning Application Fees111 East Tabernacle St., St. George, UT 84770 · (435) 301-7250www.washco.utah.gov/departments/community-development/business-license-information
- Southwest Utah Public Health DepartmentIssues 1 permit on this page: Commercial Septic System Permits(435) 673-3528swuhealth.gov/fees
- 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 Motor Vehicle Enforcement DivisionIssues 2 permits on this page: Motor Vehicle Body Shop License, Automotive Repair Shop Licensing — Utah MVED Position210 North 1950 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84134 · (801) 297-2600mved.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
What does a auto repair shop need in Washington County Ut that other businesses do not?
2 of the 2 permits particular to a auto repair shop here apply to no other business type we cover in Washington County Ut: Motor Vehicle Body Shop License and Automotive Repair Shop Licensing — Utah MVED Position.
Motor Vehicle Body Shop License
A hundred and twelve dollars for the license itself, but the real cost of entry is the $20,000 surety bond every body shop must file on a specific state form before it can operate — tied to the consumer-protection concerns around vehicles that have been in a collision or carry a salvage history, which is why this license exists at all where an ordinary mechanical repair shop needs none. The application must include a photograph of the shop's sign along with the bond and ownership details, submitted directly to the division.
Automotive Repair Shop Licensing — Utah MVED Position
There is no state license fee listed for a general repair shop. The Motor Vehicle Enforcement Division's Business License Fees list runs to dealers, motor vehicle body shop, manufacturer, remanufacturer, dismantler, crusher, transporter, distributor and salvage buyer, and lists no category for a plain mechanical repair or service shop; under that list, a shop doing collision or body repair needs the body shop license, while one doing only oil changes, brakes or engine work has no MVED category. See the body shop license record for the collision-repair side of the boundary.
The other 4 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Washington County Ut, UT; what each one involves is set out on the Washington 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 auto repair shop compare with other businesses in Washington County Ut?
The closest match is a childcare centre, which shares 0 of these permits. A auto repair shop also needs Motor Vehicle Body Shop License and Automotive Repair Shop Licensing — Utah MVED Position. A childcare centre needs Major Home Occupation Business License, Minor Home Occupation — License Not Required Under County Code § 10-26-3(B), Home Daycare Food Service Permit and Child Care Centre License, which a auto repair shop does not.
| Business | Its own permits | Shared with a auto repair shop | Only a auto repair shop needs | Only it needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Childcare centres | 4 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| Coffee shops | 11 | 0 | 2 | 11 |
| Contractors and trades | 6 | 0 | 2 | 6 |
| Fitness studios | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Food trucks | 5 | 0 | 2 | 5 |
| Restaurants | 10 | 0 | 2 | 10 |
| Retail stores | 5 | 0 | 2 | 5 |
| Salons and barbers | 5 | 0 | 2 | 5 |
| Veterinary clinics | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
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 Washington County Ut permits page and the UT state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- Utah Motor Vehicle Enforcement Division — business license fees, including the body shop licenseUtah Motor Vehicle Enforcement Division · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
- Utah Motor Vehicle Enforcement Division — body shop licensing requirements and the $20,000 bondUtah Motor Vehicle Enforcement Division · 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.