10 permits · verified 2026-10-02
What permits do you need to open a auto repair shop in Chesterfield County Va?
In short
A auto repair shop in Chesterfield County Va, VA has 5 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 5 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Chesterfield County Commissioner of the Revenue charges $550,000 gross receipts a year — the amount below which the flat $10 fee applies instead of the percentage tax, and the amount subtracted when computing the percentage tax above it for the bpol no-tax-below / percentage-tax reduction threshold. 6 of the 10 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 auto repair shop in Chesterfield County Va
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Automotive Repair Licensing — Commonwealth of Virginia positiononly if it applies to you | Virginia State Corporation Commission, Office of the Clerk | No fee | not applicable | 2026-09-03 |
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 Chesterfield County Va
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Building Permit | Chesterfield County Department of Building Inspection | Varies — formula on the Chesterfield County Va page | one-time, per project; the fee schedule itself is reviewed annually by the Board of Supervisors and can change at the next fiscal year | 2026-10-02 |
| BPOL (Business, Professional and Occupational License) Registration and Flat-Fee Bracket | Chesterfield County Commissioner of the Revenue | Varies — formula on the Chesterfield County Va page | calendar year; renew by March 1 | 2026-10-02 |
| BPOL Percentage Tax on Gross Receipts | Chesterfield County Commissioner of the Revenue | Varies — formula on the Chesterfield County Va page | calendar year; renew by March 1 | 2026-10-02 |
| BPOL No-Tax-Below / Percentage-Tax Reduction Threshold | Chesterfield County Commissioner of the Revenue | $550,000 gross receipts a year — the amount below which the flat $10 fee applies instead of the percentage tax, and the amount subtracted when computing the percentage tax above it | calendar year | 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.
VA registrations that apply to every type of business
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to you | Virginia State Corporation Commission, Office of the Clerk | $100 one-time filing | no expiry, but a $50 annual registration fee is due every year | 2026-09-03 |
| Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | Virginia State Corporation Commission, Office of the Clerk | Varies — formula on the VA page | no expiry, but an annual registration fee and a free annual report are due | 2026-09-03 |
| Annual Registration Feeonly if it applies to you | Virginia State Corporation Commission, Office of the Clerk | Varies — formula on the VA page | annual — the last day of the twelfth month after the month of formation | 2026-09-03 |
| Dealer's Certificate of Registration | Virginia Department of Taxation | No fee | indefinite — valid until the business closes or the certificate is revoked | 2026-09-03 |
| General Business License — Local BPOL License (Virginia)only if it applies to you | Virginia State Corporation Commission, Office of the Clerk | Varies — formula on the VA page | annual — usually due 1 March | 2026-09-03 |
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 Chesterfield County Va?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 10 records listed for a auto repair shop in Chesterfield County Va, VA, 5 apply to every business of this type and 5 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 5 that always apply, 1 carry a flat fee, coming to $550,000.00. That is a floor, not a total. 6 of the 10 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 2 have no fee published at all.
The other 6 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Chesterfield County Va permits page and the VA state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Chesterfield County Va?
Permits for a auto repair shop in Chesterfield County Va, VA come from 4 separate offices: Chesterfield County Department of Building Inspection, Chesterfield County Commissioner of the Revenue, Virginia State Corporation Commission, Office of the Clerk, Virginia Department of Taxation. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- Chesterfield County Department of Building InspectionIssues 1 permit on this page: Commercial Building Permit9800 Government Center Parkway, Chesterfield, VA 23832 · 804-748-1057www.chesterfield.gov/DocumentCenter/View/329/Commercial-Building-Inspection-Fee-Schedule-PDF
- Chesterfield County Commissioner of the RevenueIssues 3 permits on this page: BPOL (Business, Professional and Occupational License) Registration and Flat-Fee Bracket, BPOL Percentage Tax on Gross Receipts, BPOL No-Tax-Below / Percentage-Tax Reduction Threshold9901 Lori Road, Bldg. 38, Rm. 165, Chesterfield, VA 23832 · 804-748-1281www.chesterfield.gov/businesslicense
- Virginia State Corporation Commission, Office of the ClerkIssues 5 permits on this page, including Articles of Organization (LLC), Articles of Incorporation, Annual Registration Fee1300 East Main Street, Richmond, VA 23219 · (804) 371-9733www.scc.virginia.gov
- Virginia Department of TaxationIssues 1 permit on this page: Dealer's Certificate of RegistrationPO Box 1115, Richmond, VA 23218-1115 · (804) 367-8037www.tax.virginia.gov/register-business-virginia
What does a auto repair shop need in Chesterfield County Va 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 Chesterfield County Va: Automotive Repair Licensing — Commonwealth of Virginia position.
Automotive Repair Licensing — Commonwealth of Virginia position
No fee: the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation's published roster of regulated occupations — around fifty of them, from architects to wrestlers — names no automotive, motor vehicle or mechanical repair occupation; the motor vehicle department's own business portal lists only motor carriers, dealers, online salvage pools and online dealers. Three things can still catch a shop. Performing state safety inspections needs a station designation from the Superintendent of State Police, not from the motor vehicle department. Repairing two or more salvage vehicles in twelve months makes you a rebuilder, which is licensed. And the local BPOL license applies, at up to 36 cents per hundred dollars of gross receipts for repair services.
The other 4 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Chesterfield County Va, VA; what each one involves is set out on the Chesterfield County Va permits page. The 5 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across VA and are covered on the VA state page.
How does a auto repair shop compare with other businesses in Chesterfield County Va?
The closest match is a childcare centre, which shares 0 of these permits. A auto repair shop also needs Automotive Repair Licensing — Commonwealth of Virginia position. A childcare centre needs Child Day Programme 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 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Coffee shops | 5 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Contractors and trades | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Fitness studios | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Food trucks | 4 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| Restaurants | 7 | 0 | 1 | 7 |
| Retail stores | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Salons and barbers | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Veterinary clinics | 1 | 0 | 1 | 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 Chesterfield County Va permits page and the VA state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation — the complete list of regulated professions and occupationsVirginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
- Code of Virginia section 46.2-1600 — definition of a rebuilder, which reaches a shop repairing two or more salvage vehicles in a yearVirginia General Assembly · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
Related
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.